The Program commences with two weekend bootcamps in late January and late February, followed by bi-weekly workshops over seven weeks on Wednesday evenings through March and April. For Breakthrough 2.0 we will be prioritizing applicants who have some project seed funding, or a track record of at least one completed film. Selected participants are required to be in Toronto for pitch sessions and Industry Days during Hot Docs. 

The Breakthrough Program was created with a mandate to provide more access and inclusion for individuals self-identifying as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, and/or LGBTQ2S+ and to increase participation for film creators from underrepresented communities. We encourage applicants to self-identify in their application.