Lunenburg, N.S., September 25, 2026 — Lunenburg Doc Fest is excited to announce the five finalists selected for The Launch 2026: Documentary Pitch Contest, this year newly co-presented by CBC Creator Network Atlantic. Now in its fifth year, The Launch provides emerging storytellers from underrepresented communities across Atlantic Canada with an opportunity to pitch their short documentary projects live to an industry audience.

The finalists will take the stage on the morning of Saturday, September 26, 2026 as part of the Dock Market, Lunenburg Doc Fest’s annual industry conference, taking place September 25-27, 2025 as part of the festival’s 13th annual edition, running September 23–27, 2026.

In the lead-up to the festival, finalists took part in two professional pitch training workshops led by documentary industry experts, including the Academy Award-shortlisted filmmaker Shasha Nahkai and Danelle Granger, CBC’s Executive in Charge of Production, Unscripted Content.

“I’m excited to be part of a competition that will challenge me to sharpen how I communicate stories I care deeply about. My path into documentary has been unconventional, spanning broadcasting, international work and healthcare, and I’m looking forward to bringing all of that experience into this next stage of my filmmaking,” said David Gosine, one of this year’s finalists.

The winning filmmaker will receive a prize package valued at more than $20,000 in cash and in-kind production services, including:

• $3,000 in cash from CBC Creator Network Atlantic, plus development support through the Creator Network;

• $10,000 in lighting and grip rentals from Sunbelt Rentals;

• $3,500 in services from VillageWorks Content Co. to help finalize the winning documentary;

• $1,500 in gear rentals from the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative;

• Equipment support from Star Power Atlantic, through either a Voltsack 5K or an Instagrid GO;

• $2,000 in services from the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative (NIFCO);

• A day of post-production services from 902 Post;

• A one-year individual membership with the Centre for Art Tapes, including access to facilities and equipment;

• Nine months of ongoing support from Lunenburg Doc Fest throughout the development and completion of the film; and

• The opportunity to premiere the completed short documentary at the 14th annual Lunenburg Doc Fest in 2027.

Lunenburg Doc Fest is grateful to all of its prize partners for their support of emerging Atlantic Canadian filmmakers and their contributions toward bringing these projects from pitch to production.

“Telling a compelling story is hard. Pitching why the story should be told requires even tighter storytelling.” said Bruce MacCormack, Chairperson of Lunenburg Doc Fest. “We are delighted to be working with these talented filmmakers to share techniques, which hopefully will give them a lifelong advantage.”

The live pitch event will be moderated by Charlotte Engel and presented before a public audience and a live panel of screen industry professionals. The jury will include Katie Rowe, Creator Network Producer for CBC Atlantic; Aisha Jamal, filmmaker and festival programmer; and Maya Annik Bedward, Afro-Caribbean Canadian filmmaker and founding member of the Black Screen Office.

Following the pitches, the winner will be announced at The Launch 2026: Lunch Reception, a private event for Dock Market Industry Passholders.

The Launch 2026 is open to residents of Atlantic Canada who identify as Indigenous, Black, and/or Persons of Colour (IBPOC), persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and others who identify as underrepresented. There is no cost to apply or participate, thanks to the generous support of the Canada Media Fund.

Meet the 2026 finalists:

David Gosine (he/they) is a Canadian producer, director, and healthcare practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of science, human experience, and storytelling. A registered acupuncturist and co-founder of a multidisciplinary pain clinic, he brings a clinician’s curiosity and a systems-level perspective shaped by an earlier career in international trade and intergovernmental relations. His creative work includes directing and producing short-form documentary projects, including Lorraine, as well as work with the CBC Creator Network. David is currently developing an international documentary series exploring fascia, medicine, and the people whose discoveries are reshaping how we understand the human body. He is drawn to documentary because they can make complex ideas deeply human, preserving first-hand stories while creating the conditions for audiences to see familiar subjects in entirely new ways.

Maria de Fátima Lima (she/her) is an emerging Brazilian-Canadian documentary filmmaker and screenwriter based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Her work explores identity, memory, mental well-being, and belonging, shaped by curiosity, deep listening, and genuine human connection. This curiosity and connection with others led her to create Crossing Borders, an intimate and authentic documentary series that reflects the richness and diversity of the communities she engages with. Her work also includes scripted projects for stage and screen.

Evan Thompson-MacKay (he/him) is a HRM-based screenwriter, photographer, and cinematographer originally from Westville, Nova Scotia. A graduate of NSCC’s Applied Media & Communication Arts, Screen Arts, and Start-Up Accelerator programs, Thompson-MacKay has spent the past five years working across both union and independent film and television sets. In addition to his freelance career, he is a Co-Founder and Director of Photography at Down Beat Media, a commercial video production company launched alongside fellow Screen Arts alumni.

Israel Ekanem (he/they) is a Halifax-based storyteller, producer and creative organiser, and the founder of Ubuntu Media, a production company grounded in the philosophy that “I am because you are”. Across a production company, a film festival, a non-profit, and a podcast network, he platforms African, immigrant, racialised, and queer communities. His films include Kill Your Masters, winner of Best Short at the Calgary Independent Film Festival, and Good Earth: The Pots and Passion of Walter Ostrom, a Best Documentary nominee at the Atlantic International Film Festival. He also directs the Mosaic International Film Festival of Arts and Culture and hosts the Blackout podcast.

Caroline A. Godin (she/her) is a St. John's-based writer, artist, and emerging filmmaker whose creative practice spans screenwriting, playwriting, poetry, fiction, and mixed media arts. A proud dual Canadian-Finnish citizen, she is a Newfoundlander by choice whose work is inspired by her home. Caroline is bringing her storytelling to the screen, channeling years of written and visual art into film. Her one act play, The Squid and the Jinker, is also being developed into a children’s book. Her upcoming short film Haul Up is a black comedy that turns a folkloric lens on intimate partner violence in outport communities. When not creating her own work, she is an in-demand crew member on productions like Below (Netflix), Son of a Critch (CBC), and Umbrella Academy (NBC).

Meet the 2026 instructors:

Shasha Nakhai (she/her) is a storyteller whose work has taken her to the Hawaiian coastline, the ski slopes of Davos, a Cold War bunker, Philippine sugar mills and the front lines of Nigeria’s energy crisis. Her work has aired on the BBC, CBC, ZDF, and Arte; screened at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); been nominated for 16 Canadian Screen Awards; named TIFF’s Top 10; and shortlisted for an Oscar. After over a decade of experience in documentary, Shasha released her first drama feature, Scarborough, adapted from the award-winning novel by Catherine Hernandez, and co-directed with Compy Films partner Rich Williamson.

Danelle Granger is currently the Executive in Charge of Production, Unscripted Content, for CBC, working across feature documentaries, doc series and factual content mainly focusing on Indigenous stories. She is Metis from Treaty One Territory and based in Winnipeg, MB. Prior to CBC, she worked as the Development and Scripted Production Executive at APTN.

Meet the 2026 moderator:

Charlotte Engel (she/her) over 30 years of experience in film and television as a producer, writer and broadcaster. In 2025, she wrote and produced a mockumentary series entitled “Happy Trails Photography” for Bell Fibe Channel 1 and directed an episode of CBC’s Land and Sea called “The Great Cinnamon Roll Debate”. She currently is directing a new episode of Land and Sea on fossils and is co-producing and co-directing a documentary on acclaimed artist Erica Rutherford. While at CBC, she oversaw CBC’s cutting edge documentary strands Firsthand and CBC Docs POV. She specialized in bringing unique voices and unforgettable stories to CBC. Many of these documentaries won multiple awards (Indictment: The Crimes of Shelley Chartier, Nipawistamasowin: We Will Stand Up and The Skin We’re In). As a producer of documentaries for Rock Yenta Productions, she brought docs to CBC, TVO and the Documentary Channel. She won a Canadian Screen Award for My Millennial Life and a Golden Sheaf award for Mugshot. Residing in PEI, Engel currently is on the board of Film PEI and Charlottetown Film Society and is also on the Yorkton Film Festival programming committee. She has previously sat on the boards of Hot Docs, DOC Ontario and imagineNATIVE.

Meet the 2026 jurors:

Katie Rowe (she/her) is the Creator Network producer for CBC Atlantic. She works with emerging creators throughout the region to produce short form content for CBC platforms. The goal of CBC’s Creator Network is to bring more diverse stories to CBC and to support creators in sharing their stories.

Aisha Jamal (she/her) is a filmmaker and festival programmer whose work spans directing, producing, and curating films. Her short films and features have played festivals and venues worldwide. Aisha has been programming Canadian and International films for Hot Docs International Documentary Festival since 2016. She also curates special programs and series for various venues and organizations. Her experience making films shapes her approach to programming, where she enjoys discovering new voices, championing independent cinema, and creating opportunities for audiences to engage with diverse perspectives on screen.

Maya Annik Bedward (she/her) is an Afro-Caribbean Canadian filmmaker whose work blends history, resistance, and pop culture through genre-bending storytelling. She is a founding member of the Black Screen Office and has directed short films like The Haircut (2018) and Why We Fight (2021), as well as the television series Lido TV and BLK: An Origin Story. Black Zombie marks her feature documentary debut.

For more information, visit: https://www.lunenburgdocfest.com/industry/the-launch-2026

For media interviews or more information, please contact:
Audrey Chan
Industry Programs Manager
industry@lunenburgdocfest.com