“WITH EVERY OUNCE OF MY LOVE I WISH OUR SON, LIAM, A LIFETIME OF MEANING AND PROSPERITY. THIS CENTURY IS YOURS, LIAM. TAKE CARE OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE DREAMS OF POOR PEOPLE. WORK DILIGENTLY FOR JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS, APPRECIATE WHAT YOU’VE BORROWED AND REMEMBER THAT ALL OF US SHARE THE COMMONEST ROOT. IT IS AN INHERITANCE TO BE PROUD OF, NOT TO BE IGNORED.”
— LINDALEE TRACEY FROM HER FIRST BOOK: “ON THE EDGE: A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF CANADA”
CONGRATULATIONS TO Özgün Gündüz THE 2026 LINDALEE TRACEY AWARD WINNER!
Özgün Gündüz is the winner of the 2026 Lindalee Tracey Award. Özgün is a Vancouver-based, self-taught emerging documentary filmmaker. Özgün's work explores themes of belonging, community, and the everyday lives of underrepresented groups, approached through a collaborative and relationship-driven process. Her short documentary, Burcu's Angels, follows Burcu Özdemir, whose vintage store in the heart of Vancouver is more than just a vintage store; it's a haven, a stage, and a sanctuary. For thirty years, this vibrant space has welcomed outcasts, dreamers, and seekers, offering more than clothes; it offers belonging. The store has become a pillar of the community, often described as a coming-out center for generations of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Congratulations to the LLTA finalists, Ching Yu and Zav Jenabian. Ching’s film, She Measures The Earth, blends poetic visuals with scientific precision to explore what happens when marginalized communities take up space in science, on mountains and on screen. Zav’s documentary Butterflies is about Quinn, who has cerebral palsy, and Josh, who has autism, as they relive their prom night that has sparked meaningful conversations about disability and independence.
HOT DOCS AWARDS CEREMONY
Ching, Özgün and Zav
Winner, Özgün. with finalists, Ching and Zav and LLTA Jurors including last year’s winner Reagan Latimer
Thank you, Hot Docs!
Thank you to Picture Shop for your continued support of emerging filmmakers!
Funding provided by MakeWay Foundation, -
Lindalee Tracey Award Fund
LINDALEE TRACEY AWARD
2026 SUBMISSIONS ARE now closed
Eligibility below
FOR EMERGING CANADIAN FILMMAKERS WORKING IN THE
SPIRIT OF LINDALEE TRACEY
ABOUT LINDALEE
Lindalee Tracey was an award-winning filmmaker, author, entertainer and also a beloved wife and mother. Through her extensive body of work and indefatigable personality, Lindalee brought great joy to the world. She was passionate about bringing issues of social justice into her work, and championed people who are often ignored, underestimated or forgotten. Equally, she celebrated those who rise above disadvantage. Lindalee passed away on October 19, 2006, at age 49, after a five-year battle with breast cancer.
THE 20TH ANNUAL LINDALEE TRACEY AWARD
2026 SUBMISSIONS ARE now CLOSED
THE AWARD
Every year, White Pine Pictures presents the Lindalee Tracey Award to honour an emerging Canadian filmmaker working in the spirit of Lindalee Tracey, whose films reflect a passionate point of view, a strong sense of social justice and “a joie de vivre”.
The award is presented annually at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, held in Toronto each spring. The winner will be awarded a $5,000 cheque from the Lindalee Tracey Fund, a $5,000 in-kind voucher from Picture Shop for post-production services, and a beautiful hand-blown glass sculpture by Andrew Kuntz.
For any questions or more information, please contact our submissions department at White Pine Pictures:
www.whitepinepictures.com/lindaleetraceyaward.com
416-703-5580
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for the Lindalee Tracey Award, you must be an emerging Canadian artist who has completed at least one independent film or video (This can include school projects). We define an “emerging artist” as an individual who has less than five years of training or experience in media arts, which can be formal (university or college studies) or informal (production courses, workshops, hands-on experience in production, etc.).
Submission Process:
Submissions for the Lindalee Tracey Award are now closed.
Your digital submissions for the award should include ALL of the items mentioned below.
A write-up of your relevant background as a filmmaker
A brief explanation of why you made the film you wish to submit
A copy of your CV, which should include a history of your filmmaking and/or film production
experience and educationA headshot
A Vimeo or YouTube link (with a password if necessary) to the film or TV production you wish to submit
(Option to submit a supporting film)
Films for submission can be:
Any length
Any genre
Completed or a “work-in-progress” (which may or may not have been publicly screened or broadcast)
Films that were completed for school projects.
*The filmmaker submitting MUST have had final creative control*
Please submit through the Submission Form button above. If you have any questions or require more information, please contact our submissions department at White Pine Pictures: LLTA@whitepinepictures.com
