Short Film News (SFN) - 9 projects have been chosen to receive a total of $246,000 in grants and no-interest loans from the Canwest-Hot Docs Documentary Funds in its second round of selections.

Established in April, the Funds consist of a $3-million completion fund and a $1-million development fund that aim to provide Canadian documentary filmmakers with much needed financial support at critical stages in their projects.

A total of 31 eligible projects were considered by the Canwest-Hot Docs Completion Fund Selection Committee, and five completion grants totaling $186,000 were awarded.

The five recipients are: Harmless (Producer: Kristina McLaughlin, Director: Alan Zweig), Land (Producers: Paul Scherzer, Julian Pinder, Director: Julian Pinder), Manners Maketh Men (Producers: Amanda Handy, Mark Johnston, Director: Sarah Goodman), The Man Who Saved Geometry (Producer: Danny Iron, Director: Daniel New), Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam (Producer: Mila Aung-Thwin, Director: Omar Majeed)

Also a total of 45 eligible projects were considered by the CWHD Development Fund Selection Committee, and four no-interest loans totaling $60,000 were awarded which include: Edges of Love (Producer and Director: Maureen Judge), Pedophile? (Producer and Director: Barbara Shearer), Tiananmen Square 20 Years Later (Producers: Mila Aung-Thwin, Daniel Cross, Directors: Yung Chang, Shui-bo Wang) and When I Walk (Producer and Director: Jason DaSilva).

These nine projects join those selected in September, during the first round of funding applications, as the complete selection of recipients of funds for 2008.