Overview
EyeSteelFilm is a Montreal-based documentary production and distribution company founded in 2001 by Bob Moore and Mila Aung-Thrin. The company operates from offices at 7095 rue Marconi in Montreal's Mile End neighborhood and employs approximately 11 people with an annual revenue of around $1.7 million. EyeSteelFilm produces and distributes documentary features focused on socially engaged, formally innovative nonfiction cinema, and has produced over 40 feature documentaries since 2008.
The company operates a dual model: EyeSteelFilm Productions develops and produces films, while EyeSteelFilm Distribution handles Canadian theatrical and digital release. The distribution arm also acquires external documentaries that align with the company's editorial identity. Films produced by EyeSteelFilm are typically distributed in Canada through the company's own distribution arm and internationally through sales agent partnerships with companies including Sideways Film (UK) and Together Films (UK).
EyeSteelFilm productions have screened in competition at Sundance, Berlinale, IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), CPH:DOX, SXSW, DOC NYC, True/False, and Sheffield Doc Fest. The company's films have won Canadian Screen Awards, Emmys, IDA (International Documentary Association) Awards, Cinema Eye Honors, Peabody Awards, and Golden Horses. Co-president and creative producer Bob Moore has been the subject of a Producer's Spotlight at the Cannes Marche du Film and serves as an advisor and mentor at Sundance, IDFA, DMZ Docs, QUMRA, Tokyo Docs, and Hot Docs.
Distribution Model
EyeSteelFilm operates a hybrid production-distribution model. The production arm develops films with distribution already in mind, building relationships with international sales agents and co-production partners during production rather than after completion. Films are positioned for festival launches and international sales before they are finished, not after.
The distribution arm handles Canadian theatrical and digital release for both in-house productions and selective external acquisitions. EyeSteelFilm does not pursue wide theatrical releases. It organizes national theatrical tours, community screenings, and impact campaigns targeted at specific audiences. For Big Fight in Little Chinatown (2023, Karen Cho), producer Bob Moore described the strategy as "reverse-engineering" - building a distribution plan around the specific audience the film is trying to reach, rather than using standard commercial infrastructure.
International distribution flows through sales agent partnerships. Together Films (UK) handles world sales for The Sandbox (2026). Sideways Film (UK) handled international distribution for Big Fight in Little Chinatown. Netflix acquired US, UK, and Canadian streaming rights for Yintah (2024) after its Hot Docs festival run. These sales agent relationships allow EyeSteelFilm productions to reach international audiences without maintaining its own international sales infrastructure.
Example Titles They've Released
- Yintah (2024, directed by Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham, and Brenda Michell) - Won the Rogers Audience Award for best Canadian documentary at Hot Docs 2024 with a CAD $50,000 cash prize. Acquired by Netflix for US, UK, and Canadian distribution with an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run. Now streaming on Netflix and CBC Gem.
- Big Fight in Little Chinatown (2023, Karen Cho) - Documentary about Chinatown communities fighting displacement across North America. World premiered at DOC NYC 2022. Production budget of approximately CAD $800,000. International sales handled by Sideways Film.
- Let the Fire Burn (2013, Jason Osder) - Found-footage documentary about the 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia. Won Best Editing in a Documentary Feature at Tribeca Film Festival. Distributed by Zeitgeist Films in the US.
- Up the Yangtze (2007, Yung Chang) - One of the top-grossing documentary box office releases in 2008. EyeSteelFilm/NFB (National Film Board of Canada) co-production. Selected for Sundance Film Festival.
- China Heavyweight (2012, Yung Chang) - Premiered at Sundance 2012. Documentary about boxing in rural China.
- The Fruit Hunters (2012, Yung Chang) - Documentary about fruit-obsessed individuals and the global fruit trade.
Deal Structure Reputation
EyeSteelFilm does not publicly disclose standard deal terms. Distribution agreements are typically structured as revenue-split deals with Canadian theatrical and digital rights, sometimes including a modest advance against revenues. The company's selective acquisition approach means it handles fewer titles than broader Canadian distributors like Mongrel Media or Distribution360, but offers deeper engagement with impact campaigns, community outreach, and festival strategy.
For in-house productions, EyeSteelFilm structures financing through Canada's public funding infrastructure before production begins. The company regularly accesses financing from Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund (CMF), SODEC (Société de développement des entreprises culturelles, Quebec), Ontario Creates, TVO, the Hot Docs Funds, Rogers Telefund, the Ford Foundation JustFilms grant, and the Knowledge Network. In 2025, Telefilm Canada invested $4.9 million in 21 feature-length documentaries under its Theatrical Documentary Program, with EyeSteelFilm receiving production funding for two titles. Telefilm received 122 applications requesting over $27.1 million, meaning the program funds roughly 17% of applications.
For external acquisitions, EyeSteelFilm evaluates films based on editorial alignment with its production identity. The company has acquired content in partnership with broadcasters and platforms including PBS, CBC, Netflix, National Geographic, Crave, TVO, ARTE, BBC, Super Channel, the National Film Board of Canada, The History Channel, Amazon Prime, NHK, ZDF, and Bell Media.
Typical Acquisition Profile
EyeSteelFilm acquires and produces documentaries with specific thematic and formal characteristics:
- Social justice and Indigenous rights: Yintah (Wet'suwet'en land sovereignty), Big Fight in Little Chinatown (Chinatown displacement)
- Environmental justice: Films addressing fossil fuel infrastructure, land protection, and climate
- Urban politics and community-centered storytelling: Films about neighborhoods, displacement, and community resistance
- Formal ambition: Documentaries with innovative visual approaches, not standard issue-driven films
The company does not operate an open submission portal. Contact is through industry channels, with distribution inquiries directed to distribution@eyesteelfilm.com and sales inquiries to Bob Moore at bob@eyesteelfilm.com. Representation or sales-agent access is not formally required, but established industry relationships and festival credentials significantly improve consideration prospects. Films with major documentary festival selections (Sundance, IDFA, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX) or Academy Award nominations are the most likely acquisitions.
Recent Slate and Acquisition Activity
EyeSteelFilm's 2025-2026 production and distribution activity includes:
- The Ultra Runner (2026, directed by Mila Aung-Thrin) - World premiere in the TIFF Docs program at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The film profiles Romanian ultra-marathoner Tiberiu Ușeriu, who served time in prison before turning his life around through endurance running. 98 minutes. Produced by EyeSteelFilm and winterhouse pictures, with producers Bob Moore and Mike MacMillan. Canadian theatrical release planned for spring 2027. Executive producers include Daniel Cross, Valerie Shamash, Mandy Chang, Mark Reynolds, and Ada Solomon.
- The Sandbox (2026, directed by Jade-Kenya Pinto) - World premiere at CPH:DOX 2025 on March 17, 2026, in the DOX:Award competition section as the sole Canadian film selected. International sales handled by Together Films (world rights excluding Canada). Canadian distribution by EyeSteelFilm. The film explores global border surveillance and AI-controlled migration systems across 6 countries. Filming comprised 74 shoot days over 6 years.
- La jungle (directed by Jamie Ross) - Received SODEC production funding in January 2026. EyeSteelFilm production with EyeSteelFilm Distribution handling Canadian release.
- In Praise of Invasive Species (directed by Mila Aung-Thrin) - Received Telefilm Canada production funding in 2025.
- The Golden Village (2026, Karen Cho) - 33-minute documentary, world premiered February 25, 2026, at Cinéma du Parc in Montreal. Presented by JIA Foundation and EyeSteelFilm.
- Measures for a Funeral (2024) - In production/distribution cycle.
Watch: Trailers and Interviews
What Filmmakers Should Know
EyeSteelFilm is primarily a production company that distributes its own work and a selective range of external acquisitions. For Canadian documentary filmmakers seeking distribution, the company is a relevant but selective target. Films with strong social justice themes, formal ambition, and international festival credentials are the most likely acquisitions. The company does not operate an open submission portal. Contact is through industry channels, with distribution inquiries directed to distribution@eyesteelfilm.com.
For international documentary filmmakers seeking Canadian distribution, EyeSteelFilm's niche is tighter than Mongrel Media or Distribution360. The company's value is most apparent for documentaries with subjects and aesthetics that align closely with its established production identity: Indigenous rights, environmental justice, urban politics, and community-centered storytelling.
EyeSteelFilm has strong relationships with the Canadian documentary funding ecosystem including Hot Docs, the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, and provincial funding bodies in Quebec and Ontario. The company's production expertise means it understands the filmmaker's perspective in ways that purely commercial distributors may not. The key trade-off: EyeSteelFilm offers deeper engagement and impact campaign support but handles fewer titles and provides smaller advances than broader commercial distributors.
See Also
For how Canadian documentary financing structures combine public funding with production company and distribution relationships, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For understanding how Hot Docs functions as a distribution pipeline for Canadian documentary, see Film Festival Strategy for Distributors. To model revenue from a combination of theatrical and digital distribution across a self-distribution strategy, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For understanding how distribution fees and P&A recoupment affect filmmaker receipts, see What Does a Distributor Keep?.
