EyeSteelFilm

Overview

EyeSteelFilm is a Montreal-based documentary production and distribution company founded in 2001 by Bob Moore and Mila Aung-Thwin. 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, CPH:DOX, SXSW, DOC NYC, True/False, and Sheffield Doc Fest. The company's films have won Canadian Screen Awards, Emmys, IDA 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.

Production and Distribution Integration

EyeSteelFilm's production and distribution arms are structurally integrated. The company develops films with distribution already in mind, building relationships with international sales agents and co-production partners during production rather than after completion. This means films are positioned for festival launches and international sales before they are finished, not after.

For external acquisitions, EyeSteelFilm Distribution selects films whose subjects and ethical approach match the company's production identity. The distribution arm 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. The company also organizes national theatrical tours and manages educational and impact campaigns internationally.

The company's distribution model prioritizes impact and community engagement over purely commercial metrics. 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. That film had a production budget of approximately CAD $800,000 and was produced in association with TVO and Radio-Canada, with funding from the Canada Media Fund, Quebec Film and Television Tax Credit, Canada Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and SODEC.

Funding Ecosystem and Deal Structure

EyeSteelFilm operates within Canada's public funding infrastructure. The company regularly accesses financing from Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund (CMF), SODEC (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: In Praise of Invasive Species (directed by Mila Aung-Thwin) and The Sandbox (directed by Jade-Kenya Pinto). Telefilm received 122 applications requesting over $27.1 million, meaning the program funds roughly 17% of applications.

For filmmakers approaching EyeSteelFilm for distribution, the company 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.

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 and sales inquiries to Bob Moore at bob@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, social movements, 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. For filmmakers whose films are distributed by EyeSteelFilm, the company's production expertise means it understands the filmmaker's perspective in ways that purely commercial distributors may not.

Notable Productions and Releases

Recent and upcoming EyeSteelFilm productions include Yintah (2024, directed by Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham, and Brenda Michell), which won the Rogers Audience Award for best Canadian documentary at Hot Docs 2024 with a CAD $50,000 cash prize and was subsequently acquired by Netflix for US, UK, and Canadian distribution with an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run; Measures for a Funeral (2024); The Sandbox (2026, directed by Jade-Kenya Pinto), which had its world premiere at CPH:DOX 2025 in the DOX:Award competition section as the sole Canadian film selected, with international sales handled by Together Films; and The Golden Village (2026).

Earlier productions include Let the Fire Burn (2013, Jason Osder) and Big Fight in Little Chinatown (2023, Karen Cho), which screened at DOXA, FascinAsian, LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, Hot Docs Cinema, VIFF Centre, and Cinema Public, with UK-based Sideways Film handling international distribution.

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.