Film about Toronto shooting victim 'Nekai Walks' wins $50K Hot Docs audience award

A still image from the documentary "Nekai Walks" is shown in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Hot Docs/Black King Entertainment (Mandatory Credit)

TORONTO — A documentary that follows a Toronto teenage shooting victim on a gruelling road to recovery has won the top prize at Hot Docs.

Director Rico King’s “Nekai Walks” took home the $50,000 Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary on Sunday night.

The film follows Nekai Foster, who was caught in the crossfire of a random shooting at age 16 and shot in the head.

His journey of learning to walk again and speaking out about the harms of gun violence sheds a light on the toll such crimes take on families and communities.

The 11-day international documentary festival wrapped this weekend and awarded several other major prizes.

Hot Docs says in a release that “American Doctor,” a film about three U.S. doctors working in Gaza amid a humanitarian crisis, placed first in the overall audience poll.

The $10,000 best Canadian feature documentary, chosen by a jury, went to Kim Nguyen’s “Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom.”

Jury members praised the film for its illuminating analysis of the iconic Eddie Adams’ “Saigon Execution” image, described as “one of the most haunting moments ever captured on film.”

The best international feature documentary went to Marjolein Busstra’s “House of Hope,” about an elementary school run by a couple teaching Palestinian students non-violent resistance.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2026.

Craig Macrae, The Canadian Press