Mark Urman, head of U.S. theatrical distribution for THINKFilm, has been an active buyer of past TIFF docs including Spellbound, The Story of Weeping Camel, and last year's Ghosts of Cite Soleil and Lake of Fire (pictured). Here he shares his outlook on the current scene:

Q: What changes do you see in the documentary marketplace?

URMAN: There are more outlets than ever for non-fiction films, and an increased acceptance from a more general audience. That said, there are also more documentary features being made than ever before, and more of them are seeking some form of theatrical distribution. So, the situation for documentary filmmakers is both easier than ever, and just as hard as it has ever been!

Q: What advice can you give doc makers on navigating distribution?

URMAN: Filmmakers should have a strong sense, from the outset, of who they are making their films for. By this I mean both which buyers and which viewers. You cannot hit a target if you don?t aim at it! Also, getting good representation as early as possible can be a great help.

Q: What do you hope to get out of Real to Reel this year?

URMAN: On more than one occasion I have seen really strong docs in Toronto and have ended up acquiring them. I don?t expect it to be any different this year and, in fact, there are few titles this year that I am very excited about!

Tomorrow morning our Industry Survey will feature Liz Ogilvie from Docurama.