#FIRSTLOOK: FESTIVE FAVOURITES AT HOT DOCS CINEMA 2025

Hot Docs is celebrating the season with a selection of Festive Favourites screenings throughout December at Hot Docs Cinema, with tickets for one beloved title being offered for free and tickets to others starting as low as $7.50. Get your fill of holiday cheer all month long with screenings of Die Hard, Home Alone, Meet Me in St. Louis, and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Plus, close out your year with our annual Dude’s New Year screening of The Big Lebowski.

An addition to the lineup of new release and must-see documentaries screening at Hot Docs Cinema in December, Festive Favourites will offer audiences a cinematic holiday escape and a chance to gather with friends and family in-person for the time-honoured tradition of taking in a Christmas classic on the big screen. Tickets to Die Hard, Meet Me in St. Louis, and The Muppet Christmas Carol are just $7.50 and available for purchase now.

As part of the Festive Favourites programming, Turtles® is hosting a special complimentary screening of Home Alone at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto. The event takes place on Friday, December 19, at 8:30 pm, and the community is invited to enjoy a shared moment of holiday joy. Trade your streaming session for a cinema seat to watch the classic film, complete with complimentary popcorn and Turtles® signature treats. Free tickets are now available to book online.

Join us for the triumphant return of one of our most hallowed and wildest cinema traditions: the annual Dude’s New Year event featuring The Big Lebowski, on Wednesday, December 31, at 7:00 pm. Gather with fellow “Little Achievers” to get your celebrations started in style: in a bathrobe, sunglasses, and with White Russians and bowling! A night of absurdity and raucous fun, it’ll give even the nihilists something to believe in.

For a full list of Festive Favourites titles and screening times, and to purchase tickets, visit hotdocs.ca/whats-on/cinema-series/festive-favourites

Hot Docs is also excited to offer a number of holiday gift ideas for the doc lovers in your life. Give the gift of Hot Docs with a gift certificate or gift card, available in any amount and good for tickets to both Hot Docs Cinema and the 2026 Hot Docs Festival, as well as memberships, concessions and merchandise.

Perfect for documentary lovers, a 2026 Festival 12- and 20-package can be used for tickets to Hot Docs Festival screenings, and packages holders get early access to select their films can share tickets with family and friends. Or give the gift that lasts all year – A Hot Docs Membership. Member benefits include free special events, discounted tickets and more year-round at the Cinema, as well as discounts and advance booking windows on premium events including Hot Docs Festival.

Consider making a donation to Hot Docs as part of your holiday giving. Your donation is critical to our mission to bring outstanding documentaries from around the world and to support the outspoken storytellers who make them.

You can also visit in person at Hot Docs Cinema to check out our selection of books and merchandise, including new “cinema” sign t-shirts and totes, featuring a screenprint of one of the iconic cinema signs that adorn the Hot Docs Cinema lobby – a nod to cinema’s history and a great gift for any cinema lover.

For all the gift ideas on offer from Hot Docs, visit hotdocs.ca/holidays