The highly anticipated Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival returns to Toronto from April 25 to May 5, 2024, promising an unparalleled celebration of non-fiction storytelling on a global scale. From 2800 film submissions, this year’s slate will present 168 documentaries representing 64 countries across 16 diverse programs and will feature 51 world and 32 international premieres. Hot Docs continues its commitment to gender parity with 54% female directors represented in the official selection. Furthermore, alongside the premieres of remarkable Canadian and international documentaries, the 2024 Festival will offer an extensive lineup of industry programs and events.
“I am excited to embark on my first Hot Docs Festival as President,” shared Marie Nelson, Hot Docs’ President. “There is something so extraordinary about what this Festival represents: the opportunity to unite with fellow documentary lovers to share in the collective experience of being amongst the first audiences to witness unforgettable stories of human power. We strive to continue bringing this experience to Toronto audiences for years to come, and hope that doc lovers—both seasoned and new—will come out to support us in this and take in the remarkable lineup of films showcased at this year’s Festival.”
The 2024 Hot Docs Festival will open with the international premiere of Luther: Never Too Much, directed by award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter, on Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 PM at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. This remarkable film delivers a stirring portrait of music sensation Luther Vandross, as the film charts his creative journey, his larger-than-life path to stardom, and the creation of his most memorable songs.
The Big Ideas Series, presented by Scotia Wealth Management, will once again spark engaging conversations with notable guests, including filmmaker Barry Avrich and subject Sash Simpson of Born Hungry; director Pete Sillen and subjects Martine and Bina Rothblatt of Love Machina; co-directors Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau and subjects Julia Botelho Morgan and Amber Forte of Fly; director Gary Hustwit of Eno; and director Lucy Lawless of Never Look Away.
The Special Presentations program, showcasing high-profile films, festival circuit heavy hitters, and renowned subjects, includes the world premieres of Red Fever, which sees Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond travel to the four corners of Turtle Island and across Europe to explore the world’s fascination with Native Americans; American Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly, in which hilarious Full Frontal with Samantha Bee correspondent Amy Hoggart explores the controversial practice of declawing cats; The Ride Ahead, an expansion of co-director Samuel Habib’s short film My Disability Roadmap (Honourable Mention, Best International Short Documentary, Hot Docs Festival 2022), capturing a typical 21-year-old itching to move out, start a career and find love—all while navigating life with a disability; Lost in the Shuffle, which follows world champion magician Shawn Farquhar as he simultaneously devises a new trick and delves into a medieval murder cold case; and Le Mans 55: The Unauthorized Investigation, which explores the tragic Le Mans race in 1955 where more than 80 spectators were killed.
Canadian Spectrum Competition, a competitive program showcasing bold new works by Canadian directors, includes the world premieres of A French Youth, following two young North African men in the South of France seeking to take life by the horns quite literally as they compete to survive in the traditional sport of Camargue races; Curl Power, following five high school girlfriends as they pursue their dreams of becoming Canadian National Curling Champions; Karuara, People of the River, in which a group of Indigenous women from Peru—facing cultural genocide—file a groundbreaking lawsuit demanding the government recognize the Marañón River as a person with human rights itself; My Dad’s Tapes, in which a trove of home video tapes spurs a filmmaker to investigate his father’s sudden suicide and come to terms with his own identity; Fire Tower, in which sentinels survey dramatic and awe-inspiring landscapes high above the boreal forest as a critical first line of defence in wildfire detection; and Me, Michael and I, in which an ambitious young Quebecois man sacrifices everything in his obsession to resurrect the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The Canadian Spectrum Competition is presented in partnership with MUBI.
International Competition, a competitive program spotlighting engaging stories from around the globe, includes a compelling lineup of world premieres: The Weavers’ Songs explores life in San Pedro Amuzgos, Oaxaca, where weaving transcends mere livelihood to become a vital economic backbone; Standing Above the Clouds chronicles the journey of three Native Hawaiian families as they risk it all to defend their sacred mountain where the Thirty Meter Telescope is set to be built on Mauna Kea; Farming the Revolution follows the protests of half a million of India’s farmers as they rise up on an unprecedented scale against unjust new laws; Streets Loud with Echoes observes a society learning to raise its voice, despite decades of fear and oppression, after the murder of a young Olympic skater galvanizes Kazakhstanis; XiXi explores themes of womanhood, autonomy and self-reinvention through video diaries and personal archive; Devi captures mother, rebel warrior, and sexual violence survivor, Devi, as she battles personal demons in her campaign against rape’s erasure from the narrative of Nepal’s civil war; and The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine follows Toto’s quest for a better future after 40 years working in a mine, as his son Jorge attempts to build a gold harvesting machine to secure their retirement. The International Spectrum program is supported by the Donner Canadian Foundation.
The new Festival strand Festival Favourites is a specially curated selection of feature-length documentaries that have made their mark on the festival circuit, proving their mettle with festival audiences and critics alike. It will spotlight some of the most timely, topical and well-crafted docs from fellow global documentary film festivals. International premieres include Daughter of Genghis, chronicling seven years in the life of Gerel, a violent neo-nationalist struggling with motherhood and her role leading a gang of women in the underworld of Mongolia’s capital city, and Daughters (Winner, Sundance Festival 2024 Audience Award in Documentary Competition), capturing the first physical touch four young girls will have with their incarcerated fathers as part of a special Daddy-Daughter Dance in a Washington, D.C. prison. North American premieres include Son of the Mullah, the story of a journalist risking life and limb in his reporting on Iran in order to expose corruption in the Islamic Regime, and This Is Going to Be Big, a peek behind the curtain as a cast of neurodivergent teens prepare to hit the stage in their school’s time-travelling, John Farnham–themed musical.
A showcase of recent works from Spain will make up the dynamic Made In program, offering Hot Docs audiences the opportunity to immerse themselves into a rich tapestry of captivating, uniquely Spanish stories and discover the talented voices emerging from Spain’s vibrant documentary landscape. Made In Spain will include the world premieres of The Click Trap, in which investigative journalists and online activists reveal the unsettling reach of the unregulated digital advertising industry; Flying Hands, in which a Pakistani mother questions the custom that would have her hide her deaf child out of family shame; and Wild Gleaming Space, in which a chilling encounter deep in Panama’s untamed jungle triggers a personal exploration of life and death. Made In Spain is presented in collaboration with ICEX Spain Trade and Investment.
The World Showcase program features revelatory stories that span the globe, including the world premieres of Breaking the Cycle, an exploration of Thailand’s recent elections, where a group of young politicians campaigned against an authoritarian constitution; Helen and the Bear, the story of the unlikely 40-year bond between a rebellious young hippie and a U.S. Congressman known for challenging his own Republican party; and The Sharp Edge of Peace, in which four extraordinary women navigate the harsh reality of Afghanistan’s new chapter—and its political impact on women’s rights—while at the negotiating table with the Taliban.
The Pop/Life strand shares the artistry of impactful musical visionaries and events in music history that changed the artform forever, and will present the world premieres of Beethoven’s Nine, directed by Larry Weinstein and exploring how Beethoven’s final completed symphony continues to resonate 200 years later; and Disco’s Revenge, the true story of disco music and the communities who hustled for their freedom on the dance floor.
The popular Nightvision program presents future cult classics, including the international premiere of Secret Mall Apartment, the remarkable story of a group of Rhode Islanders who create a clandestine apartment inside the local mall in defiant protest of gentrification; the North American premiere of Invisible People, an exploration of Japanese Butoh, the unique contemporary dance born from natural experience that represents a communion between the living and the dead; and the Canadian premiere of Grand Theft Hamlet, in which two out-of-work-during-the-pandemic British actors attempt the impossible: mounting a full-scale production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet inside Grand Theft Auto Online.
The acclaimed Persister program will feature films that shine a light on the voices of strong, inspirational women who are speaking up and being heard, including the world premieres of The Day Iceland Stood Still, the true story of how Iceland became a world leader in gender equality when, in 1975, 90% of Iceland’s women walked off their jobs and out of their homes; A Mother Apart, an emotional tale of healing and forgiveness that follows powerhouse Jamaican American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin as she embarks on an international journey to re-imagine the art of mothering; and Synchrony, in which, isolated on an island, an elderly woman embraces freedom by open-sea swimming with sea lions, while a champion swimmer tests her endurance in the world’s iciest of waters. An Unfinished Journey will have its North American premiere, it tells the important story of four Afghan women leaders who struggle to keep the world’s attention on the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan.
Land|Sky|Sea Competition is a new thematic film program exploring nature and our relationship to it, and features the world premiere of The Here Now Project, which constructs an international diary of the impact of climate change using thousands of hours of in-the-moment footage, and the international premiere of Family Tree, which uses a cinema vérité approach in sharing the story of two Black families in North Carolina fighting to preserve their land and generational legacy of sustainable forestry. Receiving a North American premiere is Once Upon a Time in a Forest, in which 22-year-old Ida becomes the leader of the new Forest Movement and finds himself facing off with Finnish forest industry giants. Land|Sky|Sea is supported by the K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation.
Emergence, a new programming slate that highlights stories of our complicated relationship with technology and AI, will include the world premiere of Ari’s Theme, a Canadian documentary about an award-winning composer with type-2 spinal muscular atrophy, and in which a kaleidoscopic creative process leads him to question the meaning of legacy. The program will also feature the international premieres of Love Machina, which follows a couple’s commissioning of an “AI mindfile” that uses cryopreservation, digital consciousness, xenotransplantation and space settlement, in order to extend their romance into infinity, and Seeking Mavis Beacon, in which two detectives seek out the Haitian-born cover model of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing—the software that taught millions globally how to type—who vanished decades ago.
Hot Docs will again partner with European Film Promotion (EFP) for the seventh edition of The Changing Face of Europe, a pan-European showcase of documentaries that explore the cultural, economic and political conditions affecting Europe today. The Changing Face of Europe will include the world premiere of Kelly – Someone Else’s Dream, in which freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru—just 13 when she won gold at the 2016 Winter X Games—sets a new standard for sports bravery by breaking her silence on the abuse of her coach and father. International premieres include Norwegian Democrazy, documenting the street-level battle for democracy after an anti-Islam racist publicly burns the Qu’ran and hides behind freedom of expression laws, and Woman of God, in which an underpaid and undermined Slovenian village pastor pours her heart and raw personal trauma into ministering to her parishioners.
The Art of Resistance program celebrates the intersection of protest and creativity, with films that illuminate the profound impact of collective voices rallying for change and offer a glimmer of hope. The Art of Resistance will include the world premieres of Impasse, in which a woman engages in conversations with her conservative family amidst the Women, Life, Freedom protesters in Tehran, in hopes of maintaining bonds across three generations under the pressures of a shifting society, and The Strike, which follows the psychological and emotional journeys of California prisoners as they organize the largest hunger strike in US history. The program will also include the international premiere of Nice Ladies, in which members of a 50+ women’s cheerleading team chose to stay behind as Russia began bombing Kharkiv, Ukraine, using their sport they keep sane and connected even as cracks appear.
Hot Docs will present a specially curated selection of Canadian and international short films as part of the Festival’s Shorts Programs. These shorts will screen as part of seven individual shorts programs, each one aiming to excite and inspire with its unique collection of fresh filmmaking talent. The Hot Docs 2024 Shorts Program brings 36 films from 20 countries.
Hot Docs Festival 2024 Special Events include a free commemorative screening of Mighty Jerome in memory of the work and legacy of one of Toronto’s best loved filmmakers, Charles Officer, with some of Charles’s closest collaborators and friends be in attendance to share interviews, personal stories and rarely seen footage of the acclaimed writer/director/producer; a Keynote Session featuring the highly regarded filmmaker, author and organizer Astra Taylor, engaging in an illuminating conversation hosted by Brett Story, renowned writer, geographer, and filmmaker behind the Sundance award-winning film Union; two Surprise Screenings, offering audiences the chance to be amongst the very first to experience a groundbreaking new feature-length documentary; and a free encore screening on the Festival’s final night—Sunday, May 5—where the winner of this year’s Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary will be announced. The top Canadian feature film in the audience poll will receive a CAD 50,000 cash prize, courtesy of Rogers.
The 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award will honour visionary Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck, whose unparalleled contributions to the world of documentary filmmaking have garnered widespread acclaim and numerous accolades. The Festival will feature a handpicked selection of films curated by Peck, showcasing both a personal favorite and a work that has influenced him. Peck will be in attendance at the Festival, engaging in Q&A sessions following the screenings of his films.
Hot Docs will honour Canadian cinematographer Iris Ng through its annual Focus On program, spotlighting the remarkable work of Canadian filmmakers and craftspeople who have left an indelible mark on the documentary landscape, showcasing their invaluable contributions to the art form. Iris Ng’s notable work turns a critical lens on social justice, marginalised communities, and the process of filmmaking itself.
Hot Docs (www.hotdocs.ca), North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and to creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. Hot Docs will present its 31st annual edition from April 25 to May 5, 2024, in cinemas across Toronto. Hot Docs will also mount a dynamic series of knowledge sessions, networking opportunities and market programs for documentary practitioners and industry delegates, including the renowned Hot Docs Forum and Hot Docs Deal Maker. Year-round, Hot Docs supports the Canadian and international industry with professional development programs and a multi-million-dollar film fund portfolio, and fosters education through documentaries with its popular free program Docs For Schools. Hot Docs owns and programs the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, a century-old landmark located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood and the world’s first and largest documentary cinema.
Starting Tuesday, March 26, Festival ticket package holders, including Doc Soup subscribers, can redeem their ticket packages, and Hot Docs Members can purchase single tickets. Starting Tuesday, April 2, single tickets will be available to the public. Tickets and ticket packages can be purchased and/or redeemed online at www.hotdocs.ca or in person at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema Box Office, located at 506 Bloor Street West (hours vary daily in accordance with cinema screenings). Single tickets are $20 to regular Festival screenings and $23 to Special Presentations screenings ($18-$20 members). Special events vary in price. A Festival 12-Pack is $209 and a Festival 20-Pack is $299. Hot Docs offers free tickets for all screenings before 5:00 p.m. to seniors and students with valid photo I.D., available online the day of the screening, subject to availability. Free screenings for students courtesy of CBC and CBC Gem.
Hot Docs is proud to include Scotia Wealth Management as its Presenting Platinum Partner; Rogers as its Founding Partner; CBC as its Signature Partner; Netflix as its Presenting Partner; and Telefilm Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the Canada Media Fund as its Major Supporters.
Hot Docs is excited to introduce a fun and captivating addition to this year’s Festival lineup, taking place from April 25 to May 5, 2024 in Toronto. The new program, Festival Favourites, is a specially curated selection of feature-length documentaries that have made their mark on the festival circuit, proving their mettle with festival audiences and critics alike. It will spotlight some of the most timely, topical and well-crafted docs from fellow global documentary film festivals. In Festival Favourites, Toronto audiences will be able to immerse themselves in these moving and raw cinematic experiences, connecting with important issues and unforgettable stories.
Festival Favourites International premieres include Daughter of Genghis, chronicling seven years in the life of Gerel, a violent neo-nationalist struggling with motherhood and her role leading a gang of women in the underworld of Mongolia’s capital city, and Daughters (Winner, Sundance Festival 2024 Audience Award in Documentary Competition), capturing the first physical touch four young girls will have with their incarcerated fathers as part of a special Daddy-Daughter Dance in a Washington, D.C. prison.
North American premieres include Son of the Mullah, the story of a journalist risking life and limb in his reporting on Iran in order to expose corruption in the Islamic Regime, and This Is Going to Be Big, a peek behind the curtain as a cast of neurodivergent teens prepare to hit the stage in their school’s time-travelling, John Farnham–themed musical.
Canadian premieres include A Band of Dreamers and a Judge, in which gangs of prospectors scale the mountains of northern Iran in search of buried treasure while a determined judge seeks to end their gold-hunting escapades; Every Little Thing, following a Los Angeles-based woman’s transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, and Intercepted (Winner, CMF-Hot Docs Forum Canadian Pitch Prize 2023), which layers covertly recorded conversations between Russian soldiers with visible evidence of their destruction in Ukraine.
A BAND OF DREAMERS AND A JUDGE
D: Hesam Eslami | P: Etienne De Ricaud, Hesam Eslami | Iran, France | 2023 | 80 min | Canadian Premiere
According to legend, the mountains of northern Iran are full of buried treasure. Gangs of prospectors scale and drill their treacherous slopes in the hopes of discovering ancient gold and pottery, while a local judge is determined to end their illegal looting.
DAUGHTER OF GENGHIS
D: Kristoffer Juel Poulsen, Christian Als | P: Andreas Dalsgaard | Denmark, Sweden, France | 2023 | 85 min | International Premiere
A violent, Mongolian, female nationalist fights for her motherland, conducting sting operations and brothel raids, but in her fight for idealism, she has neglected her son. Can she find redemption by embracing motherhood?
DAUGHTERS
D: Angela Patton, Natalie Rae | P: Lisa Mazzotta, Natalie Rae, Justin Benoliel, Mindy Goldberg, Sam Bisbee, Kathryn Everett, Laura Choi Raycroft, James Cunningham | USA | 2023 | 106 min | International Premiere
Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy-Daughter Dance in a Washington, DC prison. Cameras capture the first physical touch these girls will have with their incarcerated fathers as part of a groundbreaking program in this Sundance Audience Award–winning film.
EVERY LITTLE THING
D: Sally Aitken | P: Bettina Dalton, Anna Godas, Oli Harbottle | Australia | 2024 | 93 min | Canadian Premiere
A woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unravelling a captivating and magical tale of love, fragility and healing amidst the sprawl of Los Angeles.
INTERCEPTED
D: Oksana Karpovych | P: Rocío B. Fuentes, Giacomo Nudi, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel, Olha Beskhmelnytsina | Canada, France, Ukraine | 2024 | 93 min | Canadian Premiere
Layered over the visible evidence of their destruction, covertly recorded conversations between Russian soldiers provide a shocking and revealing soundtrack of those who destroy amidst the futility and inhumanity of a prolonged war in Ukraine.
WINNER – CMF-Hot Docs Forum Canadian Pitch Prize 2023
SON OF THE MULLAH
D: Nahid Persson Sarvestani | P: Setareh Lundgren, Monica Hernandez Rejon | Sweden, France | 2023 | 100 min | North American Premiere
Journalist Ruhollah Zam, like many of his colleagues, reports on Iran from abroad. Relying on tips from unreliable and potentially compromised insiders, he risks life and limb to expose the Islamic Regime’s corruption, hypocrisy and money laundering in this all-too-real spy thriller.
THIS IS GOING TO BE BIG
D: Thomas Charles Hyland | P: Josie Mason Campbell, Jim Wright, Catherine Bradbury | Australia | 2023 | 101 min | North American Premiere
Dreams and desires are confronted as a cast of neurodivergent teens prepare to come of age in their school’s time-travelling, John Farnham–themed musical. A funny and heart-warming peek behind the curtain with some banger songs.
hotdocs.ca for more.
Hot Docs is excited to announce the full lineup of new documentary features that will screen in this year’s Festival’s Special Presentations program, a stellar lineup of films that promise to inspire, inform, and entertain Festival audiences. Titles in this program feature visionary filmmakers, intriguing subjects, and riveting storytelling. The 2024 Hot Docs Festival will take place April 25 to May 5, 2024 in cinemas across Toronto.
The 2024 Special Presentations program will delve into narratives of power, corruption and tragedy,
offering a critical lens on societal issues. Additionally, it will turn the camera onto celebrated artists and
filmmakers themselves, providing audiences with intimate insights into their lives and creative
processes. The program will also transport audiences on immersive journeys into the worlds of BASE
jumping, magic, psychics, and cats, enticing them to explore a captivating array of diverse and
fascinating subjects.
World premieres include Red Fever, which sees Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond travel to the four corners
of Turtle Island and across Europe to explore the world’s fascination with Native Americans; American
Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly, in which hilarious Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
correspondent Amy Hoggart explores the controversial practice of declawing cats; The Ride Ahead, an
expansion of co-director Samuel Habib’s short film My Disability Roadmap (Honourable Mention, Best
International Short Documentary, Hot Docs Festival 2022), exploring a typical 21-year-old itching to
move out, start a career and find love—all while navigating life with a disability; Lost in the Shuffle,
which follows world champion magician Shawn Farquhar as he simultaneously devises a new trick and
delves into a medieval murder cold case; and Le Mans 55: The Unauthorized Investigation, which
explores the tragic Le Mans race in 1955 where more than 80 spectators were killed.
Hot Docs 2024 will also see the International Premiere of the thrilling new National Geographic doc Fly,
in which incredible cinematography and all-access storytelling follow three couples whose passion for
BASE jumping means they’ll risk everything for the rush of feeling alive; and the North American
Premiere of Michel Gondry, Do It Yourself, an intimate look at the music video director and filmmaker’s
life, work and creative process.
2024 Special Presentations will also include the Canadian premieres of Power, examining the history,
scale and social effects policing has had on the United States and its culture; Black Box Diaries, which
sees journalist and filmmaker Shiori Ito take on one of the most powerful institutions in Japan to
prosecute her high-profile sexual assailant in a landmark legal case; Union, in which a group of Amazon
workers on New York City’s Staten Island take on one of the world’s largest and most influential
companies in the fight to unionize; Never Look Away, the directorial debut of Lucy Lawless that follows
CNN combat camerawoman Margaret Moth, whose appetite for danger is challenged following a lifechanging injury; Look Into My Eyes, acclaimed filmmaker Lana Wilson’s new film featuring an eclectic
group of New York City psychics; Born Hungry—the latest from acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Barry
Avrich—chronicles the rags-to-riches tale of Sash Simpson, a runaway child from the streets of India,
who was adopted into a Toronto family with 31 siblings before becoming a world-renowned chef; and
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, in which Martin Scorsese shares his lifelong love
affair with the “subversive commercial movies” of filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger,
whose collaboration thrived in the adversity of WWII.
Descriptions for films in the Special Presentations program appear below. In many cases, filmmakers will
be in attendance for post-screening discussions. For more information on the program visit
http://hotdocs.ca/festivals/hot-docs-festival/announcements.
AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY
D: Todd Bieber | P: Grace Leeson | USA | 2024 | 88 min | World Premiere
Ontario is the only province in Canada without a ban on cat declawing. Amy Hoggart, the hilarious
correspondent from Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, cracks jokes, cuddles kittens and attacks this
controversial practice using satire to expose a heart-wrenching catspiracy.
BLACK BOX DIARIES
D: Shiori Ito | P: Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin | Japan, UK, USA | 2024 | 104 min | Canadian Premiere
Journalist Shiori Ito takes on one of the most powerful institutions in Japan to prosecute her high-profile
sexual assailant in a landmark legal case. Using personal footage and hidden cameras, Ito puts it all on
the line for justice.
BORN HUNGRY
D: Barry Avrich | P: Jay Hennick, Mark Selby, Barry Avrich | Canada | 2024 | 77 min | Canadian Premiere
The true rags to riches tale of Sash Simpson, a runaway child from the streets of India, who was adopted
into a Toronto family with 31 siblings before becoming a world-renowned chef.
FLY
D: Shaul Schwarz, Christina Clusiau | P: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz | USA | 2023 | 106 min |
International Premiere
To stand on the edge and jump into the wind, one must be willing to lose everything. That could mean the love of your life, or the life you love. Three couples in the world of BASE jumping risk everything to
feel alive.
LE MANS 55: THE UNAUTHORIZED INVESTIGATION
D: Emmanuel Reyé | P: Isabelle Dagnac | France | 2023 | 90 min | World Premiere
The Le Mans race in 1955 made history through tragedy when more than 80 spectators were killed.
Uncover the story of the crash that took the lives of so many and, to this day, looms over the world of
motorsports.
LOOK INTO MY EYES
D: Lana Wilson | P: Kyle Martin, Lana Wilson | USA | 2023 | 105 min | Canadian Premiere
In this unique journey into the human desire for connection, acclaimed filmmaker Lana Wilson follows
an eclectic group of New York City psychics whose intimate readings reveal a kaleidoscopic view of
loneliness, connection and healing with humour and intrigue.
LOST IN THE SHUFFLE
D: Jon Ornoy | P: Jon Ornoy, Ana Carrizales | Canada | 2024 | 100 min | World Premiere
Pick a card, any card! World champion magician Shawn Farquhar delves into a medieval murder cold
case among Jacks, Queens and Kings as he devises a new trick inspired by the world’s best sleight-ofhand artists.
MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER
D: David Hinton | P: Matthew Wells, Nick Varley | UK | 2024 | 131 min | Canadian Premiere
Martin Scorsese tells of his lifelong love affair with the movies of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
and their “subversive commercial movies.” Drawing on a rich array of archival material, Scorsese
explores their collaboration that thrived in the adversity of WWII.
MICHEL GONDRY, DO IT YOURSELF
D: François Nemeta | P: Olivier de Bannes, Robin Accard, Philippe Savine | France | 2023 | 80 min |
North American Premiere
French filmmaker Michel Gondry re-invented the music video and challenged Hollywood with his
distinctive handmade visual style. Intimately documented, Gondry’s career and playful creative process
receive an overdue review, from his earliest music videos to his latest feature film at Cannes.
NEVER LOOK AWAY
D: Lucy Lawless | P: | New Zealand | 2024 | 85 min | Canadian Premiere
CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth was facing down war’s inhumanity when one bullet changed
everything but her resolve. Debut filmmaker Lucy Lawless turns the camera’s gaze on this
groundbreaking woman and her legacy.
POWER
D: Yance Ford | P: Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney, Yance Ford, Netsanet Negussie | USA | 2024 | 87 min |
Canadian Premiere
Part essay, interview and archival collage, Power traces the explosion of police power from the founding
of the U.S. to our present. Power makes the historical continuity of unchecked police power legible—
examining who’s policed, who’s protected and why.
RED FEVER
D: Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge | P: Lisa M. Roth, Rebecca Lessard | Canada | 2024 | 104 min
| World Premiere
Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond travels to the four corners of Turtle Island and across Europe to explore
the world’s fascination with Native Americans, recognizing the profound impact Indigenous people have
had in shaping modern Western culture.
THE RIDE AHEAD
D: Samuel Habib, Dan Habib | P: Dan Habib, Erica Lupinacci | USA | 2024 | 97 min | World Premiere
An expansion of his short film My Disability Roadmap, Samuel Habib is a typical 21-year-old, itching to
move out, start a career and find love. But “no one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a
disability.”
UNION
D: Brett Story, Stephen Maing | P: Samantha Curley, Mars Verrone, Martin DiCiccio | USA | 2024 | 104
min | Canadian Premiere
The Amazon Labor Union (ALU)—a group of current and former Amazon workers on New York City’s
Staten Island—takes on one of the world’s largest and most powerful companies in the fight to unionize.
More at hotdocs.ca.
Barry Avrich‘s BORN HUNGRY is poised for a Canadian debut at this year’s HOT DOCS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL April 26, 2024.
SYNOPSIS:
He went looking for his family … and found himself.
An inspiring true story brought to life, BORN HUNGRY is a gritty yet life-affirming human drama about a young Indian boy who finds himself abandoned by his family, lost on trains and thousands of miles from home. Now, Sash, a celebrity chef who once survived alone on the streets of Chennai eating from garbage bins before ultimately being adopted by a Canadian couple, returns to India armed with only blurry memories to find his lost family. BORN HUNGRY is a raw, true and important story with a huge heart that deals with identity and cultural heritage.
Written and Directed by
Barry Avrich
Executive Producers
Jay Hennick
Mark Selby
Barry Avrich
Produced by
Mark Selby
Barry Avrich, p.g.a.
Runtime
77 min
(Photo credit: Melbar Entertainment Group)
Hot Docs Festival 2023 came to its close last night, bringing 214 films from 72 countries to audiences in Toronto cinemas. The 11-day festival featured 308 live screenings on nine screens at four venues across the city, with 235 live filmmaker Q&As, and five special extended discussions with filmmakers and special guests as part of the Big Ideas Series, presented by Scotia Wealth Management. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Hot Docs presented the Podcast Festival Showcase, featuring a slate of today’s hottest podcasts live on stage, A Wall Is a Screen site-specific outdoor screening at Ontario Place, and a series of special activations for attendees throughout the Festival. Further building on national audiences cultivated by past online and hybrid editions, 123 official selections started streaming across Canada on Friday, May 5 and will continue through to Tuesday, May 9.
“As the curtain closes on a highly successful 30th-anniversary edition of Hot Docs Festival, we are reminded once again of the power and impact of documentary—not only in reflecting our world, but also in building community, creating connection and challenging us to play our part in making this world a better place,” shared Shane Smith, Hot Docs Artistic Director. “We are humbled by the emphatic reception we received from our famously curious Toronto audiences, whose energy, engagement and enthusiasm are always a Festival highlight for filmmakers, and who continue to inspire our mission to showcase outstanding, outspoken documentaries. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the volunteers, filmmakers, industry delegates, sponsors and partners who helped us bring Hot Docs 2023 to life.”
The Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary, which recognizes the top Canadian feature as determined by audience poll with a cash prize of CAD 50,000, was announced last night at a free encore screening at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. Someone Lives Here (D: Zack Russell | P: Matt King, Andrew Ferguson | Canada)—the story of a young Toronto carpenter building life-saving shelters for unhoused people facing the winter outside during the pandemic, while also facing staunch opposition from the city government—received the prize, courtesy of Rogers Group of Funds.
With CAD 80,000 in cash and prizes announced at the Hot Docs Awards Presentation on Saturday, May 6, and CAD 78,000 in pitch prizes awarded at the close of Hot Docs Forum on Wednesday, May 3, this year the Festival awarded a total of CAD 208,000 in cash and prizes to filmmakers.
Hot Docs Audience Awards are determined by votes submitted by Festival audiences after in-person screenings. At the close of the Festival, it was determined that Lac-Mégantic – This is Not an Accident (D: Philippe Falardeau | P: Annie Sirois | Canada)—a captivating four-part series from Oscar-nominated director Philippe Falardeau that exposes the scandalous causes of one of Canada’s worst rail disasters and the urgent changes needed to prevent the next one—placed first in the overall audience poll and won the Hot Docs Audience Award.
The top mid-length film in the audience poll, winning the Audience Award for Mid-Length Documentary, was When Spring Came to Bucha (D: Mila Teshaieva, Marcus Lenz | P: Marcus Lenz | Ukraine, Germany), in which cameras quietly capture the resilience of a people who will not be broken. The top short film, winning the Audience Award for Short Documentary, was Eco-Hack! (D: Josh Izenberg, Brett Marty | P: Josh Izenberg, Brett Marty | USA), capturing conservation biologist Tim Shield’s fight to protect desert tortoise populations from ravens.
The 20 documentaries in the audience poll are:
Hot Docs’ incredibly popular Docs For School program also ran during the Festival, offering teachers across Canada free access to 16 films, including eight official selections from this year’s Festival, and accompanying teaching resources linked to curriculum. Hot Docs also presented its annual market and conference, welcoming 1,800 delegates from more than 40 countries. The Hot Docs Industry program featured four days of knowledge sessions and networking events including Hot Docs Forum and Hot Docs Deal Maker, along with additional industry content.
Hot Docs announced this morning the winning documentaries in this year’s official competition and the recipients of additional awards honouring Canadian and international filmmakers. The awards were revealed at the Hot Docs 2023 Awards Presentation at TIFF Bell Lightbox, hosted by arts journalist and co-founder of Media Girlfriends, Garvia Bailey. 15 awards in total were given out, including 11 awards for Festival films in competition – of which four were won by female filmmakers –and CAD 80,000 in cash and prizes were awarded. Playing on screens across Toronto, the 30th-anniversary Hot Docs Festival will close on Sunday, May 7. The Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian documentary will be announced on the last day of the Festival at a special encore screening at 7:00 pm at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. The top Canadian feature in the audience poll will receive a CAD 50,000 cash prize, courtesy of Rogers Group of Funds. The overall Audience Award winner will be announced after the Festival.
The Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary was presented to Last Respects (D: Megan Durnford | P: Megan Durnford | Canada | 2023), in which Montreal priest Abbé Claude Paradis creates a touching annual ceremony to celebrate the lives of the “unclaimed.” The award includes a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of John and Betty Youson. Jury statement: “For its human, simple and necessary approach to the universal theme of the dignity and value of every single life that stands out by virtue of its compelling, skilfully crafted visual language as much as its personal story and message.”
The Best International Short Documentary Award was presented to Mrs. Iran’s Husband (D: Marjan Khosravi | P: Milad Khosravi | Iran | 2023), a pointed exploration of family and labour in Iran. The award includes a $3,000 cash prize. Jury statement: “For its subtle intelligence and non-judgmental narrative. This honest family portrait allows us to approach a reality that deserves our attention now.”
In the Best International Short Documentary Award category, the jury also acknowledged Dear Ani (D: Micah Levin | P: Micah Levin | USA | 2022) with an honourable mention.
Hot Docs is an Academy Award qualifying festival for short documentaries and, as winners of the Best International Short Documentary Award and the Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary Award respectively, Mrs. Iran’s Husband and Last Respects will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided they comply with Academy rules.
Veteran Canadian producer Bonnie Thompson, producer of Echo of Everything (D: Cam Christiansen | P: Bonnie Thompson | Canada | 2022), received the Don Haig Award, announced at the beginning of the Festival. The award is given to an outstanding independent Canadian producer with a film in the Festival in recognition of their creative vision, entrepreneurship and track record for nurturing emerging talent and comes with a $5,000 cash prize, courtesy of the Don Haig Foundation.
The award for Best Mid-Length Documentary was presented to Being in a Place – A Portrait of Margaret Tait (D: Luke Fowler | P: Luke Fowler, Sarah Neely | UK | 2022), an experimental tribute to Scottish filmmaker Margaret Tait. Sponsored by British Pathé, the award includes a $3,000 cash prize. Jury statement: “For its uniquely direct poetic sensibility to embody the spirit and work of an undercelebrated filmmaker and the way that the director moves us through its subject’s visions by way of her archives and placing us behind her camera we chose …”
In the Best Mid-Length Documentary category, the jury also acknowledged Scala (D: Ananta Thitanat | P: Abhichon Rattanabhayon, Nontawat Numbenchapol | Thailand | 2022) with an honourable mention.
The Lindalee Tracey Award, which honours an emerging Canadian filmmaker with a passionate point of view, a strong sense of social justice and a sense of humour, was presented to Gaëlle Graton. Graton will receive a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of the Lindalee Tracey Fund, $5,000 in post-production services from SIM, and a hand-blown glass sculpture by Andrew Kuntz, specially commissioned to honour Lindalee.
Award-winning Chinese American documentarian Christine Choy received the 2023 Outstanding Achievement Award. Choy’s seminal work was featured in the Outstanding Achievement Retrospective Program at this year’s Festival.
The Scotiabank Docs For Schools Student Choice Award went to Invisible Beauty (D: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng | P: Lisa Cortés, Paul Dallas | USA | 2023 | 115 min | Canadian Premiere), pioneering Black model Bethann Hardison’s exploration of racial diversity in the fashion world. The award is given to the Festival film in the Docs For Schools education program that receives the highest rating as determined by a student poll and comes with a $5,000 cash prize, courtesy of Scotiabank.
The Earl A. Glick Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award is given to a Canadian filmmaker whose film in competition is their first or second feature-length film. The award, which includes a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of the Earl A. Glick Family, was presented to director Dominique Chaumont for Veranada (D: Dominique Chaumont | P: Dominique Chaumont | Canada, Argentina | 2022). Jury statement: “Life seems still in the Argentinian plains, but a man and his sheep give sense to a craft that seems destined to disappear. Beautiful images and a mesmerizing soundtrack make Veranada a truly authentic cinematographic experience, transporting you to a world you need to know.”
The new John Kastner Award went to Silvicola (D: Jean-Philippe Marquis | P: Jean-Philippe Marquis | Canada | 2023), exploring the human impact on forests through breathtaking vistas and poignant vignettes set in Canada’s Pacific Northwest. The Award presents $5,000 to a Canadian Spectrum feature-length documentary of courage and compassion that embodies masterful and audacious storytelling, meticulous observation, and a profound trust between the director and the people who share their stories. Jury statement: “Many films ask the question, how are we meant to exist upon a living being, our Earth. This is a masterwork of patience and complexity that doesn’t seek easy answers, and for that we lean in with humility and heartache. This is a film that holds questions we should all be asking ourselves.”
The new Bill Nemtin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, which recognizes the producers of a film in the Canadian Spectrum program that has the greatest potential to create social impact, went to Matt King and Andrew Ferguson of Someone Lives Here (D: Zack Russell | P: Matt King, Andrew Ferguson | Canada | 2022). The $10,000 cash prize accompanying the award will help enable the winning film team to optimize the impact of the documentary through outreach and marketing activities. Jury statement: “Creating safe spaces against all odds, trying to fight humiliating circumstances, the carpenter constructs little safe heavens while authorities seem not to appreciate his efforts. This important and well-constructed film leaves us asking: how should we be living alongside each other?”
The DGC Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary was presented to Caiti Blues (D: Justine Harbonnier | P: Nellie Carrier, Julie Paratian | Canada, France | 2023), in which an ex-New Yorker now living in a remote hippie town in New Mexico struggles to revive her dreams of singing on Broadway. Sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada and DGC Ontario, the award includes a $5,000 cash prize. Jury statement: “In a lonely universe, we travel through a world of imagination in search of identity. Music fractures and interweave in a film about struggling to become the person you dream of and are in search of. This is deeply engaging filmmaking.”
The Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award was presented to I Lost My Mom (D: Denys Desjardins | P: Denys Desjardins | Canada | 2022), an empathetic and intimate doc in which filmmaker Denys Desjardins captures his elderly mother’s experience of neglect in Quebec’s healthcare system. Supported by DOC and Telefilm Canada, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize. Jury statement: “The filmmaker made something sublime out of limits. In a time of closures, he made a handmade work of art that opens empathy. This is a work of difficult love. This is deeply heartbreaking work.”
The Best International Feature Documentary Award was given to The Mountains (D: Christian Einshøj | P: Mathilde Hvid Lippmann | Denmark | 2023), which uses 75,000 photos and 30 years of home videos to weave a tender and humorous autobiographical portrait of the men in a Scandinavian family struck by devastating tragedy. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize. Director Christian Einshøj was also the winner of The Emerging International Filmmaker Award, given to an international filmmaker whose film in competition is their first or second feature-length film. The award, supported by the Donner Canadian Foundation, includes a $3,000 cash prize. Jury statement: “This unique, eloquent, and deeply honest look at a family told through various lenses was captivating. Christian Einshoj uses humour to tell a deeply personal story that anyone who is part of a family can relate to.”
In the Best International Feature Documentary category, the jury also acknowledged A Wolfpack Named Ernesto (D: Everardo González | P: Roberto Garza, Inna Payán, Jean-Christophe Simon | Mexico, France | 2023) with an honourable mention.
Hot Docs is an Academy Award qualifying festival for feature documentaries and, as the winner of the Best International Feature Documentary Award, The Mountains will qualify for consideration in the Best Documentary Feature category of the annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided they comply with Academy rules.
The Special Jury Prize – International Feature Documentary was given to Name Me Lawand (D: Edward Lovelace | P: Fleur Nieddu, Sam Arnold, Beyan Taher, Neil Andrews, Marisa Clifford | UK | 2022), in which a young deaf Kurdish boy joyfully hones his communication skills at a UK school after a treacherous journey from Iraq, only to later face deportation from his new home. Sponsored by A&E, the award includes a $5,000 cash prize. Jury statement: “We were touched by this epic yet intimate story of a refugee family who had no choice but to leave their home to create a life for their deaf son.
The 2023 awards for films in competition were determined by four juries.
The Canadian Feature Documentary Jury:
Rodolfo Castillo-Morales (filmmaker, programmer, and curator), Shane Belcourt (filmmaker), Margje de Koning (filmmaker, educator, Artistic Director of Movies That Matter film festival).
The International Feature Documentary Jury:
Addie Morfoot (entertainment industry writer, head of editorial coverage for Variety), Ina Finchman (Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy nominated producer), Sudeep Sharma (programmer for the Sundance Film Festival).
The Mid-Length Documentary Jury:
Lina Rodriguez (filmmaker), Iris Ng (cinematographer), Amir George (award-winning filmmaker and Artistic Director of Kartemquin Films).
The Short Documentary Jury:
Anna Bressanin (US Editor of BBC Reel, the BBC’s platform for short documentary), Inga Diev (General Manager of Ouat Media), Inti Cordera (documentary filmmaker and producer).
Review by Amanda Gilmore
No matter what generation you’re from, you know the name, Michael J. Fox. Director Davis Guggenheim delivers an incredible film, which is told as a Documentary through archived and scripted elements. It celebrates the charming, witty, and optimistic Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words.
Guggenheim follows two narrative storylines in STILL. In doing so, STILL is a Documentary that tells two stories about the same man. One tells the story of Fox’s rise, from being an undersized kid from Canada to becoming Hollywood’s ‘80s darling. The other tells the story of Fox living with Parkinson’s Disease.
The story of his rise in Hollywood is moving, however, it’s the struggle he’s overcome in accepting his diagnosis that is the true inspiration. Fox speaks candidly in his interviews with Guggenheim. He talks about attempting to hide and forget his diagnosis by becoming addicted to alcohol. When he finally embraced his new reality he was able to turn it into something good. Not only does he have the Michael J. Fox Foundation, but he’s also received roles that have allowed him to play characters with Parkinson’s (such as on The Good Wife), which in turn brings more awareness and understanding to the disease.
The editing by Michael Harte is a tremendous accomplishment. There’s extensive footage from Films, TV Shows, Interviews, and more that come together seamlessly and work poetically with Fox’s words. For example, Fox will tell a short story about a moment in his life and Harte has a scene from one of Fox’s films or series, which works perfectly with the story.
It’s important to note that this isn’t a film that goes in-depth about Parkinson’s Disease. It’s about Fox’s story and that happens to include a story about Parkinson’s. STILL will make you want to learn more about it once you leave the theatre.
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Story screens at Hot Docs ’23:
Mon, May 1 at 6:30PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
Fri, May 5 at 6:30PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
Sun, May 7 at 10AM at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
By Amanda Gilmore
Who would’ve thought that one of the year’s most inspirational underdog stories would come from one of the most prominent Point Guards in the NBA?
If you’re like me and only know Steph Curry post-NBA Draft and as the star player of the Golden State Warriors, then you probably wouldn’t have seen this one coming either. Director Peter Nicks tracks the Basketball star’s rise from his passion for the sport, to his time on the Davidson College basketball team, to the struggles he’s faced while with the Golden State Warriors and his long journey to finally attaining his college degree — 13 years after leaving Davidson a year early for the NBA.
Nicks’ primary focus in this documentary is showing the lifelong impact Davidson College has had on Steph. It’s endearing to see Steph get into his Wildcats merchandise and cheer on the current team. And how fondly he speaks about Davidson Coach Bob McKillop who saw potential in him when the world believed he was too small. Nicks edits between games with the Golden State Warriors and then the Davidson Wildcats. It’s clear Steph still uses what he learned there to succeed and take Championships.
As Nick follows Steph in Underrated, he’s still working toward one thing — his Davidson Degree. He’s been working toward completing his degree since he left, but his professional life always halted the process. There are many moments in this documentary that make Steph relatable. The fact that he was underestimated due to his size, then made it to the NCAA with Davidson. The fact that he’s been spoken about as past his prime then wins a Championship and MVP. Yet, it’s the moments he has on Zoom with his professor and working on his thesis that we forget he’s Basketball royalty.
If you’re a massive fan of the player or have been tracking his career since his time at Davidson you’ll probably know this inspiring story well. Yet, Stephen Curry: Underrated does more than simply tell the man’s story. It creates a fire within you to never give up on yourself.
Stephen Curry: Underrated screens at Hot Docs ’23:
Sat, Apr 29 at 6:15PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
Fri, May 5 at 9:15PM at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
Sat, May 6 at 3:30PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
By Mr. Will Wong
Directed by her Filmmaker son Tuki Jencquel, JACKIE THE WOLF certainly is more thought-provoking than it is an easy watch. Combining family videos and candid interviews with his mother, Author and Activist Jacqueline Jencquel, we try to get the why behind her choice to want to end her life.
Jacqueline isn’t ill, nor is she dependent on the care of others. She simply refuses to live beyond a certain age and has lost the will to live, yet appearing sound of mind. She devotes her time and voice to furthering the conversation about a person’s choice to die and having autonomy over their life and body. In doing this, she is calling for a change to French laws include one’s right to die based on personal choice. Jacqueline sets an initial date for her death, though this keeps shifting in hopes she will live to see change before she goes.
Along the way, we get a deeper dive into her psyche, opening-up to her son about everything from lost love to libido, as Tuki alternates the caps of son and Documenter. We even meet another older woman named Joan Schertenleib, who also is looking to end her life as well, though her circumstances are quite different from Jacqueline‘s. Joan is in chronic pain, suffering from Arthritis and has endured losing immediately family, including her daughter, who passed before her.
The level of trust that Tuki and Jacqueline gainin order to get us access into the room with her real-time in Joan’s final moments is both compelling, yet unsettling. Certainly something we will never forget seeing and something we’ll be pondering for a bit. No matter where our opinions stand on the subject matter, Tuki honours his mother’s legacy by allowing her voice to carry in in this complex portrait of her.
JACKIE THE WOLF screens at Hot Docs ’23 as follows:
MON MAY 01
05:30PM
Isabel Bader Theatre
SUN MAY 07
11:45AM
Scotiabank Theatre 6
It streams online May 5-9, 2023.
Now in its 30th edition, the HOT DOCS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is back on again and running April 27 to May 7, 2023. Over 200 films from 72 countries will be screening at the Festival this year with several special guests in attendance, including Lilly Singh, members of July Talk, Moby, Kara Swisher, Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls and Canada’s first female Jewish Supreme Court Judge Rosalie Abella, among others.
The Festival kicks off with Opening Night selection TWICE COLONIZED, directed by Danish Director Lin Alluna, centering on Greenlandic Inuit lawyer, activist, and fierce protector of her ancestral lands, Aaju Peter. More lineup details here.
If you aren’t in-town, you still can stream online as films will be available starting at 12:01 a.m. on May 5 to May 9, 2023.
One of the centerpiece films this year is Writer/Director Barry Avrich‘s WITHOUT PRECENDENT: THE SUPREME LIFE OF ROSALIE ABELLA, getting its World Premiere at the Festival.
The Documentary is part of Hot Docs’ Special Presentations program and featured in its Big Ideas series, presented by Scotia Wealth Management. This is such a proud Canadian moment as we learn about subject Justice Rosalie Abella became the first woman ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada and first Jewish woman and refugee to sit on the Canadian Supreme Court bench.
The Film explores her modest beginnings as a daughter of Holocaust survivors, to working for herself after spending just two years working at a small law firm. Avrich explores the love of her life, Irving Abella and how she applied the same persistence to her career as she did winning his heart. And of course, the scrutiny she faced when Paul Martin appointed her to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004. Abella balances being liked and being respected, led by justice and compassion having understand the refugee experience, and also advocating for the recognition of same sex relationships. We get interviews with former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Margaret Atwood and several other notables. Such a fascinating portrait about a true Canadian hero and success story and a must-see at the Festival.
MON MAY 01
06:30PM
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
TUE MAY 02
06:30PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
FRI MAY 05
11:15AM
Isabel Bader Theatre
Team Mr. Will has had a chance to preview some notable selections from the Festival and here are their thoughts to help you in your viewing!
FOOD AND COUNTRY
In the interest of full disclosure, Gourmet Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Ruth Reichl, is instrumental in turning me into a Foodie. Before the days of internet access, I would religiously buy the Sunday New York Times, cut away and save her restaurant reviews, and have phenomenal experiences during my many trips to Manhattan – whether it was a tripe dish served at a Soho Korean bistro or a meal I still dream about at Asia de Cuba, a restaurant immortalized in an episode of “Sex and the City”. In FOOD AND COUNTRY, we watch as Reichl takes the audience on a fascinating journey of how the Covid pandemic affected U.S. farmers and restaurants.
In a series of conversations that cover a wide range of topics as agricultural economics, financial literacy and how farmers are looking to deal with and adapt to the “new normal” of the hospitality industry, this captivating Documentary illuminates, while exploring options that could be implemented in the future. At the time where restaurants here at home are shuttering their doors forever due to the hardships the pandemic wrought, FOOD AND COUNTRY succinctly and intellectually encapsulates what the future may hold.
You don’t need to be a foodie to appreciate a perfect Crème Brûlée and you don’t need to be one to be enthralled with this movie.
FRI APR 28
06:00PM
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
SAT APR 29
11:15AM
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
SUN MAY 07
11:00AM
TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
THIS WORLD IS NOT MY OWN
Utilizing 3D motion-capture imagery, animation, archival TV footage and anything else the Creators of this Film can throw in, THIS WORLD IS NOT MY OWN explores the life of Nellie Mae Rowe. Born as the daughter of a sharecropper and former slave in the heart Georgia, Rowe’s entire life was dedicated to her art, whether they be vibrantly coloured paintings, making sculptures from leftover chewing gum (Ewww, right?), pencil sketches and dolls made from whatever she could find. She ultimately found a modicum of fame and notoriety when discovered by the wealthy Judith Alexander, who was instrumental in bringing contemporary art to her gallery in Atlanta. The Film is staged in four chapters, plus a gratuitous interlude that detoured from the subject.
Whereas I respected the audacity of THIS WORLD IS NOT MY OWN, the viewing experience became tiresome with all the visual excesses and the subject matter was too bombastic. It reminded me of the musical interpretation of “Ragtime”, which incorporated numerous subject matters into a coherent masterpiece. I did enjoy three-time Emmy winner Uzo Aduba’s vocal stylings, though some of the 3D imagery of Rowe looked a little unsettling. I never thought I would think or say this, but, sometimes, too much is too much, and this Documentary would have benefitted from a bit more focus.
SAT APR 29
02:15PM
Scotiabank Theatre 5
THU MAY 04
05:30PM
Scotiabank Theatre 6
CYNARA
Responding to a 911 call, first responders arrive at a townhouse complex in Scarborough to find a woman on the floor and a young teenaged girl lying unresponsive on a couch. Claiming to be a victim of a home invasion by two armed and masked intruders, Cindy Ali’s life becomes a nightmarish journey as she is arrested, charged with the murder of her 16-year daughter Cynara stricken with Cerebral Palsy, and ultimately charged with murder in the first degree and sentenced to life in prison. CYNARA is a harrowing account how Cindy, with the support of her husband, three daughters and her Church, tries to clear her name with the help of Toronto Star reporter Jim Rankin and wrongful conviction-specializing lawyer James Lockyer. Whereas this Documentary plays like an episode of “Law & Order” and infrequently feels heavy-handed, it is a searing indictment of the Canadian legal system where facts are blatantly ignored by prosecuting lawyers and jury members are misled by a judge who had already in his mind deemed the defendant guilty of a heinous crime.
Writer/Producer/Director Sherien Barsoum skillfully juggles many aspects of this case with finesse. It touches on the subject of systemic prejudice and police and law officials overreaching to get the verdict they want, paying little regard to the facts. CYNARA is an accomplished and compelling Documentary.
SUN APR 30
01:45PM
Isabel Bader Theatre
THU MAY 04
05:00PM
Scotiabank Theatre 7
THE MOUNTAINS
Ever have one of those melodramatic moments in your life where you think “this would make for an amazing movie?”. THE MOUNTAINS is here to tell you that it ain’t! Sometimes life just sucks, and you have to do what you have to do it get above it. Due to the loss of his baby brother at a young age, Danish Filmmaker Christian Einshøj explores his contentious family dynamics 25 years after the fact with interviews with his father and two brothers. Replete with armchair psychology, the Film feels at times visually stagnant, employing perhaps too much on archived family video footage without answering the question. Some scenes feel a tad staged (who filmed the brother on a beach in Spain when the Director was in Denmark?) and sequences of the three brothers frolic about the Arctic Circle wearing DC comic superhero costumes induced are jarring in their purpose.
As a rule of thumb, Documentaries are a hard sell to the movie-going public to begin with. For many it feels like homework, which is exactly how I felt at times watching THE MOUNTAINS.
THU APR 27
06:00PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox 4
SUN APR 30
12:00PM
Scotiabank Theatre 5
PRAYING FOR ARMAGEDDON
This shocking Documentary is a political thriller that reveals the power and influence of U.S. fundamentalist Evangelicals, as they aim to fulfil the Armageddon prophecy.
Director Tonje Hessen Schei takes us on a deep dive into the faith from all angles. We are introduced to Evangelicals who believe we are heading for Armageddon, a Journalist who investigates the influence they have on U.S. politics as well as first-hand accounts from people living through the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. One thing is for sure, these Evangelicals believe that this conflict is one that will lead them to their end-of-times prediction…and therefore their Armageddon.
The conflict is one that’s difficult for those not involved to understand. Hessen Schei gives immense clarity to the conflict thanks to the subjects living there. This is one of his many achievements. He connects Evangelism to the rise of Christian Nationalism and its geopolitical plan. For instance, many Evangelical “charities” give money which supports settler colonialism in Israel. Furthermore, disgraced U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who has immense support from Evangelicals, placed a U.S. military base and U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. This has been a source of further conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Overall, Praying for Armageddon makes a persuasive argument about the influence this group has on U.S. politics, which extends to issues around the world.
Tue May 02 at 8PM at Isabel Bader Theatre
Thu May 04 at 1:45PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
Sun May 07 at 8PM at TIFF BELL Lightbox 2
COVEN
This one is for all who’re curious about witchcraft.
There has been a stigma surrounding witchcraft for centuries. But this insightful Documentary aims to change society’s views by shining a light on a modern retake of an ancient worldwide practice. It follows three millennials Laura, Andra and Canadian singer Ayo a.k.a. Witch Prophet who are reviving the practice and reclaiming the term witch.
All three women believe that Wicca is about being the truest form of a feminist and coming into their own powers. Director Rama Rau has found the perfect subjects to focus on. Each has their own history and is at different stages in their journeys. Therefore, allowing the audience to see all sides of the Wicca practices.
We follow as each finds out what the practice means to them as they search the world finding their own Wicca ancestry. Out of the three subjects, Laura Hokstad, a solitary witch, is the one we follow the most. We watch as she begins her Wicca journey. We learn about most traditions and history alongside her. The most interesting moments happen when she travels around Europe and America finding out that there were many witches in her ancestry.
Coven is a fascinating Documentary about three women coming into their own power. It may not change the minds of all, but it will create a space for conversation. Allowing those who are curious about witchcraft to feel less isolated.
Fri Apr 28 at 8:45PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
Fri May 5 at 6:00PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
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