Busy, busy! Toronto continues to be bustling with starpower as several stars continue their latest projects and some approach a wrap!

LET IT SNOW

Kiernan Shipka (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Mad Men) had some fun at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards this weekend, enjoying a break from the cold! She even got slimed, but she assures us it was easy to wash off! She returns to complete work on Netflix‘s LET IT SNOW. She is the sweetest!

Model and Actor Matthew Noszka (Star) made his way back to the City along with Shipka too to complete work on the Holiday Feature! He equally was in great spirits too!

We spotted Isabela Moner, who stars as Dora in upcoming DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD returning also from the Kids’ Choice Awards with her dog Pluto. As always she’s the sweetest. Her dog is so social and friendly, always curious when he sees other playmates!  We’re curious about new Music from Moner which she has been at work on in Miami, as we love what we’ve heard on Spotify so far.

And Anna Akana got lots of acclaim for her upcoming Film GO BACK TO CHINA at SXSW, the Singer and Actress also was spotted getting ready to wrap on LET IT SNOW!

SPINNING OUT

Netflix‘s Figure Skating Series SPINNING OUT also continues to film and we’re totally waiting for recent cast addition, the delightfully-funny Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye, who was added recently!

We are thrilled to have spotted Sarah Wright (The House Bunny, Mad Men) around with her baby and nanny! She was everything I thought she would be! Sweetheart.

GLAMOROUS

Coincidentally, Glamorous singer Fergie was just in town too last week! We spotted the stunning Eva Longoria hard at work after working through the weekend on her directorial debut, GLAMOROUS. The CW Pilot stars Ben Pierce as a gender non-conforming teen who lands a job with a cosmetic company after panning their products on the Internet. Longoria was amazing as we remember her, and she expressed excitement seeing someone bring a still to sign from upcoming Dora The Explorer, in which she stars. The Film’s star Isabela Moner just was in the City filming LET IT SNOW also!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

US impacts huge upon debut with a stellar $68.5 million for Universal Pictures from 3,741 theatres. The sophomore directorial effort by Jordan Peele sets a record opening for original Horror Film. The record previously was held by 2018’s A QUIET PLACE with its $50.2 million bow. It gets a B CinemaScore and 94% score on the Tomatometer.

In second is CAPTAIN MARVEL still performing strongly with $34.5 million for Disney/Marvel, from 4,278 theatres. In its domestic run thus far it has made $320.9 million over three weeks.

In third is FIVE FEET APART with $9 million for eOne Films/CBS Films. Over two weeks it grosses $26.7 million domestically.

WONDER PARK lands in fourth of $7.9 million, a total $28.3 million made in two weeks for Paramount Pictures.

Highly-acclaimed GLORIA BELL expands to 654 theatres, taking-in $1.7 million for A24 Films/VVS Films. Starring Julianne Moore, the Film gets 94% on the Tomatometer.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL rounds-out the Top Ten with $1 million, a total 83.7 million made over six weeks in North America for 20th Century Fox.

The World needs more shows with dogs! HUDSON & REX is set to debut for Canadian audiences on CITYTV and its stars John Reardon and Diesel von Burgimwald were in town today to promote it. The Series filmed in St. John’s, Newfoundland, sees the unstoppable duo of Detective Charlie Hudson (Reardon) and Rex (von Burgimwald) solve puzzling crimes from theft to kidnap to murder!

Reardon has built a steady body of work with high-profile work on projects like Continuum, Tron: Legacy, White Chicks, Scary Movie 4 and met his partner, Actress Meghan Ory (Once Upon a Time) filming the Mini-Series Merlin’s Apprentice.

We were so lucky to meet the duo today on their Press Tour. Diesel was such a good boy and totally at ease even with a crowd around him waiting to meet him!

See some Snaps:

Learn more about the Series here.

HUDSON & REX premieres on CITYTV Monday, March 25, 2019 8 PM ET.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to attend an Advance Screening of Disneynature’s Penguins. The Screening will take place the morning of Saturday, April 13, 2019 in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton.

Synopsis:
Disneynature’s all-new feature film “Penguins” is a coming-of-age story about an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family.  None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he’s targeted by everything from killer whales to leopard seals, who unapologetically threaten his happily ever after. From the filmmaking team behind “Bears” and “Chimpanzee,” Disneynature’s “Penguins” opens in theatres nationwide in time for Earth Day 2019.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

DISNEYNATURE’S PENGUINS is in theatres Earth Day 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

©Disney

Having sold 200 million albums worldwide and winning five Grammy Awards, Mariah Carey continues to be a master of her craft. The international superstar took the stage at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts as part of her Caution Tour, in support of the acclaimed 2018 Album – her 15th – of the same name.

Carey played to a near-capacity crowd giving fans an intimate experience with some of the larger arenas she normally plays, being booked already. Her abbreviated 90-minute set includes a mixture of material, older and current. For the first time on-tour, she performed music in what’s been coined the Justice for Glitter set, featuring songs from that panned Film which many fans feel was overlooked in terms of its Soundtrack.

Carey had the support of her twins Roc and Roe, who joined her on-stage for Always Be My Baby. Her partner, Choreographer/Dancer Bryan Tanaka also joins her on-tour.

Following the show, Carey in a kimono and sunglasses, came out of the venue with bodyguards holding umbrellas telling fans, “I’ll come over if you stop filming” , and she delivered her promise signing some autographs with ample protection at her side.

See some Snaps. Hover cursor right to navigate album including a video clip!

 

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I’ve idolized this woman since my early teens. Always starstruck around #MariahCarey who played an abbreviated 90-minute show at Sony Centre, her #CautionTour. “I’ll come over if you stop filming!” , she asks of us. A diva gets whatever she wants. She plays Casino Rama next. 🦋

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Mar 20, 2019 at 10:01pm PDT

Carey next plays Casino Rama, her first ever casino show locally.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Eight-time Grammy winner Fergie is in town to spread a little Fergaliciousness to Toronto. The former The Black Eyed Peas Vocalist and successful Solo Artist rang-in her latest collection from her Fergalicious women’s shoe line sold at The Hudson’s Bay Co.

Appearing at a Meet-and-Greet at the flagship Queen Street location, she met with fans, posing for photos and offering hugs for all their ardent support.

Fergie‘s collection offers versatility and style with several options which fit day and night, herself donning a pair at the event hosted by Liz Trinnear.

See some Snaps:

My how fast they grow! Check-out the Season Three Trailer for Netflix‘s STRANGER THINGS!

See the Trailer:

Premiering July 4. Only on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

At long last, the official Trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME HOLLYWOOD!

Synopsis:
Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.

Trailer:

The legacy of Disney’s DUMBO continues to last for generations beyond its original 1941 release. Visionary Filmmaker Tim Burton takes the reins in the upcoming 2019 live-action remake of the animated classic. In-town for a rare visit to promote its release was Golden Globe and EMMY Award-winning Actor, Author, Producer and Filmmaker, Danny Devito. Known for a large expansive body of work despite his diminutive frame, Devito has starred in several classics like Big Fish, Tin Men, Throw Momma from the Train, Matlida, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms of Endearment, Romancing the Stone, Twins and Batman Returns.

We hear Devito endured quite the wait arriving in the City the other night, which we had a chance to ask him about. There was a reported fire at Toronto Pearson International Airport, but being the true professional he is, he was ready to go bright and early for a day of Press, starting with an exclusive at CITY’s Breakfast Television.

Devito stars as Max Medici, whose circus is revived when he learns that his baby elephant born with oversized ears can actually fly. V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) is a flashy entrepreneur with big plans, expressing interest in incorporating Dumbo into his new grand venture, Dreamland propelling the baby elephant to stardom and potential riches. That is until, it is learned Dreamland actually harbours some unsettling, dark secrets. It is up to amputee war veteran Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) along with his children Milly (Nico Parker)  and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to protect Dumbo’s best interests after he is separated from his mother, Jumbo.

See the Trailer:

There were jugglers, popcorn, cotton candy, face-painters and a even a man on stilts at the festive affair. A Snapchat filter even was deployed for the occasion. Walking the Red Carpet at the Film’s Canadian Premiere at Scotiabank Theatre were the likes of Alexandra Porat (The Launch), Kyla Young (The Marijuana Chronicles), Luke Bilyk (The Marijuana Chronicles), Dalmar Abuzeid (Anne with an E), Cindy Sampson (Private Eyes), Scott McGillivray (Income Property), Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Danielle Graham (eTalk).

We ask these notable Canadians what the legacy of Dumbo means to them:

Alexandra Porat

The Mississauga native featured on CTV‘s The Launch recently, attended the Premiere and tells us, “I think there’s a beauty in these Remakes. I’m a huge fan of something animated coming into live-action.”.

“And I think it’s also important for children to be introduced this kind of storyline. Sometimes it’s harder to watch older films. When they see the live-action, it might inspire them to watch the original. I think they’re both going to be very different and special in their own ways.”.

Luke Bilyk

The Toronto Actor known best for his work on Degrassi, just wrapped on locally-filmed The Marijuna Chronicles, based on a true story of a group of women who partook in an outlandish experiment where they were tested rigorously after marijuana use. He says, “I think one of the greatest things about these live-action Remakes of all these classics is that people born in 2001 didn’t get to experience the cartoon itself and everything it meant to us.  The young kid who’s nine or ten years old getting to watch The Lion King or Dumbo and real people get to see real actors.”.

“Not only does it spark imagination, but for little actors out there, young people who wanna start getting into this industry. They see it’s not a cartoon, you can really see that that magic can be real in real life.”.

Kyla Young

Young also stars in The Marijuana Chronicles and reveals, “I saw Dumbo for the first time when I was eight and I was so sad. I’m a crier and I was a crier when I was eight.”.

“I think it’s so awesome that someone like Tim Burton who has such a unique and twisted mind can bring this fantasy to life again in hopefully a totally new and different way.”.

Cindy Sampson

The Private Eyes Actress who stars alongside Jason Priestley, tells us “I was obsessed with Disney movies as  a kid, I loved them obviously. I’ve cried over this Movie over a hundred times already and I’m kinda hoping that I’ll make it through as an adult – strong.”.

Dalmar Abuzeid

This Anne with an E star is a fan of remaking stories. He tells us, “Well, I think there’s always something to be learned from re-telling stories especially because there’s new angles and perspectives, new things to consider when you’re telling a story.” .

“I’m part of a show, Anne with an E, re-telling a story that’s been around a really long time.  There’s something about people we recognize, figures and characters we’re familiar with, because then we’re more likely to wanna listen and take something away from their story that we’re so familiar with.”.

Scott McGillivray 

The Real Estate guru arrived at the Premiere with his family.  He states, “With everything going on in the world, it’s a very relevant topic about inclusion, people’s differences and all the things the Circus represented in the Movie.”.

“I think it’s appropriate and fun and maybe something for the kids and all of us to learn.”.

Amanda Brugel

The Actress who has been hard at work on The Handmaid’s Tale and promoting the Made Nous campaign in advance of Canadian Screen Week,  arrived also with her family. “Dumbo resonated with so many children. It was devastating to watch as a child. As a mother of two beautiful young boys, I love the story. I love how it goes into the relationship between a mother and son.”.

“Also, I like the idea to embrace who you are and what you are and the special qualities that seem odd and translate that into your real life and make it work for you.”.

Danny Devito

The icon dishes on his troubled landing in Toronto Sunday night. He says, “We were stuck in the airport for three hours last night because of a grease fire in a restaurant that was in the International Arrivals terminal of the airport. It was a comfortable and nice time, everyone was really nice. There was no alcohol. When you park at the gate, you can’t have any alcohol. I slept a bit, I read, I went on my phone and went on Twitter. I love Twitter, I love Social Media.”.

“The thing is in the original 1941 movie, there were so many great values. Talking about the others, Xenophobia, acceptance and the thing inside you that you can contribute to the world and yourself. We kept all those things.  The Animal Rights thing, we made sure to address that because we feel animals should not be imprisoned”, he adds.

We ask him also about reuniting with Tim Burton and Michael Keaton once again. “They’re like our family. Tim and I have done five movies together. Michael and I have done three. It’s really good to work with your friends.”.

See our Chats:

See some more Snaps from the Red Carpet:

Danny Devito

Amanda Brugel

Scott McGillivray + Family

Luke Bilyk x Kyla Young

Cindy Sampson

Alexandra Porat

Dalmar Abuzeid

Danielle Graham

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release DUMBO Friday, March 29, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/David Baldwin/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)

All photos taken on the Nikon D3400.

The 2019 HOT DOCS Film Festival announced today 15 Special Presentations including international and world premieres. The 26th edition of the Festival runs April 25 to May 5, 2019. Documentaries include KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, which centers on Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sundance Award-winning ALWAYS IN SEASON.

A list of Special Presentations:

ADVOCATE
D: Rachel Leah Jones, Philippe Bellaiche | P: Joëlle Bertossa, Paul Cadieux | Canada, Israel, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland | 2019 | 105 min | Canadian Premiere

As one of the few Israeli human-rights lawyers willing to defend Palestinians, Lea Tsemel has been defying hostility and vitriol from the public and press for nearly 50 years to fight for clients in a stacked system.

ALWAYS IN SEASON
D: Jacqueline Olive | P: Jacqueline Olive, Jessica Devaney | USA | 2019 | 88 min | International Premiere

The unresolved case of a Black teen found hanging from a swing set in North Carolina in 2014 is the lens through which this searing doc examines the lingering trauma of more than a century of lynching and continued racial violence.

ASSHOLES: A THEORY
D: John Walker | P: Ann Bernier, Annette Clarke, John Walker | Canada | 2019 | 81 min | North American Premiere

Inspired by the New York Times bestselling book, this lively philosophical investigation into the rise of asshole behaviour across the world asks: What does it mean to be an asshole, and more importantly, how do we stop their proliferation?

BUDDY
D: Heddy Honigmann | P: John Appel | Netherlands | 2018 | 86 min | Canadian Premiere

Master documentarian Heddy Honigmann turns her eye for authenticity and genuine interview to the complex relationships between service dogs and their owners. Witness canine humanity and life-altering trust at work in this observational marvel.

THE CORPORATE COUP D’ETAT
D: Fred Peabody | P: Peter Raymont | Canada | 2018 | 90 min | Canadian Premiere

Piercing insights from journalist Chris Hedges and philosopher John Ralston Saul dissect America at a troubling crossroads, exposing Trump’s MAGA doctrine as a symptom of a broken democracy where power now lies with corporations, not citizens.

THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY
D: Petra Costa | P: Joanna Natasegara | Brazil | 2019 | 112 min | Canadian Premiere

Featuring unprecedented access to former Brazilian presidents Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva, the personal and political brilliantly combine in this unflinching exploration of one of the most dramatic and polarizing periods in Brazilian history.

GAZA
D: Garry Keane, Andrew McConnell | P: Paul Cadieux, Brendan J. Byrne | Canada | 2018 | 90 min | Canadian Premiere

Fully blockaded and home to almost two million people, the Gaza Strip is portrayed in the news as the world’s largest open-air prison—but this rare immersion into everyday Palestinian life reveals the pressures of occupation and the humanity straining to flourish.

HUMAN NATURE
D: Adam Bolt | P: Sarah Goodwin, Meredith Desalazar, Elliot Kirschner | USA | 2019 | 107 min | Canadian Premiere

In a brave new world in which science fiction collides with fact and DNA sequences can be edited with ease, this provocative examination forces us to reconsider what it means to be human.

KILLING PATIENT ZERO
D: Laurie Lynd | P: Corey Russell | Canada | 2019 | 100 min | World Premiere

Skilfully revealing the homophobia behind the headlines, this doc traces the devastating impact of the 1980s AIDS epidemic and clears the name of the Québécois flight attendant who was infamously known as “patient zero.”

KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE
D: Rachel Lears | P: Rachel Lears, Robin Blotnick, Sarah Olson | USA | 2019 | 85 min | International Premiere

This rollercoaster ride follows four progressive women—including Bronx bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—behind the scenes and in the streets as they grind through long-shot grassroots campaigns for Congress during the 2018 US midterms.

N. SCOTT MOMADAY: WORDS FROM A BEAR
D: Jeffrey Palmer | P: Jeffrey Palmer, Youngsun Palmer | USA | 2018 | 85 mins | International Premiere

The life and career of Pulitzer Prize–winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday, one of Native America’s most celebrated literary figures, is explored in this spiritual journey through the expansive landscapes of the West and New Mexico.

NOTHING FANCY: DIANA KENNEDY
D: Elizabeth Carroll | P: Elizabeth Carroll, Dan Braun, Gina Abatemarco | USA | 2019 | 82 min | International Premiere

Dubbed “the Mick Jagger of Mexican cooking,” a 96-year-old firebrand chef who’s spent her career celebrating the country’s regional cuisines rushes to solidify her hard-earned legacy in the face of her own mortality.

PUSH
D: Fredrik Gertten | P: Margarete Jangård | Sweden | 2019 | 92 min | North American Premiere

As skyrocketing housing prices and stagnant incomes squeeze families out of cities worldwide, a newly appointed UN specialist from Ottawa travels from Toronto to Barcelona to London and beyond, fighting to have affordable housing recognized as a human right.

TOXIC BEAUTY
D: Phyllis Ellis | P: Peter Raymont, Barri Cohen | Canada | 2019 | 90 min | World Premiere

Cancer, diabetes, developmental delays and more—the cosmetics industry’s ugly secrets are exposed through exclusive interviews with scientists, whistleblowers and consumer survivors who raise pressing questions about risks, regulations and the true cost of beauty.

THE TRIAL OF RATKO MLADIC
D: Henry Singer, Rob Miller | P: Henry Singer, Rob Miller, Ida Bruusgaard | UK, Norway | 2018 | 100 min | Canadian Premiere

Accused of horrific war crimes, the “Butcher of Bosnia” finally faces a verdict in the biggest trial since Nuremberg. Embedded with both the prosecution and defense, this courtroom thriller reveals the troublingly nuanced Serbian–Bosnian conflict that still rages on.

UPDATE 3/12/19: ADDITIONAL SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ADDED:

AMERICAN FACTORY

D: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert | P: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Jeff Reichert, Julie Parker Benello | USA | 2019 | 115 min | International Premiere

When an abandoned General Motors factory in Ohio is reopened by a Chinese billionaire, the local blue-collar employees clash with modern Chinese innovations in this Sundance award-winner co-directed by this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award recipient Julia Reichert.

ASK DR. RUTH

D: Ryan White | P: Rafael Marmor, Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Christopher Leggett | USA | 2019 | 100 min | International Premiere

Do we have anything left to learn from 90-year-old sex therapist Dr. Ruth? In this revealing look at a true trailblazer, she revisits the painful memories of her early life in Germany and the playful milestones of her career as America’s most candid sex ed teacher.

COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD

D: Mads Brügger | P: Arno Becker, Andreas Rocksén, Bjarte Mørner Tveit | Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium | 2019 | 127 min | Canadian Premiere

Was it accident or assassination when a UN Secretary General’s plane crashed en route to peace talks for the Congo Crisis? In this probe into the 1961 tragedy, sinister new evidence draws the director into a discovery more horrific than he imagined.

FRAMING JOHN DELOREAN

D: Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce | P: Tamir Ardon, Nick Spicer, Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce | USA | 2019 | 109 min | International Premiere

Car design guru, genius entrepreneur or brilliant criminal—who was the real John DeLorean? Narrative recreations starring Alec Baldwin punctuate revealing interviews with the enigmatic automaker’s inner circle to elegantly parse the man from the scandalous myth.

GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND

D: Joan Tosoni, Martha Kehoe | P: Joan Tosoni, Martha Kehoe | Canada | 2018 | 90 min | World Premiere

From a rural Ontario childhood to Greenwich Village of the ’60s, stadium tours of the ’70s and beyond, vivid archival footage helps chart the career of the legendary songwriter as he reveals the inspiration behind his lyrics and longevity.

I LOVE YOU, NOW DIE: THE COMMONWEALTH VS. MICHELLE CARTER

D: Erin Lee Carr | P: Andrew Rossi | USA | 2019 | 140 min | International Premiere

This two-part HBO docu-series dives past the headlines and into the ethical morass of the case of Michelle Carter, who faces the prospect of jail time after coercing her boyfriend into suicide via text, blowing open troubling questions of how we communicate in the digital age.

MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL

D: Stanley Nelson | P: Nicole London, Stanley Nelson | USA, UK | 2019 | 113 min | International Premiere

Never-before-seen footage and studio session outtakes reconstruct the rich inner life of one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, along with new interviews from the artists he inspired, including Quincy Jones and Carlos Santana.

MYSTIFY: MICHAEL HUTCHENCE

D: Richard Lowenstein | P: Maya Gnyp, John Battsek, Sue Murray, Mark Fennessy, Richard Lowenstein, Lynn-Maree Milburn, Andrew de Groot | Australia | 2019 | 104 min | Canadian Premiere

The enigmatic frontman of wildly popular Australian rock band INXS, who died tragically in 1997, is remembered by the women in his life, including revealing interviews with famous girlfriends Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen.

ONE CHILD NATION

D: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang | P: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, Julie Goldman, Christoph Jörg, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn | USA | 2019 | 89 min | Canadian Premiere

Through vérité footage and raw interviews, this fearless, Sundance Award–winning exposé unmasks the wrenching costs to millions of families of China’s infamous 1979 “one-child policy,” introduced to curb population growth and boost sweeping economic development.

OUR GODFATHER

D: Mark Franchetti, Andrew Meier | P: Mark Franchetti, Andrew Meier | UK, Russia | 2018 | 93 min | World Premiere

The family of a high-ranking Sicilian mob boss comes out of 30 years of hiding to tell the gripping tale of how he helped convict over 400 Mafiosi—and became the most hunted witness in US criminal history.

PICTURE CHARACTER

D: Ian Cheney, Martha Shane | P: Jennifer Lee, Ian Cheney, Martha Shane | USA | 2019 | 84 min | International Premiere

Explore the evolution of emojis, the colourful and creative pictorial language that surged from a simple set of icons to a swiftly evolving linguistic phenomenon that is reshaping how we communicate with one another.

QUIET STORM: THE RON ARTEST STORY

D: Johnny Sweet | P: Colleen Dominguez, Omar Michaud, Johnny Sweet | USA | 2019 | 116 min | International Premiere

Following an infamous on-court brawl, Ron Artest became the most maligned athlete in sports. This distinctly American biography follows him from his childhood in Queens to his turbulent NBA years to his reinvention as inspiring mental health advocate Metta World Peace.

THE REST

D: Ai Weiwei | P: Ai Weiwei | Germany | 2018 | 78 min | North American Premiere

From Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei comes a powerful work that follows the daily lives of refugees in Europe as they hang in limbo between a disintegrating humanitarian aid system and intensifying nationalism.

STIEG LARSSON: THE MAN WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

D: Henrik Georgsson | P: Mattias Nohrborg, Fredrik Heinig | Sweden | 2018 | 99 min | Canadian Premiere

This compelling look at the Swedish journalist, whose The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series shot to wild posthumous fame, delves into his lesser-known but more significant contribution: fearlessly researching and exposing Neo-Nazism in his own country and beyond.

WILLIE

D: Laurence Mathieu-Leger | P: Laurence Mathieu-Leger, Bryant McBride | USA, Canada | 2018 |

89 min | World Premiere

In the midst of the American civil rights movement, Willie O’Ree became the first Black player to skate in the NHL. An inspiration to many, the remarkable story of this recent Hall of Fame inductee’s courage and resilience transcends the sport.

XY CHELSEA

D: Tim Travers Hawkins | P: Julia Nottingham, Thomas Benski, Lucas Ochoa, Isabel Davis | UK | 2019 | 91 min | Canadian Premiere

After her 35-year prison sentence is commuted by President Obama, former military intelligence analyst and whistleblower Chelsea Manning prepares to leave a military prison and transition to her new life as a free woman.

UPDATE 3/19/19: A total 234 Films from 56 countries have been announced and finalized for this year’s Festival, of which 54% are from female Filmmakers. The Scotiabank Big Ideas Series will feature Ai Weiwei (The Rest); biochemist and leading figure in the “CRISPR revolution” Jennifer Doudna (Human Nature); Willie O’Ree, the first Black hockey player to play in the NHL (Willie); beloved Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot (Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind); and whistleblower Deane Berg, Dr. Daniel Cramer of the Harvard Cancer Center and Dr. Ami Zota of George Washington University (Toxic Beauty).

Tickets will be open to the public Tuesday, March 26 at 11:00 a.m. More details here: http://hotdocs.ca.

(Photo/video credit: Hot Docs)