#FIRSTLOOK: HOT DOCS TED ROGERS CINEMA RESUMES PROGRAMMING RESUMES DECEMBER 4, 2024

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema is delighted to unveil its December lineup, featuring an exciting collection of docs from some of the world’s most compelling filmmakers. This diverse program is set to captivate audiences with powerful stories that span a wide range of themes: from Ali Weinstein’s poignant look at the final days of Ontario Place in Your Tomorrow, to Errol Morris’ in-depth examination of the family separation crisis in the U.S. in Separated.

“We are deeply excited to reopen our cinema, where the magic of storytelling comes alive through Canadian and international films that connect with our valued audiences,” shared Heather Haynes, Hot Docs’ Director of Programming. “With a lineup of award-winning documentaries ready to inspire and engage, we invite you to share in the joy of experiencing these films on the big screen, surrounded by a community of passionate viewers. Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema is more than just a venue; it’s a home for our documentary family, a place where stories unite us and foster connection. We can’t wait to welcome you back for this extraordinary journey.”

To view the full December 2024 calendar, please visit www.hotdocs.ca

PREMIERES

Premiering at Hot Docs Cinema in December: Your Tomorrow, Ali Weinstein’s new film documenting the final days of Toronto’s iconic modernist waterfront park, Ontario Place.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024 presents the best international ads of the year on the big screen.

SERIES

Season 2024-25 of Doc Soup—Toronto’s best-loved film series showcasing premieres of the hottest documentaries fresh off the international Festival circuit, including lively post-screening Q&As with directors and other special guests—will launch on December 4 with the world premiere of Play it Loud! – How Toronto Got Soul, the little-known story of how Jamaican music became a critical part of Canadian culture. The December 4 screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Graeme Mathieson, musician Jay Douglas and producer Andrew Munger. The December 7 screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Graeme Mathieson and film subject Everton Pablo Paul. Both sessions will be moderated by Heather Haynes, Hot Docs’ Director of Programming.

For Viola, Hot Docs screening series centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)-led stories and filmmakers, named in honour of Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond, returns on December 13 with a free screening of Seeking Mavis Beacon, an investigation into the disappearance of one of the most influential Black women in technology. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Jazmin Jones and co-collaborator Olivia McKayla Ross, moderated by Toronto-based critic and curator Saffron Maeve.

Hot Docs Cinema is your one-stop destination to catch all the most talked-about docs of this awards season. The Hottest Docs series features screenings of Separated, where Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris delves into the harrowing chapter of family separations in recent American history; Daughters, which follows four young girls preparing for the first-ever father/daughter dance in a Washington, DC jail; Zurawski v Texas, a powerful story of women denied abortions joining forces with a fearless attorney to challenge the state of Texas and reclaim their rights and reproductive futures; Will & Harper, featuring Will Ferrell on a heartfelt road trip with his friend Harper after she comes out as a trans woman; Hollywoodgate, which explores the Taliban’s occupation of the Hollywood Gate complex, said to be a former CIA base in Kabul; Black Box Diaries, documenting journalist Shiori Ito’s landmark legal battle as she takes on one of Japan’s most powerful institutions to prosecute her high-profile assailant; Porcelain War, showcasing three Ukrainian artists who continue to create amidst defending Kharkiv from Russian attacks; Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, Raoul Peck’s compelling portrait of Ernest Cole, one of South Africa’s pioneering Black freelance photographers; Queendom, in which a queer, 21-year-old artist risks her life performing in surreal costumes throughout Moscow, in defiance of Russia’s anti-LGBTQ laws; and A New Kind of Wilderness, where a family embarks on a journey to live a free, untamed life on a small farm in the Norwegian forest. Select screenings include a live or pre-recorded director Q&A.

Get into the holiday spirit at Hot Docs Cinema! The 2024 Festive Favourites series will showcase cherished classics, including White Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Die Hard and a special The Polar Express PJ party. Tickets to all screenings are $7.50, except for Die Hard ($15.00) and donations of cash or non-perishable food item in support of the Spadina-Fort York Community Care are welcome. The December 14 screening of White Christmas is free for Hot Docs members.

Back to the Bloor revisits the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema’s most recent previous incarnation, when from 1980-2010 it was known as the Bloor Cinema, screening multi-month holdover hits, cult and midnight movie madness and mainstay classics. In December and January, Back to the Bloor will screen Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, School of Rock, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Godzilla (1954).

SPECIAL EVENTS

Hot Docs Cinema and A24’s residency of Stop Making Sense—the “greatest concert film of all time”—returns in December, featuring some of Talking Head’s most memorable songs.

La Vie Boheme! On December 8, Hot Docs Cinema will present an electrifying sing-along screening of Rent, the Chris Columbus vibrant adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s legendary Broadway musical.
Ring in the New Year with the Dude! Hot Docs Cinema invites audiences to one of their most hallowed and wildest cinema traditions: the eight annual Dude’s New Year’s event featuring The Big Lebowski!
BTS ARMY alert! On December 27, Hot Docs Cinema presents a one-night-only screening of RM: Right People, Wrong Place, a new candid documentary that delves into the life of BTS’ leader RM as he navigates global stardom while working on his second solo album, offering an intimate glimpse into his creative journey across multiple cities.

Cinema Ticket: $15 (Members tickets from $10)*
*Unless otherwise specified.

PREMIERES

Premiere
YOUR TOMORROW
D: Ali Weinstein | Canada | 96 min | 2024
With Toronto’s iconic modernist waterfront park, Ontario Place, set to close for redevelopment, an eccentric yet lovable group of park regulars and staff members live out its last year open to the public while confronting its controversial transformation into a private spa and waterpark.

The Friday, December 6 screening will be followed by an insightful Q&A with director Ali Weinstein, producer Geoff Morrison, birder Francesca Bouaoun, activist and politician Norm Di Pasquale and professor and swimmer Steve Mann. The session will be moderated by Hot Docs’ Director of Programming, Heather Haynes.

Opens Friday, December 6

Premiere
CANNES LIONS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY 2024
105 min | 2024
Ads are art, and these ones will knock your socks off. Check out the best of the best of the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival. Prepare to be persuaded!
Opens Saturday, December 21

THE HOTTEST DOCS

The Hottest Docs
SEPARATED
D: Errol Morris | USA, Mexico | 93 min | 2024
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Errol Morris incisively probes the darkest chapter in recent American history: family separations.

The Sunday, December 8 screening will be followed by a virtual Q&A with American journalist Jacob Soboroff, a regular correspondent for MSNBC and NBC News, and the author of Separated: Inside an American Tragedy. The session will be moderated by Heather Haynes, Hot Docs’ Director of Programming.

Saturday, December 7 / 2:30 PM
Sunday, December 8 / 7:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
DAUGHTERS
D: Angela Patton, Natalie Rae | USA | 108 min | 2024
Daughters follows the lives of four young girls who prepare for the first ever father/daughter dance in a jail in Washington, DC. What unfolds is an intimate portrayal of childhood that is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

WINNER – Audience Award, US Documentary, Sundance 2024; Festival Favourite, Sundance 2024; Knight Documentary Award, Miami Film Festival 2024

Saturday, December 14 / 12:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
ZURAWSKI V TEXAS
D: Maisie Crow, Abbie Perrault | USA | 98 min | 2024
A group of women denied abortions, even at the brink of death, band together with a fearless attorney to sue the state of Texas in an extraordinary effort to regain their rights and reproductive futures—not only for themselves but millions of others.

Saturday, December 14 / 6:30 PM
Sunday, December 15 / 6:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
WILL & HARPER
D: Josh Greenbaum | USA | 114 min | 2024
When Will Ferrell’s good friend Harper comes out as a trans woman, they take a road trip to bond and reintroduce Harper to the country as her true self.

Sunday, December 15 / 3:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
HOLLYWOODGATE
D: Ibrahim Nash’at | Germany, USA | 91 min | 2024
Immediately after the US withdraws from Afghanistan, the Taliban occupied the “Hollywood Gate” complex, claimed to be a former CIA base in Kabul. The Taliban finds countless aircrafts, weapons and pieces of military equipment. Over one year, HOLLYWOODGATE shows the transformation of an extremist militia into a military regime.
WINNER – Full Frame Grand Jury Award, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2024; Golden Eye Award, Zurich Film Festival 2023

Both screenings of the film will be followed by an insightful pre-recorded Q&A with director Ibrahim Nash’at, moderated by Hot Docs Festival Programmer Aisha Jamal.

Friday, December 20 / 9:15 PM
Sunday, December 22 / 3:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
BLACK BOX DIARIES
D: Shiori Ito | Japan, USA, UK | 104 min | 2024
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.
WINNER – Human:Rights Award, CPH:DOX 2024; Special Jury Award, San Francisco International Film Festival

Saturday, December 21 / 5:30 PM
Sunday, December 22 / 6:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
PORCELAIN WAR
D: Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev | Ukraine, USA, Australia | 87 min | 2024
Why would anyone craft fragile ceramics in an active war zone? Three Ukrainians, fighting as both soldiers and artists, offer up an unexpected dispatch from the front lines. Creativity combats destruction in this gorgeous Sundance Best US Documentary award-winner.
WINNER – Grand Jury Prize, Best US Documentary, Sundance 2024; Best Documentary, SIFF 2024

Friday, December 27 / 5:30 PM
Sunday, December 29 / 3:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
ERNEST COLE: LOST AND FOUND
D: Raoul Peck | France, USA | 105 min | 2024
Ernest Cole was the first Black freelance photographer in South Africa, whose early pictures laid bare the injustices of apartheid for a world audience. Cole was exiled to the US, where his experiences were far from his expectations of the American Dream.
WINNER—L’Oeil d’Or, Cannes 2024

Friday, January 3 / 6:00 PM
Sunday, January 5 / 3:30 PM

The Hottest Docs
QUEENDOM
D: Brett Story, Stephen Maing | USA | 104 min | 2024
In defiance of Russia’s anti-LGBTQ laws, a queer, 21-year-old artist risks her life performing in surreal costumes throughout Moscow. Jenna Marvin’s radical public performances blend artistry and activism in this SXSW documentary.
WINNER – CPH:DOX Next:Wave Award 2023
Saturday, January 4 / 3:00 PM
Sunday, January 5 / 6:30 PM

The Hottest Docs
A NEW KIND OF WILDERNESS
D: Silje Evensmo Jacobsen | Norway | 84 min | 2024
On a small farm in the Norwegian forest, a family seeks a wild free existence. However, after a tragic event changes everything, they are forced from their idyllic farm and into the expectations of modern society.
WINNER—Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema, Documentary, Sundance 2024

Friday, January 10 / 6:00 PM
Saturday, January 11 / 5:00 PM

The Hottest Docs
UNION
D: Brett Story, Stephen Maing | USA | 104 min | 2024
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.

The January 11 screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Brett Story, moderated by Hot Docs’ Director of Programming, Heather Haynes.
Saturday, January 11 / 8:00 PM
Sunday, January 12 / 12:00 PM

FESTIVE FAVOURITES
Tickets: $7.50 for all films in this series except Die Hard.
Please bring a donation of cash or non-perishable food item to support Spadina-Fort York Community Care.

Festive Favourites
WHITE CHRISTMAS
D: Michael Curtiz | USA | 120 min | 1954
A successful song-and-dance team (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) become romantically involved with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.

Saturday, December 14 / 3:15 PM
*Free for members

Festive Favourites
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
D: Brian Henson | USA | 85 min | 1992
The Muppets’ rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic tale puts a unique twist on that fateful Christmas Eve, when Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Sunday, December 15 / 12:00 PM

Festive Favourites
THE POLAR EXPRESS – PJ PARTY
D: Robert Zemeckis | USA | 99 min | 2004
When a doubting young boy takes a train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Friday, December 20 / 6:30 PM

Festive Favourites
DIE HARD
D: John McTiernan | USA | 131 min | 1988
Die Hard is an iconic 1980s action movie starring Bruce Willis as a rogue cop who must save a building full of hostages shortly before Christmas.
Saturday, December 21 / 9:00 PM

BACK TO THE BLOOR
Tickets: $7.50

Back to the Bloor
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
D: Edgar Wright | USA, UK, Canada, Japan | 112 min | 2010
In a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
Saturday, December 28 / 9:00 PM

Back to the Bloor
SCHOOL OF ROCK
D: Richard Linklater | USA | 108 min | 2003
After being kicked out of his rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of an uptight elementary private school, only to try and turn his class into a rock band.

Sunday, December 29 / 12:00 PM

Back to the Bloor
BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY
D: Sharon Maguire | UK | 96 min | 2001
Bridget Jones is determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.

Friday, January 3 / 9:00 PM

Back to the Bloor
GODZILLA (1954)
D: Ishirō Honda | Japan | 98 min | 1954
Underwater hydrogen bomb testing awakens a fire-breathing monster from its centuries-long sleep, and it soon starts to terrorise Japan.
Saturday, January 4 / 9:00 PM

SPECIAL EVENTS

Doc Soup
DOC SOUP: PLAY IT LOUD! – HOW TORONTO GOT SOUL
D: Graeme Mathieson | Canada | 85 min | 2023
The little-known story of how Jamaican music became a critical and unlikely part of Canadian culture.
Recipient of Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund.

The Wednesday, December 4 screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Graeme Mathieson, musician Jay Douglas and producer Andrew Munger. The Saturday, December 7 screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Graeme Mathieson and film subject Everton Pablo Paul. Both sessions will be moderated by Heather Haynes, Hot Docs’ Director of Programming.

Wednesday, December 4 / 6:30 PM
Saturday, December 7 / 8:00 PM
*Doc Soup Subscribers and Streaming Pass holders can view online starting Thursday, December 5, in an exclusive 4-day streaming window. During this time, the film will be available on the watch.hotdocs.ca portal. Please sign in with your email and password.

Special Event
RENT SING-ALONG
D: Chris Columbus | USA | 135 min | 2005
In New York City’s gritty East Village, a group of bohemians strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.

Sunday, December 8 / 3:15 PM

For Viola
FOR VIOLA: SEEKING MAVIS BEACON (FREE SCREENING)
D: Jazmin Jones | USA | 102 min | 2024
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing taught millions globally how to type, but the software’s Haitian-born cover model vanished decades ago. Two detectives search for Beacon, revealing questions about identity and AI along the way.

The screening will be followed by a lively conversation with director Jazmin Jones and co-collaborator Olivia McKayla Ross, moderated by Toronto-based critic and curator Saffron Maeve.

Friday, December 13 / 7:00 PM
*While this screening is presented free of charge, please consider a donation of $10 in recognition of the value of the work presented, and in honour of Viola Desmond, featured on the $10 banknote, at checkout. Half the proceeds will be shared directly with the filmmakers, who also receive screening fees.

Special Event
RM: RIGHT PEOPLE, WRONG PLACE
D: Seok-jun Lee | South Korea | 80 min | 2024
A candid documentary that delves into the life of BTS’ leader RM as he navigates global stardom while working on his second solo album, offering an intimate glimpse into his creative journey across multiple cities.

Friday, December 27 / 9:00 PM
*Doors will open one hour early at the Friday, December 27 screening for a BTS fan meetup.

Special Event
STOP MAKING SENSE – A24 RESIDENCY
D: Jonathan Demme | USA | 88 min | 1984
Newly restored in 4K to coincide with its 40th anniversary, this 1984 film is considered by many critics to be the greatest concert film of all time and is a long-held institution at the Hot Docs/Bloor Cinema. Shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December of 1983, Stop Making Sense also features some of Talking Heads’ most memorable songs.

Saturday, December 28 / 5:30 PM

Special Event
THE BIG LEBOWSKI: THE DUDE’S NEW YEAR
D: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | USA, UK | 117 min | 1998
Join us for one of our most hallowed and wildest cinema traditions: the eight annual Dude’s New Year’s event featuring The Big Lebowski!

Tuesday, December 31 / 8:00 PM
*Tickets: $20 (Members: $15)

#HOTDOCS: HOT DOCS ANNOUNCE UPCOMING 2025 UPDATES

Hot Docs is pleased to announce dates for its 2025 Festival, the gradual resumption of programming at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, and the organization’s plan forward. After an intensive period of cost-cutting measures and stabilization efforts, program assessments and internal restructuring, Hot Docs will resume operations. Over the past four months, the Hot Docs team has worked tirelessly to address the organization’s financial challenges and governance issues, and significant progress has been made to stabilize the organization and establish a solid foundation for a sustainable path forward.

“We are absolutely thrilled to share this news,” said Hot Docs’ Interim Executive Director, Janice Dawe. “We are grateful to our steadfast sponsors, donors and public sector stakeholders whose outpouring of support has given us the confidence to move forward. We would not be in this position if it weren’t for these champions of Hot Docs – from the individual donors who gave during our spring campaign, to the incredibly gracious donors who converted their designated gifts to operational support and to the many elected officials at all levels of government who are standing up for culture and working diligently to help secure funding.”

In September, Hot Docs announced the limited reopening of Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema after a summer closure necessitated by the organization’s financial challenges. Today’s announcements follow that positive first step and are made with confidence that Hot Docs will continue to deliver on its mission to support documentary filmmakers and showcase their work in the upcoming year, as it has done for the past three decades.

The 32nd annual Hot Docs Festival will take place April 24 to May 4, 2025, in Toronto. Festival Programming Director Heather Haynes will lead the curation of an outstanding lineup of more than 100 documentaries from Canada and around the world. Submissions are now open at hotdocs.ca/submit.

Industry programs offered at the Festival are currently being planned to prioritize intimate networking opportunities, meaningful knowledge sharing and impactful market initiatives. Details will be announced later this month.

Hot Docs thanks the Festival’s major sponsors, foundations, arts councils and government agencies who have unanimously expressed their desire for the event’s return, many of whom, including Founding Partner Rogers, have already confirmed their support for the 2025 edition.

Hot Docs will gradually resume its own programming season at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema starting on Wednesday, December 4, with the launch of the long-running and much-loved Doc Soup screening series, which features premieres of new documentaries hot off the festival circuit and post-screening Q&As with guest directors. The series opener will be announced later this month, and subscriptions will go on sale in the coming weeks.

In addition to Doc Soup and first-run documentaries, audiences can expect the return of many popular curated series and special events.

Hot Docs’ Board of Directors have taken significant steps to address governance issues and prepare the organization for new executive leadership to guide it through this next phase. After scaling down to a three-person working board in June to more efficiently address the organization’s challenges, the Board is actively planning to rebuild its membership this winter. Additionally, the Board is excited to announce the initiation of recruitment efforts for a permanent Executive Director to lead Hot Docs into its next chapter. The Board is dedicated to ensuring that the organization takes the right steps during this process to identify an individual who will not only excel in leadership but also resonate with our mission and community. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

While today’s announcements reflect the team’s incredible work to stabilize Hot Docs, confidently reopen the Cinema and deliver the 2025 Festival, the organization is still working through two years of operating deficits, the majority of which can be attributed to the ownership and operation of the Cinema. As part of its longer-term rebuilding strategy, Hot Docs has decided to seek a new owner for its Cinema at 506 Bloor West and secure a lease-back arrangement that will allow programming at the Cinema to continue. The organization is actively seeking a buyer who values cultural spaces and creative enterprise, and who demonstrates a commitment to the legacy of the Cinema as a vital hub in the city.

“Owning the Cinema for the past 12 years has been an incredible opportunity for Hot Docs, allowing us to expand our reach and impact and those of the stories we’ve showcased on our screen,” said Nicolas de Pencier, co-chair of Hot Docs’ Board of Directors. “But current financial conditions—including rising interest rates and the post-pandemic recovery of audiences—have made it extremely challenging. We’re confident that finding the right buyer will allow us to refocus on our mission to support documentary filmmakers and continue to celebrate their work at the Cinema and Festival, while also addressing our deficit and ensuring our long-term viability.”

Hot Docs’ history with the Cinema has been one of collaboration and cultural impact, and this next phase presents an exciting opportunity for a new owner to join in supporting the continued success of the venue. The organization remains committed to securing a future that balances its mission and the community’s needs, while ensuring a sustainable foundation for the years to come.

#SPOTTED: KEVIN KWAN IN TORONTO AT HOT DOCS TED ROGERS CINEMA FOR “LIES & WEDDINGS”

What a pleasure hearing KEVIN KWAN speak as part of Hot Docs’ Curious Minds & Author Talks series, in celebration of Asian Heritage Month. You know Kwan as the genius who penned the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, plus Sex and Vanity which soon will be made into a movie via Sony Pictures. He just released his latest, LIES & WEDDINGS and spoke with Shinan Govani about the Novel centering on Rufus Leung Gresham, a bachelor of pedigree and eligibility who has inherited a pile of debt, with his scheming mother Arabella plotting to pair him with a wealthy women to resolve the problem.

Kwan also dished a little on the upcoming Crazy Rich Asians musical, TV series set in its universe, plus also the eagerly-awaited second film in the Franchise.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by William Wong (@mrwillwong)

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#HOTDOCS: HOT DOCS ANNOUNCE JUNE 2024 PROGRAM AND TEMPORARY SUMMER CINEMA CLOSURE

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema’s June program includes new documentary premieres, specially curated Pride Month programming, and exciting special events.

The Cinema will undergo a temporary summer closure starting June 12 as the organization regroups and recalibrates. The Cinema will return in September, offering its renowned captivating cultural programming, supported by a sustainable and strategic operating plan.

To view the June 2024 calendar, please visit http://go.pardot.com/e/463832/whats-on-watch-cinema/kyp42/673809556/h/8S8aZVEYO2OsYFhW71ggs0RrEgeyP_EKGUAveAsjH4U.

JUNE SCREENINGS

Fresh off its success at the 2024 Hot Docs Festival, Toronto audiences can catch the captivating Wilfred Buck on the big screen. Using archival footage, stylized re-enactments, poetic imagery and vérité, director Lisa Jackson brilliantly jumps between genres in this Festival hit.

Hot Docs Festival 2023 favourite It’s Only Life After All, an exhilarating doc tracking forty years of revolutionary music making with legendary folk-rock band and queer icons Indigo Girls.

Hot Docs celebrates Pride with a screening of Glitter & Doom, a fantastical summer romance set to the hits of the Indigo Girls, in which two young aspiring performers fall in love at first sight. Punctuated by a star-studded cast, Glitter & Doom is an electric queer musical about the power of love.

The riveting The Gullspång Miracle, a one-of-a-kind doc that begins as an eerie story of destiny, faith and improbable coincidence and soon becomes a Pandora’s Box of stranger-than-fiction revelations and awkwardly comical mishaps.

The highly anticipated new Canadian doc Plastic People, in which acclaimed author and science journalist Ziya Tong takes us on a personal approach to uncover the truth about the growing threat of microplastics to our health. The screenings will be followed by insightful Q&As with directors Ben Addelman and Zia Tong.

Cinema Ticket: $15 (Members tickets from $10) *
*Unless otherwise specified.

PREMIERES

Premiere
WILFRED BUCK
D: Lisa Jackson | Canada | 92 min | 2024
Weaving together moments of his life today as an expert in Indigenous cosmology and his past as a troubled young child and teen, charismatic Cree Elder Wilfred Buck shares his embodied wisdom and profound reflections on colonial trauma in this expertly crafted adaptation of his autobiographical memoir, I Have Lived Four Lives.
​​​​​
Opened Friday, May 24

Premiere
PLASTIC PEOPLE
D: Ben Addelman, Ziya Tong | Canada | 84 min | 2024
Follow acclaimed author and science journalist Ziya Tong as she takes a personal approach to uncover the truth about the growing threat of microplastics to our health.
Join directors Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong for Q&As after both screenings.

Saturday, June 1 / 3:30 PM
Tuesday, June 11 / 7:00 PM

Premiere / Pride on the Big Screen
IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL
D: Alexandria Bombach | USA | 123 min | 2023
Fusing decades of the bands home movies with intimate present-day verité, It’s Only Life After All tracks forty years of revolutionary music making with legendary folk-rock band and queer icons Indigo Girls.
Hot Docs Festival 2023 Official Selection

Opens Friday, June 7

Premiere
THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE
D: Maria Fredriksson | Sweden, Norway, Denmark | 109 min | 2023
What begins as an eerie story of destiny, faith and improbable coincidence soon becomes a Pandora’s Box of stranger-than-fiction revelations and awkwardly comical mishaps in this riveting and one-of-a-kind documentary.
Opens Friday, June 7

SERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

Pride on the Big Screen
GLITTER & DOOM
D: Tom Gustafson | USA, Mexico | 115 min | 2023
In a fantastical summer romance set to the hits of the Indigo Girls, two young aspiring performers fall in love at first sight. Punctuated by a star-studded cast, Glitter & Doom is an electric queer musical about the power of love.

Saturday, June 8 / 9:30 PM

#HOTDOCS: HOT DOCS 2024 PREVIEW

Running in Toronto April 25 to May 5, 2024 the 2024 HOT DOCS Festival is back, now in its 31st edition. The Festival not only is one of the World’s premiere Documentary Film Festivals, it is also highlighted by an array of events including 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.

This year, 168 Documentary Filmmakers are expected to introduce their work at the Festival including the likes of Peaches, Sash Simpson, Valerie Simpson, Lucy Lawless, Thelma Schoonmaker and several more! Priyanka Chopra-Jonas produced BORN HUNGRY also premieres at the Festival this year.

HOT DOCS ‘24 boasts 168 documentaries representing 64 countries across 16 diverse programs and will feature 51 world and 32 international premieres. 

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 in Toronto.

Our Justin Waldman (@DubsReviews) attends this year’s Festival and gives us his Top Five picks, in addition to sharing some reviews of some key titles!

From Justin:

There are so many great Documentaries to see this year at the Hot Docs festival but there are a handful of titles that certainly standout more than others. While the Nightvision program (usually the most disturbing documentaries or the most out of the box, though there are exceptions) isn’t the typical midnight fare this year but two of the three titles in the program certainly have peaked my personal interest. With plenty of being shown throughout the Festival, I am going to dive into my top five most intriguing docs (with one recommendation of something I’ve covered) for the upcoming HOT DOCS ’24 in no particular order.

1. Grand Theft Hamlet
   I mean, first and foremost as an avid fan of Grand Theft Auto and generally enjoying the English Bard, this has my interest peaked the most. With the rave reviews coming out of the festival circuit, and the general way of retelling the story of Hamlet in the world of Grand Theft Auto is incredibly intriguing and has peaked my interest entirely.
2. Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity
   Was this originally on my list of anticipated titles, honestly no, I didn’t need or want to see another documentary on Beethoven. However, what was delivered in the documentary has stuck with me long after I first viewed it, and it’s a beautiful documentary and truly needs to be seen as it will defy all expectations.
3. American Cats: The Good, The Bad, and the Cuddly
   Amy Hoggart is hilarious, that’s first and foremost, and secondly usually a documentary festival is going to be filled with typically heavy content. Sure there is lots of not inherently heavy content this year, but when looking at seeing multiple documentaries sometimes you just want something that deals with a serious conversation, but has some levity to it.
4. Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story
   I am a sucker for a good music documentary, and after reading the synopsis for this documentary it is a must see. Someone who has shattered musical barriers yet never got the recognition they truly deserved, as the names they’re in conversation with our nearly household names but theirs isn’t, this documentary certainly has the interest peaked for what stories we have yet to discover.
5. Le Mans 55: The Unauthorized Investigation
   I mean, we got Ford v Ferarri a few years ago, but seeing the true story without any creative freedom taken to the story will most likely be one of the most thought provoking and intriguing documentary one can see this year. It certainly has to wide appeal for anyone whose familiar with the story and could possibly one of those documentaries you can convince your non-doc friends to come and see with you.

Some Reviews ahead of the Festival:

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS

The most wonderful time of the year, or so the saying goes. December is supposedly a time of joy, love, gifts, whimsical magic and so forth. Of course, this only really applies if you’re of the Christian faith and celebrate Christmas, but for director Ken Wardrop that is the focus of their documentary, So This is Christmas. The documentary focuses on a small Irish village and a handful of residents and their relationship with the Criss Cringle holiday.

The dark side of holidays that no one ever seems to focus on is what Ken Wardrop decides to focus on in So This is Christmas. We get to see the stories of five individuals, all of which have a very difficult relationship with the holiday. While their stories are told and interweaved with the Christmas scenery and exploration, however these five people truly do not like the holiday and certainly do not have the joy that the holiday typically evokes. Whether the stories the audiences are told are tales of tragic loss or just horrific circumstances, So This is Chirstmas will have the audience re-examine not only how they celebrate the holiday but the meaning of Christmas itself.

Ken Wardrop crafts a story that not only is going to captivate the audience but also ensure that they take a more appropriate look at the holiday season. While some people celebrate the holiday season, and the Christmas cheer others have a difficult relationship with the holiday and thusly creates an uncomfortable and difficult time of year for those.

So This is Christmas screens at the HOT DOCS ’24 on Tuesday, April 30^th at 8:15 pm at TIFF Lightbox and Thursday, May 2^nd at 4:45 pm at Scotiabank Theatre.

BEETHOVEN’S NINE: ODE TO HUMANITY

When creating a Documentary on a subject/person that has been done often and has had plenty of spotlight on the subject it is rather a daunting task and difficult to do something new and provide new light to said subject. Larry Weinstein was tasked with creating a documentary on Beethoven and specifically his Ninth, amply titled Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity, a play on the ode to joy. While the documentary doesn’t singularly focus on Beethoven himself or the ninth itself but rather the impact of the legendary piece of music and how it is managed to stand the tale of time over the last 200 years.

Focusing on Beethoven’s Nine from legendary comic creators to psychologists, Weinstein’s documentary focuses on how the music has carried a significant cultural impact over the past two centuries. With stories interwoven across different cultural moments and world issues, we see the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra perform the piece, and we also see Director Larry Weinstein breakdown the piece and the fourth wall in regard to the current situation in Israel and his personal connection to that story. He focuses on explaining how to separate art from life and the significance that Beethoven brings to the cultural zeitgeist.

Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity may not be the Documentary expected from audiences, but instead delivers a beautiful story of triumph and art that has defined generations. The cultural significance of the Ninth and how it has brought people together, helped them face adversity, and bring them an ‘Ode to Joy’ is truly captured in Weinstein’s Documentary which similarly to Beethoven’s Ninth will transcend audiences for centuries to come.

Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity screens at HOT DOCS ’24 with screenings on Sunday, April 28^th at 5:15 at the TIFF Lightbox, Tuesday, April 30^th at 11:30 at the TIFF Lightbox, and Saturday, May 4^th at 2:15 at Scotiabank Theatre.

THE FABULOUS GOLD HARVESTING MACHINE

Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza brings one of the most inspiring and heartbreaking Documentaries to audiences this year, with his The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine. With a title like that it may be easy to think this is a Documentary of something whimsical and fantastical, and while in part of its essence it is, but at its core the true heart of the story is looking at a broken system, a son who doesn’t want to watch his father suffer, and a passion for life and willingness to live that cannot go unmatched; true determination and perseverance brings this machine to new heights and levels.

The Film focuses on Toto as he’s in his 60s and has been working in the mines for the past 40 years and explaining in the town of Tierra Del Fuego in Chile, there aren’t many miners left. His car – similarly to his health – is in disarray but keeps on pushing through, even though they both need lots of fixes and eventually won’t be able to continue. His son, Jorge, cannot watch his father continue this way any further, and Toto doesn’t qualify for social assistance, so he creates an invention, a gold harvesting machine that he hopes can help his father so he can continue to live without the extra continuous strain on his body.

The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine is a story of triumph and the power of a good, healthy father-son relationship. De La Plaza brings a levity to such a serious story and by capturing the earnest feelings between Toto and Jorge along with his wonderful contraption and idea creates a moving documentary that is sure to capture the hearts of its audience and bring a powerful story of perseverance and love to the forefront.

The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine screens at the HOT DOCS ’24 on Sunday, April 28th at 4:00 pm at the Scotiabank Theatre and again on Tuesday, April 30^th at 8:30 pm at the Scotiabank Theatre.

ROUGE

First-time feature Director Hamoody Jaafar takes risks with making their Documentary on the River Rouge High School Panthers basketball team, a team that at one point was one of the most successful high school basketball teams in the United States. 70 years later from their triumphant run, a former player returns to the scene and wants to coach the team to help them achieve another state championship. While the story is inspiring and aspirational, the documentary aspect of it almost feels lost. It feels like a well crafted Hollywood-ized story of overcoming the odds and defying the chances to achieve what a once prosperous team back to their glory. It works incredibly well, but the guise of a documentary feels lost, even though it is one.

Rouge focuses on LaMonta Stone – the former player who returns to bring the team back to the championship dance and some of the student players consisting of Legend Geeter, Brent Darby Jr and Ahmoni Weston. Not only does the Documentary focus on creating a world for the audience to get lost in and route for the underdogs to regain the glory they once held and create a world for of hope that this team can claim another championship. But it also focuses on the troubles and tribulations of being a pre college athlete, fighting for scholarships, what life brings after the games over and the things that people don’t always think about when thinking about student athletes. It offers an inside look that usually gets ignored and explores the chaos that resides off the court.

Hamoody Jafar captures the story of the River Rouge Panthers and the past, present and the future of some of their current players. It does so in a way that does not feel like a Documentary, as it focuses more on the team being the best team they can be rather than the trials and tribulations of what happens off the court and after they graduate. While it may not be feel traditional the story is exceptional and is bound to capture the heart of their audience.

Rouge screens at the HOT DOCS ’24 on Sunday, April 28^th at 8:15 pm at the TIFF Lightbox and Tuesday, April 30^th at 5:30 at the TIFF Lightbox.

HELEN AND THE BEAR

The heart yearns for what the heart yearns for, at least that is the general message that Alix Blair wants to convey in their Documentary; Helen and the Bear. Focusing on a nearly forty year marriage that is running near its end (death not divorce) it examines how people can be together, even if they seem completely different but something brings them together and the thought of then being alone is one of fear and anxiety, but learning to make the most of the time they have together is key.

In the ’70s, Helen – a young idealistic hippie — met Pete McCloskey, a republican who opposed his own party and famously ran against Richard Nixon. What happens next is something neither of them could’ve predicted – they fall in love, and end up getting married despite a plethora of things Helen doesn’t understand such as the concept of marriage and even their own sexual preference/orientation. While Pete is busy working, Helen explores her sexuality all the while not wanting to hurt her husband. Affectionately calling Pete the Bear, Helen and the Bear focuses on their relationship, what they’re going through now that Pete is 96 years old and nearing the end of his life, and how love manages to persevere overall.

Helen and the Bear is a beautiful look at love, time, and self but the issue lays in how deep Blair chooses to go with the subjects and focal point. Nothing gets explored too deeply and thusly it is all surface level discussions, emotions, and feelings. Yes, loss is a part of life, but one would think the dissolving of a near forty year marriage simply due to age would be a harder subject to address and accept. Overall, Helen and the Bear scratches the surface and it is plausible based on Helen’s personality it is something that’s been accepted, but further exploration and deeper questions being asked could’ve provided deeper connections to the audience.

Helen and the Bear screens at HOT DOCS ’24 Sunday, April 28th at 4:40 pm at Scotiabank Theatre and April 30^th at 11:45 am at Scotiabank Theatre.

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

The world has always had a fascination with magic, or at least I should say I did when I was a young child. The slight of hand and whimsical nature of everything is truly something magical and intriguing and captures an audience unlike anything else in the world. Now what could a documentary about magic be, because as we all know a good magician never reveals the tricks of the trade. However Jon Ornoy’s Documentary, Lost in the Shuffle focuses on Shawn Farquhar and some of his closest friends as they answer an unthinkable question – the origin of the Suicide King.

While the Documentary focuses on the slight of hand and cards specifically, talking about hDw the ideation and design of cards has relatively stayed the same since the 1500s there has always been something interesting about the Royals in the decks. Farquhar never knew, or claims to have not known about this troubled card until someone pointed it out to him at a young age; the king of hearts, throughout time has taken his blade and stabbed himself in the head. The question becomes why as audiences follow Shawn and his friends to discover the answer to this question and uncover more tricks of the trade and slight of hand shenanigans.

While this might not be Documentary about something hard-hitting, its ability to tell an interesting story and provide insight and background on one of the oldest games in humanity – cards is truly eye opening. A careful balance between handling the task at hand and following Shawn’s adventures are captured in Onroy’s direction that marvel and dazzle its audience as we hope to learn the origin of the card and other mysteries that get revealed throughout.

Lost in the Shuffle screens at the Hot Docs ’24 festival Monday, April 29^th at 5:15 and Wednesday, May 1^st at 8:15 pm.

More Reviews to come, please check back soon.

#HOTDOCS: 2024 HOT DOCS INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE SPECIAL GUESTS

Hot Docs is thrilled to welcome acclaimed doc filmmakers and intriguing subjects to its 2024 Festival, taking place in Toronto April 25 to May 5, 2024. Special guests include legendary Academy Award-winning film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, celebrated actress Emmanuelle Béart, iconic Canadian electroclash musician Peaches, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’s Amy Hoggart, decorated Estonian Olympic freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru, founder of SiriusXM Satellite Radio Martine Rothblatt, Canadian Chef Sash Simpson, Ashford & Simpson’s Valerie Simpson, author Staceyann Chin, and more.

The 2024 Festival will also host over 168 of the world’s top documentary filmmakers to introduce their films and participate in post-screening audience Q&As.

Featured guests are listed below. In most cases, the guests will be present at one or more screenings.

Amber Forte from FLY (D: Shaul Schwarz, Christina Clusiau | P: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz | USA | 2023 | 106 min) – Guinness World Record holder – Fastest Speed Parachuting by a Female.

Amy Hoggart from AMERICAN CATS (D: Todd Bieber | P: Grace Leeson | USA | 2024 | 88 min) – Writer, actor and comedian, most recently seen on the late-night satire show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

Dawn Porter, director of LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH (D: Dawn Porter | P: Trish Chetty, Ged Doherty, Jamie Foxx, Datari Turner, Leah Smith | USA | 2024 | 101 min) – Award-winning documentary filmmaker of The Lary Bird Diaries, John Lewis: Good Trouble, The Way I See It and many other acclaimed films.

Emmanuelle Béart, director of SUCH A RESOUNDING SILENCE (D: Emmanuelle Béart, Anastasia Mikova | P: Emmanuelle Lepers | France | 2023 | 100 min) – César Award-winning actress (Mission: Impossible, Manon of the Spring, 8 Women) and producer, renowned for her work in film and television.

Kelly Sildaru from KELLY – SOMEONE ELSE’S DREAM (D: Helen Lõhmus, Leana Jalukse | P: Sten-Kristian Saluveer, David Lacote, Helen Lõhmus | Estonia, France | 2024 | 93 min) – Decorated Estonian Olympic freestyle skier.

Lana Wilson, director of LOOK INTO MY EYES (D: Lana Wilson | P: Kyle Martin, Lana Wilson | USA | 2023 | 105 min) – Hot Docs alum and celebrated documentary filmmaker (After Tiller, The Departure, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields).

Lucy Lawless from NEVER LOOK AWAY (D: Lucy Lawless | P: Matthew Metcalfe, Tom Blackwell, Lucy Lawless | New Zealand | 2024 | 85 min) – New Zealand-born actor who became famous for her portrayal of the title character in the popular television show Xena: Warrior Princess.

Martine Rothblatt from LOVE MACHINA (D: Peter Sillen | P: Brendan Doyle, Peter Sillen | USA | 2024 | 97 min) – American author, entrepreneur, activist, one of the world’s highest-paid female CEOs and founder of SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Molly Wickham and Freda Huson from YINTAH (D: Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano | P: Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano, Bob Moore | Canada | 2024 | 125 min) – Indigenous rights activists: Sleydo’ Molly Wickham is a Wing Chief of Cas Yikh, a house group of the Gidimt’en Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation; Howilhkat Freda Huson is a Wing Chief of the Unist’ot’en people of the C’ilhts’ëkhyu clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation.

Peaches (Merrill Nisker) from TEACHES OF PEACHES (D: Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer | P: Cordula Kablitz-Post, Robert Kreuzaler | Germany | 2024 | 102 min) – Iconic Canadian electroclash musician and producer.

Sash Simpson from BORN HUNGRY (D: Barry Avrich | P: Jay Hennick, Mark Selby, Barry Avrich | Canada | 2024 | 77 min) – Prolific Canadian Chef and owner of Toronto restaurant Sash.

Shiori Ito from BLACK BOX DIARIES (D: Shiori Ito | P: Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Ito | Japan, UK, USA | 2024 | 104 min) – Prominent Japanese journalist and documentary filmmaker. Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

Staceyann Chin from A MOTHER APART (D: Laurie Townshend | P: Alison Duke, Ngardy Conteh George, Justine Pimlott | Canada | 2024 | 89 min) – Poet, actor, performance artist and LGBTQ+ activist. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and 60 Minutes, and her work has been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Thelma Schoonmaker from MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER (D: David Hinton | P: Matthew Wells, Nick Varley | UK | 2024 | 131 min) – Legendary American film editor, renowned for her prolific partnership spanning five decades with director Martin Scorsese. Schoonmaker’s contributions have garnered numerous prestigious awards, including three Academy Awards (Raging Bull, The Aviator, The Departed).

Valerie Simpson from LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH (D: Dawn Porter | P: Trish Chetty, Ged Doherty, Jamie Foxx, Datari Turner, Leah Smith | USA | 2024 | 101 min) – Singer and songwriter, one half of the beloved and legendary songwriter/producers and performers Ashford & Simpson.

Wilfred Buck from WILFRED BUCK (D: Lisa Jackson | P: Lisa Jackson, Lauren Grant, Alicia Smith | Canada | 2024 | 96 min) – Winnipeg-based Indigenous star knowledge expert, author and educator. A member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

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).

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.

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.

#HOTDOCS: 2024 HOT DOCS CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

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.

#HOTDOCS: HOT DOCS ANNOUNCE NEW FESTIVAL FAVOURITES PROGRAM IN 2024

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.

#HOTDOCS: 2024 HOT DOCS FESTIVAL SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS LINEUP ANNOUNCED

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.

#HOTDOCS: “BORN HUNGRY” TO PREMIERE AT HOT DOCS 2024

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)