#FIRSTLOOK: DOCUMENTARY “THE CONTESTANT” TO PREMIERE ON HOLLYWOOD SUITE

Hollywood Suite is excited to announce the Canadian television premiere of The Contestant, a gripping documentary that sheds light on our cultural fascination with reality television and oversharing-obsessed culture. Directed by Clair Titley and narrated by Fred Armisen, the film tells the true story of Tomoaki Hamatsu, a Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year and tasked with entering contests to earn food and clothing. The Contestant, which had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, will debut on Hollywood Suite On Demand on July 1, and have its broadcast premiere July 20, 2024 at 9pm ET.

Cut off from the outside world, Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi (Japanese for “Eggplant”), was stripped and left with a stack of magazines. Everything he needed to survive could be won by entering sweepstakes, with sights on reaching the prize goal of one million yen.

“I was immediately charmed and fascinated by Nasubi,” said Sharon Stevens, Vice President, Programming, Hollywood Suite. “Shot in 1998, the filmmakers deftly handle this unbelievable story that was a precursor to the reality TV boom that would take over Western culture in the years that followed.”

The Contestant will be available on Hollywood Suite On Demand beginning July 1. The film was produced by Misfits Entertainment and MRC Television.