Spring in Toronto is marked by an influx of bikes on the streets, people returning to our parks, and, of course, the Hot Docs festival.
While the weather has so far not fully cooperated with the first two of those activities, rain and cold weather aren’t a hindrance to catching some world-class documentaries. The festival turns 20 this year, but a quarter-life crisis is nowhere in sight. The largest non-fiction film shindig in North America continues to impress, with 205 documentaries screening over 10 days, including 44 world premieres, and films from 43 countries. It’s a lot, but we’re here to help!
The festival kicks off with the world premiere of Shawney Cohen and co-director Mike Gallay’s The Manor, in which Cohen returns to his small Ontario town to help run the family business: a strip club. Other docs that have caught our eye have been Michelle Latimer’s Alias, Nelson George’s Finding the Funk, Martha Shane and Lana Wilson’s After Tiller, and Michał Marczak’s Fuck For Forest. With 11 diverse programmes on the schedule, there really is something for everyone.
Venue-wise, screenings will take place across the city, from the Fox Theatre in the Beach to festival HQ at The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, with many others in between. Which means you might want to tune up that bike, regardless of the weather.
We’ll be adding new reviews daily, and we’ll have tip sheets to keep you abreast of what to check out during the festival. So don’t be shy and keep checking in with us.
Click here for our Hot Docs Festival Hub