The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is being held in person for the first time since 2019, with 226 documentary films from 63 countries hitting theatre screens and streaming online across Canada over the next two weeks.
People can again watch films with fellow movie buffs in various Toronto cinemas, as well as watch live discussions with documentary directors or subjects.
However, José Andrés, the celebrity chef whose charity World Central Kitchen was profiled in We Feed People, a documentary included in Hot Docs’ Big Ideas Series this year, had a very good reason for not attending in person. The Spanish chef participated in a festival panel via Zoom from his home in the US after spending weeks in Ukraine near the Polish border, where the non-profit he founded is feeding those impacted by the war.
The documentary, directed by Ron Howard, was chosen for the festival before the Russian invasion and is just one of many examples of the timeliness and relevance of this year’s films.
Documentaries are “more valuable than ever, particularly in this world that we’re living in, where people are often just looking to try and understand what’s going on,” Hot Docs’ Director of Programming Shane Smith says.
“And documentary filmmakers do a brilliant job of getting below the surface and bringing us the story behind the story.”
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, began on April 28 and runs until May 8, 2022. The 226 films were chosen from 2,563 film submissions and will feature 63 world and 47 international (first time outside of production country) premieres. There will be a mix of virtual, in-person and hybrid screenings and events.
The Big Ideas Series, presented by Presenting Platinum Partner Scotia Wealth Management, focuses on thought-provoking documentaries often connected to what’s happening in the world today.
"Scotia Wealth Management is proud once again to sponsor the Hot Docs Big Ideas Series,” said Glen Gowland, Group Head, Global Wealth Management at Scotiabank. “It is an honour to highlight the outstanding work by these documentary filmmakers and to advance the dialogue about these important issues and a privilege to provide our clients with exclusive access to the Hot Docs Film Festival.”
Now in its 10th year, the five films included in this year’s Big Ideas Series take a closer look at topics ranging from disaster relief in We Feed People to the impact of the newest social media platform in TikTok, Boom. Another particularly relevant film is Navalny. Chosen before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it focuses on the jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.
The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales examines inequality south of the border through the eyes of activist Abigail Disney, grand-niece of Walt Disney. The Kids in The Hall: Comedy Punks looks at the legacy of the iconic Canadian comedy troupe.
A live discussion is held for each of the Big Ideas Series films featuring either a director or subject from the documentary, including Disney and The Kids in The Hall, Smith said.
“We’re thrilled to be able to get back in front of audiences and bring filmmakers in front of audiences again,” Smith said. “That is why we do what we do.
“To make those connections and to be in the room when audiences’ eyes are being opened and minds are being blown by the stories that film makers are telling. So, we're very excited to be able to make that connection tangible again in a way that we haven’t been able to for the past two years.”
However, Hot Docs has retained some of the festival’s virtual elements to allow these films to be seen widely and by as many different audiences as possible, he added.
“The pandemic has opened up accessibility for audiences. The films we’re screening are available across Canada,” Smith said. “That means audiences who physically couldn’t come to Toronto can watch the films and audiences who might have accessibility issues or challenges and couldn’t get out to a cinema are also able to access the films. The online opportunity has really opened up the reach for films.”
Get tickets for the Big Ideas Series and learn more about the films.
Big Ideas Series films
Director: Daniel Roher
