Daily Archive 2010
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch wrap up video coverage of the Festival!
B1 screens Sunday, May 9, 9:15pm at the Cumberland Cinema.
MARK screens Sunday, May 9, 9:30pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre.
A SMALL ACT screens Sunday, May 9, 9:15pm at the Bloor Cinema.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 6:18 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 8 of the Festival!
A DRUMMER’S DREAM screens Sunday, May 9, 1:30pm at the Royal Cinema.
THUNDER SOUL screens Sunday, May 9, 1:45pm at the ROM theatre.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 5:53 | #
Hot Pick For Sunday, May 9: WHAT’S IN A NAME
WHAT’S IN A NAME (Cumberland Theatre, 4:15 pm)
A riveting portrait of Jon Cory, a charismatic NYC body-art performer whose raw and provocative acts - and their meticulous preparations - challenge society’s limited views on gender. Screening with THE JONESES.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 5:52 | #
Hot Pick For Sunday, May 9: THE ABSENCE OF MR. OR MRS. B.
THE ABSENCE OF MR. OR MRS. B (Cumberland Theatre, 2:00 pm)
A childless couple undergoes multiple fertility treatments that drain both their finances and their feelings. A dramatic look at Iran’s second leading cause of divorce, and the unexpected twists and turns a marriage takes on the road to parenthood.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 5:46 | #
Hot Pick For Sunday, May 9: MARK
MARK (Isabel Bader Theatre, 9:30 pm)
Meet Mark: punk, activist, transsexual-loving humanist. Mike Hoolbloom’s personal homage to his friend and collaborator lovingly captures the spirit of a soul obsessed with kindness; one who gave everything to others, and then tragically took his own life. Screening with A MOTH IN SPRING.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 5:33 | #
Hot Pick For Sunday, May 9: B1
B1 (Cumberland Theatre, 9:15 pm)
This mesmerizing story penetrates Antonio Tenorios’ experiences as a blind professional judo athlete as he prepares to compete for his fourth Paralympic gold medal in Beijing, revealing the emotional, mental, and physical endurance of this tender fighter. Screening with GERAL.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 5:20 | #
Hot Pick For Sunday, May 9: A SMALL ACT
A SMALL ACT (Bloor Theatre, 9:15 pm)
For $15 a term, a Swedish stranger sponsors a young Kenyan’s education and transforms his life. Now a Harvard-educated lawyer, he founds a scholarship to pay it forward, but discovers a failing school system that’s leaving it’s children behind.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 5:10 | #
Hot Pick For Sunday, May 9: ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE
ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE (ROM Theatre, 9:45 pm)
On his 10-year journey to reveal the truth about the Cambodian genocide, journalist Thet Sambath attempts to come to terms with the loss of his family by befriending Pol Pot’s enigmatic lieutenant in this Sundance prize winner.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 4:58 | #
Hot Pick For Sunday, May 9: WHEN I RISE
WHEN I RISE (Cumberland Theatre, 4:00 pm)
Barbara Smith Conrad, a gifted African-American singer, finds herself at the centre of a racial controversy at the University of Texas. Against the odds, she emerges as one of the world’s most respected opera singers.
Posted: Sun, May 09, 2010 - 4:54 | #
Saturday Night’s Rooftop Docs Screening Rescheduled for Sunday, May 9
Unfortunately, Saturday’s Rooftop Docs: Shorts Film Program has been postponed due to inclement weather. It is now scheduled for Sunday, May 9, at 8:00 pm, at the Citipark Cumberland Garage, across from the Cumberland Cinemas. A selection of shorts from the programme will screen with HBO Documentary Films Emerging Artist Award Winner MARWENCOL. Tickets purchased for Saturday can be used for admission to today’s screening.
If you are unable to attend the Sunday replacement screening, you may exchange your ticket at the documentary Box Office (55 Avenue Road, Lower Level - Hazelton Lanes) for a voucher good for any regular Hot Docs screening or at one of our screening venues for a ticket to any non-sold out screening.
If you have any questions, please call us at 416-637-5150. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 8:20 | #
2010 Hot Docs Awards Announced!
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival capped off a week of industry programming and film screenings with its 2010 Awards Presentation. Ten awards and over $72,000 in cash prizes were presented to local and international filmmakers, including awards for Festival films in competition and those recognizing emerging and established filmmakers. The Hot Docs Awards Presentation was hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, host of Q on CBC Radio One.
Best International Feature Award
A FILM UNFINISHED (D: Yael Hersonski; P: Noemi Schory, Itay Ken Tor; Israel)
The award includes a $10,000 prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
The Special Jury Prize - International Feature
THE OATH (D: Laura Poitras; P: Laura Poitras, Nasser Arrabyee, Aliza Kaplan, Jonathan Oppenheim; USA, Yemen)
Sponsored by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the award includes a $5,000 prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
Best Canadian Feature Award
IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY (D: Shelley Saywell, P: Shelley Saywell, Deborah Parks, Habiba Nosheen; Canada)
Sponsored by the Documentary Organization of Canada, the award includes a $15,000 prize courtesy of the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation.
Special Jury Prize - Canadian Feature
LEAVE THEM LAUGHING (D: John Zaritsky, P: Montana Berg, Canada/USA)
Sponsored by the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, the award features a $10,000 prize courtesy of the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation.
Best Mid-Length Documentary Award
I SHOT MY LOVE (D: Tomer Heymann; P: Barak Heymann, Tomer Heymann, Carl Ludwig Rettinger; Israel, Germany)
Sponsored by Canada Council for the Arts, the award includes a $3,000 prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
Best Short Documentary Award
TUSSILAGO (D: Jonas Odell; Sweden)
Sponsored by Playback, the award includes a $3,000 prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
HBO Documentary Films Emerging Artist Award
Jeff Malmberg for MARWENCOL
The Emerging Artist Award is sponsored by HBO Documentary Films.
2010 Hot Docs Outstanding Achievement Award
Presented to Kim Longinotto by Hot Docs Board of Directors
documentary’s Don Haig Award
Presented to Toronto’s Philip Lyall and Vancouver’s Nimisha Mukerji (65_REDROSES - Official Selection 2009)
Awarded by the Don Haig Foundation, the prize includes a $20,000 cash prize generously sponsored by documentary.
The Lindalee Tracey Award
Ayanie Mohamed (Toronto)
Includes a $6,000 cash prize and $3,000 in film stock donated by Kodak Canada.
The Hot Docs Audience Award and audience top ten favourite films of the 2010 Festival, determined by audience ballot, will be announced on Monday, May 10.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 8:19 | #
Video Coverage: 2010 Hot Docs Awards Ceremony
Watch video coverage from the 2010 Hot Docs Awards Ceremony.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 8:15 | #
Photo Gallery: 2010 Hot Docs Awards Ceremony & Reception
View our photo coverage from the 2010 Hot Docs Awards Ceremony & Reception.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 8:10 | #
Last Chance To Subscribe To Doc Soup At The Festival Price
Subscribe now and save! Get your 2010/11 subscription to Doc Soup, our monthly film series, before May 10th and take advantage of the special Festival price! Doc Soup begins October 2010 and screens at the Bloor Cinema.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 8:00 | #
Hot Docs Coverage On The Substream
Visit thesubstream.com for the last entry in Rajo’sHot Docs Diary Series!
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 7:58 | #
Hot Pick for Saturday, May 8: LEAVE THEM LAUGHING
LEAVE THEM LAUGHING (Bloor Cinema, 3:15 pm)
Lou Gehrig’s disease may be taking the life of Carla Zilbersmith, but it’s not going to defeat the mother, performer, and darkly funny smart-ass in this hilarious pre-mortem by Academy Award-winning director John Zaritsky.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 8 of the Festival, featuring LEAVE THEM LAUGHING, and footage from the first Rooftop Docs screening of THE PARKING LOT MOVIE.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:03 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 8 of the Festival, featuring AU CHIC RESTO POP, DIVORCE IRANIAN STYLE, and EYES WIDE OPEN: EXPLORING TODAY’S SOUTH AMERICA.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:02 | #
Hot Docs Coverage On The Substream
Visit thesubstream.com for more exciting video coverage of this year’s Hot Docs. Just posted a new entry in Rajo’sHot Docs Diary Series, and a spotlight on BABIES!
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Saturday, May 8: TEENAGE PAPARAZZO
TEENAGE PAPARAZZO (Bloor Cinema, 9:00 pm)
Who better to expose the world of the paparazzi and star-worship than a celebrity? Actor Adrian Grenier turns the camera onto 13-year-old shooter Austin Visschedyk, and stalks famous friends Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, Paris Hilton.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Saturday, May 8: WISTFUL WILDERNESS
WISTFUL WILDERNESS (Isabel Bader Theatre, 2:00 pm)
The Island of Tiengemeten is getting a makeover. Originally cleared to serve as agricultural land, it is now being abandoned to the elements, left to revert back to wilderness. A profound portrait spanning fifteen years of transformation, loss and lament.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Saturday, May 8: I’M DANGEROUS WITH LOVE
I’M DANGEROUS WITH LOVE (Bloor Cinema, 11:45 pm)
After his experience with the illegal hallucinogen ibogaine cures him of his heroin addiction, Dimitri Mugianis leaves New York for West Africa on a quest to harness the healing power of this extremely unpredictable drug.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Saturday, May 8: GAEA GIRLS
GAEA GIRLS (Bloor Cinema, 12:30 pm)
Powerfully visceral, this doc exposes the gruelling, brutal, and often humiliating training regime of female professional wrestlers in Japan as they struggle to pass the test to join the famous Gaea Girls team.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Saturday, May 8: THUNDER SOUL
THUNDER SOUL (Bloor Cinema, 6:00 pm)
Big Afros, funk arrangements, and a super tight stage show put the Kashmere High School Band on the map in the 1970s. Thirty-five years later, the band reunites to honor their mentor, Conrad “Prof” Johnson.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Toronto Documentary Forum: Award Announcements
The eleventh edition of the Toronto Documentary Forum (TDF) wrapped after two days of brisk pitching, networking, and deal making at its beautiful new venue Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Over $55,000 in cash prizes were awarded to projects at this year’s TDF.
The Canwest-Hot Docs TDF Pitch Prize was awarded to EyeSteelFilm’s THE FRUIT HUNTERS.
The NFB Digital Development Deal was offered to Storyline Entertainment’s THE HOUSE THAT HERMAN BUILT.
The Cuban Hat Award was also presented to Storyline Entertainment’s THE HOUSE THAT HERMAN BUILT.
Posted: Sat, May 08, 2010 - 4:40 | #
Hot Pick For Friday, May 7: WHEN I RISE
WHEN I RISE (Bloor Theatre, 6:30 pm)
Barbara Smith Conrad, a gifted African-American singer, finds herself at the centre of a racial controversy at the University of Texas. Against the odds, she emerges as one of the world’s most respected opera singers.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Audience Award Tally: As Of Wednesday May 5, 5pm
The Hot Docs 2010 Audience Award will be tallied throughout the Festival.
Your vote counts! Don’t forget to rate the film(s) after each screening, and stay tuned to the Hot Docs Daily for the latest results.
The top 20 below are current as of Wednesday, May 5, 11:59pm.*
- AUTUMN GOLD
- RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE
- MARWENCOL
- LISTEN TO THIS
- A SMALL ACT
- WASTE LAND
- GASLAND
- MONICA & DAVID
- THE STORY OF FURIOUS PETE
- BHUTTO
- BUDRUS
- THE WOMAN WITH THE 5 ELEPHANTS
- A FILM UNFINISHED
- MADE IN INDIA
- PORTRAIT OF A MAN
- BABIES
- THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE
- THE HOUSE OF SUH
- STEAM OF LIFE
- CITIZEN ARCHITECT: SAMUEL MOCKBEE AND THE SPIRIT OF THE RURAL STUDIO
*N.B. votes for BLANK CITY, COMPLAINTS CHOIR, and THE FABULOUS FIFF AND FAM have not yet been tabulated.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Pink Milk Crate: A Festival Blog To Watch
In case you missed it, do check out the Festival musings of Pink Milk Crate, an avid Hot Docs attendee who’s as excited about this year’s Festival as we are. She’ll be sharing her insights, observations and anecdotes about the Hot Docs experience.
Read it at: http://www.pinkmilkcrate.blogspot.com
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Last Chance To Get Your 2010/11 Doc Soup Subscription at the Special Festival Price!
Subscribe now and save! Get your 2010/11 subscription to Doc Soup, our monthly film series, before May 10th and take advantage of the special Festival price! Doc Soup begins October 2010 and screens at the Bloor Cinema.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick For Friday, May 7: SHADOW PLAY: THE MAKING OF ANTON CORBIJN
SHADOW PLAY: THE MAKING OF ANTON CORBIJN (Bloor Theatre, 9:15 pm)
Photographer Anton Corbijn transforms stars into icons. Music’s glitterati - from Bono to the late Kurt Cobain - share their thoughts on his shots, but it’s the candid footage on Corbijn directing his first feature, Control, that truly reveals the man behind the lens.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Docs Coverage On The Substream
Visit thesubstream.com for more exciting video coverage of this year’s Hot Docs. Just posted: Spotlight on Dr. NakaMats!
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 7 of the Festival, featuring HOUSE OF SUH, STEAM OF LIFE, and THEIVES BY LAW.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Meet The Filmmakers: THE HOUSE OF SUH
Iris K. Shim, Director, and Gerry Kim, Producer.
THE HOUSE OF SUH A brother murders his sister’s boyfriend, shocking the Korean-American community. THE HOUSE OF SUH paints the portrait of a boy raised to be loyal and his sister who manipulates his family bond.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Industry Conference Panels: Friday May 7
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, returns for its 17th year as an essential meeting place for the international documentary industry.
All panels take place at the Rogers Industry Centre, Victoria College, 93 Charles Street West.
Panels for Friday May 7
09:00am
NFB Doc Summit 2010
2:00pm
Conference Session 7: The Soap Box
4:00pm
Conference Session 8: Interactive State Of The Nation
View the full industry schedule
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 7 of the Festival, featuring KINGS OF PASTRY, MONICA AND DAVID, and SELTZER WORKS.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Last Chance To Get Your Festival Merchandise
Have a piece of Hot Docs all year round! Be sure to stop by the Hot Docs’ documentary Box Office to purchase canvas bags, water bottles, umbrellas, program books and more.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Meet The Filmmakers: A MOTH IN SPRING
A MOTH IN SPRING In the midst of production on a dramatic film about her father’s departure from China during the 1989 Student Democracy Movement, Yu Gu was shut down by China’s National Security Bureau. Chronicling her filmmaker process in China, issues of artistic freedom rise to the fore and confirm a daughter and father’s common histories.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 4:59 | #
Photo Gallery: May 6
View our photo coverage from day 7 of the Festival.
Featuring Toronto Documentary Forum, industry conference sessions,and THE PARKING LOT MOVIE at Rooftop Docs.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 4:58 | #
Hot Pick For Friday, May 7: SONA, THE OTHER MYSELF
SONA, THE OTHER MYSELF (ROM Theatre, 1:30 pm)
A follow-up to her festival hit Dear Pyogyang, Yang Yonghi returns with a loving, poignant portrait of her niece, whom the filmmaker hasn’t seen since being banned from North Korea five years ago.
Posted: Fri, May 07, 2010 - 4:40 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 6 of the Festival, featuring 12TH AND DELAWARE, THE CANAL STREET MADAM, FEATHERED COCAINE, MARWENCOL, SONA,THE OTHER MYSELF.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 3:24 | #
Hot Pick for Thursday, May 6: 12TH AND DELAWARE
12th & DELAWARE (Isabel Bader Theatre, 2:00 pm)
In Fort Pierce, Florida, a pro-life centre opens up directly across from an abortion clinic, igniting America’s most uncompromising war in unexpected ways.12TH & DELAWARE delivers unprecedented access behind the frontlines and to the women caught in the crossfire.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Thursday, May 6: FEATHERED COCAINE
FEATHERED COCAINE (Isabel Bader Theatre, 4:30 pm)
What do you do when you walk into a room and see a falcon and a terrorist? A falconer enters a whirlpool of international intrigue and obsession when he takes on the smuggler market for coveted birds of prey.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Thursday, May 6: STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS
STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (Bloor Cinema, 6:30 pm)
Shot over 10 years, this captivating film delves in to the unusual world of misanthropic genius Stephin Merritt, a notorious indie-rock curmudgeon who’s also lauded as the Cole Porter of independent music.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Docs Coverage On The Substream
Visit thesubstream.com for more exciting video coverage of this year’s Hot Docs. Just posted: Rajo’s Hot Docs diary and a spotlight on BHUTTO.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Thursday, May 6: AUTUMN GOLD
AUTUMN GOLD (Isabel Bader Theatre, 11:30 am)
Hold on to your hip replacements and brace your funny bones! Aged 80 and up, a group of top senior track and field athletes train for the World Masters Championships, battling injury and upset in their quests for personal bests.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Thursday, May 6: AMERICAN RADICAL: THE TRIALS OF NORMAN FINKELSTEIN
AMERICAN RADICAL: THE TRIALS OF NORMAN FINKELSTEIN (Bloor Cinema, 9:00 pm)
As a devoted son of Holocaust survivors, a disgraced academic, and a fierce critic of Israeli policy, it’s never been easy for Professor Norman Finkelstein. This intimate portrait captures the lonely fight of this passionate and complex provocateur.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Thursday, May 6: LEAVE THEM LAUGHING
LEAVE THEM LAUGHING (Isabel Bader Theatre, 9:15 pm)
Lou Gehrig’s disease may be taking the life of Carla Zilbersmith, but it’s not going to defeat the mother, performer, and darkly funny smart-ass in this hilarious pre-mortem by Academy Award-winning director John Zaritsky.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Industry Conference Panels: Thursday May 6
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, returns for its 17th year as an essential meeting place for the international documentary industry.
All panels take place at the Rogers Industry Centre, Victoria College, 93 Charles Street West.
Panels for Thursday May 6
09:30am
NFB Coffee Talks: Women Directing Justice
11:00am
Conference Session 4: Poetics of Online Documentary
2:00pm
Conference Session 5: Longinotto on Longinotto
2:30pm
Micro Meeting: Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
4:00pm
Conference Session 6: Engage My Film
View the full industry schedule
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 4:59 | #
Photo Gallery: May 5
View our photo coverage from day 6 of the Festival.
Featuring Toronto Documentary Forum, and Kickstart sessions.
Posted: Thu, May 06, 2010 - 4:58 | #
Hot Docs in the Headlines
- Torontoist recommended capsule reviews of NEIGHBORS, GRACE, MILLY, LUCY… CHILD SOLDIERS, and FREETIME MACHOS
- National Post interview with WASTE LAND director Lucy Walker
- Macleans article featuring LIFE WITH MURDER and TALHOTBLOND
- Eye Weekly the T.O. To Do List featuring STEAM OF LIFE
- The Chronicle Herald feature on A DRUMMER’S DREAM
- CTV.ca story on DISH: WOMEN, WAITRESSING & THE ART OF SERVICE
- The Victoria Times Colonist article on pitches at the Toronto Documentary Forum indieWIRE Dispatch from Toronto feature
Tandem story on THE MIRROR
National Post article featuring NENETTE
Torontoist review of THE HOUSE OF SUH
cp24 story on AMERICAN RADICAL: THE TRIALS OF NORMAN FINKELSTEIN
CBC News article feature of THE KINGS OF PASTRY
Eye Weekly the T.O. To Do List featuring AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY
Film School Rejects review of CANDYMAN: THE DAVID KLEIN STORY
National Post Q&A with Jennifer Arnold, director of A SMALL ACT
The Toronto Star recommended capsule reviews of MONICA & DAVID, ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE, A DIFFERENT PATH, BLANK CITY, AMERICA: THE BILL HICKS STORY
Winnipeg Free Press feature article on LIFE WITH MURDER
The Epoch Times review of GENERAL ORDERS NO. 9
indieWIRE article on pitches at the Toronto Documentary Forum
indieWIRE article on winners of TDF
Film School Rejects review of BABIES
The Gazette review of BABIES
Film School Rejects review of WASTE LAND
City TV interview with director George Tsioutsioulas THE STORY OF FURIOUS PETE
Chart Attack review of THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE
Film School Rejects review 12TH & DELAWARE
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 6:50 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 5 of the Festival, featuring CANDYMAN: THE DAVID KLEIN STORY, HIS & HERS, and THE PEOPLE VS. GEORGE LUCAS.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:30 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 5 of the Festival, featuring B1, CONGO IN FOUR ACTS, ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE, NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT: GROS MORNE, and RAINBOW WARRIORS OF WAIHEKE ISLAND.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:30 | #
Audience Award Tally: As Of Tuesday May 4, 5pm
The Hot Docs 2010 Audience Award will be tallied throughout the Festival.
Your vote counts! Don’t forget to rate the film(s) after each screening, and stay tuned to the Hot Docs Daily for the latest results.
The top 20 below are current as of Tuesday, May 4, 5pm.*
- WASTE LAND
- RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE
- LISTEN TO THIS
- GASLAND
- A SMALL ACT
- THE STORY OF FURIOUS PETE
- BHUTTO
- BUDRUS
- THE WOMAN WITH THE 5 ELEPHANTS
- B1
- MADE IN INDIA
- CITIZEN ARCHITECT: SAMUEL MOCKBEE AND THE SPIRIT OF THE RURAL STUDIO
- THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE
- STEAM OF LIFE
- A FILM UNFINISHED
- PORTRAIT OF A MAN
- BABIES
- LA BELLE VISITE
- THE REGRETTERS
- THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ION B.
*N.B. votes for SINS OF MY FATHER and THE RAINBOW WARRIORS OF WAIHEKE ISLAND have not yet been tabulated.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:20 | #
Toronto Documentary Forum May 5 & 6
Widely regarded as the most effective international documentary market in North America, the Toronto Documentary Forum (TDF) is a dynamic pitching event that stimulates international co-production financing for projects at various levels of completion.
Selected documentary producers publicly pitch their projects to over 150 key international broadcasters and financiers from Europe, Australia, Japan, the USA and Canada and to a gallery of accredited observers.
For buyers, the TDF offers a curated slate of projects in development or production by elite international filmmakers. Observers gain prime industry intelligence and valuable networking opportunities with commissioners, buyers, financiers and other filmmakers.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:15 | #
Hot Pick for Wednesday, May 5: THE RAINBOW WARRIORS OF WAIHEKE ISLAND
THE RAINBOW WARRIORS OF WAIHEKE ISLAND (ROM Theatre, 1:30 pm)
A pioneering group of Greenpeace activists, the crew of the famous ship The Rainbow Warrior, form a community on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. Best described as a “rest home for burnt-out greenies”, the friends revisit their legacy of protest.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Wednesday, May 5: HORSES
HORSES (ROM Theatre, 9:15 pm)
The diminutive underdog, the sensitive wild card and the gentle giant: all three amazing athletes vie to become top racer at Ireland’s Toberona Stables; always one race away from a win, and one injury away from retirement.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Wednesday, May 5: INTO ETERNITY
INTO ETERNITY (Isabel Bader Theatre, 9:45 pm)
The fascinating scientific minds behind Finland’s massive underground nuclear waste storage facility, where radioactive waste must sit untouched for at least 100,000 years to neutralize its potential danger, are probed in this unique and stylish film.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Wednesday, May 5: ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE
ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE (Isabel Bader Theatre, 11:30 am)
On his 10-year journey to reveal the truth about the Cambodian genocide, journalist Thet Sambath attempts to come to terms with the loss of his family by befriending Pol Pot’s enigmatic lieutenant in this Sundance prize winner.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Industry Conference Panels: Wednesday May 5
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, returns for its 17th year as an essential meeting place for the international documentary industry.
All panels take place at the Rogers Industry Centre, Victoria College, 93 Charles Street West.
Panels for Wednesday May 4
09:30am
NFB Coffee Talks: Music Docs
11:00am
Micro Meetings: Seneca College Documentary Filmmaking Institute
11:00am
Conference Session 3: Crafting 3D
1:00pm
Kickstart Panel 1: Funding It
2:30pm
Micro Meeting: Italian Documentary Screenings
2:30pm
Kickstart Panel 2: Making It
4:00pm
Kickstart Panel 3: Selling It
4:00pm
Micro Meeting: DJ Woods presents Stereoscopic 3D From Script to Screen
View the full industry schedule
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Wednesday, May 5: THE INVENTION OF DR. NAKAMATS
THE INVENTION OF DR. NAKAMATS (Isabel Bader Theatre, 1:45 pm)
At a mere 81, Ig Nobel-winning inventor Dr. NakaMats fully intends to live to the age of 144. Holding 3,300 patents for everything from floppy disks to aphrodisiacs, the quirky Japanese icon delightfully champions imagination and the limitlessness of innovation.
Posted: Wed, May 05, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Docs in the Headlines
- National Post interview with the filmmakers of BHUTTO
- Cinematical story on female directors at the festival
- Torontoist capsule reviews for THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE, DAVID WANTS TO FLY and MARWENCOL
- Shalom Life capsule review of A SMALL ACT
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 8:04 | #
Photo Gallery: May 4
View our photo coverage from day 5 of the Festival.
Featuring industry conference sessions and events, SONA, THE OTHER MYSELF, and THE KIDS GROW UP.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 6:10 | #
Meet The Filmmakers: THE KIDS GROW UP
THE KIDS GROW UP Doug Block (51 Birch Street) focuses his lens on his only child, Lucy, now 17, as she leaves home for college in this tender, funny, and endearing exploration of the complexities of modern-day parenting and the hardship of letting go.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 6:12 | #
Meet The Filmmakers: THE REGRETTERS
THE REGRETTERS. In this riveting dialogue, the gender flip-flops of two Swedish men, now in their sixties, form the basis for provocative reflections on sexuality, expectations, and regrets.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:52 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 4 of the Festival, featuring LISTEN TO THIS, SEX MAGIC, MANIFESTING MAYA, THE SOCALLED MOVIE, and TALHOTBLOND.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:40 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 4 of the Festival, featuring JOAN RIVERS - A PIECE OF WORK, I BOUGHT A RAINFOREST, and A SMALL ACT.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:30 | #
Industry Conference Panels: Tuesday May 4
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, returns for its 17th year as an essential meeting place for the international documentary industry.
All panels take place at the Rogers Industry Centre, Victoria College, 93 Charles Street West.
Panels for Tuesday May 4
09:30am
NFB Coffee Talks: Digital Doc Production
11:00am
Conference Session 1: Ripping Reality - Creativity and the New Documentary
1:00pm
Micro Meeting: Thought Equity Motion presents Anatomy of a Trailer
2:30pm
Micro Meeting: Gardiner Roberts LLP presents Do’s and Don’ts in Financing
4:00pm
Micro Meeting: Front Row Insurance presents What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
4:00pm
Conference Session 2: Distribution Now - What’s Working?
View the full industry schedule
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:10 | #
Industry Announcement: Soap Box Line Up Announced!
The Soap Box line-up Announced! Come hear Festival All-Stars and contribute to the conversation on the future of documentary at THE SOAP BOX conference session. Friday May 7, 2:00pm - 3:15pm at The Rogers Industry Centre, 2nd Floor Chapel.
You must be an industry delegate to attend.
Peter Wintonick | Filmmaker (Canada) presents Future Soapbox ; A 20 point pecha kucha MANIFIESTA on the Future of Docmedia
Tahani Rached | Hot Docs “Focus On” Filmmaker (Egypt) presents New Motivations for Stories Yet to Be Told
Tim Sparke | CEO, Mercury Media (UK) presents the Documentary Distributors Association – a new lobby for documentary
John Zaritsky | Filmmaker, Leave them Laughing (Canada) presents The Filmmaker’s Guide to Documenting Death
Danya Alhamrani and Dania Nassief | Founders, Eggdancer Productions (Saudi Arabia) presents What the World needs to know about the Arab doc industry
Karen Dougherty | Director of Development, Q Media Solutions (Canada) presents The Camera that’s Changing the Whole Game: The Canon 5D Mark II DSLR
Tobias Wilner | Composer, Tankograd, Twilight, Miami Vice (Denmark) presents The Nuances of Composing for Doc and Fiction Features – a designer speaks
Stephanie McArthur | TDF and Market Coordinator, Hot Docs (Canada) presents A Hard-Core Lesson: What the Documentary industry can learn from the Porn Industry
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:08 | #
Photo Gallery: May 3
View our photo coverage from day 5 of the Festival.
Featuring Industry conference sessions, International Co-Production Day, SEX MAGIC, MANIFESTING MAYA, SOUNDTRACKER, THE SOCALLED MOVIE, and NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT: GROS MORNE.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:06 | #
Hot Pick for Tuesday, May 4: DREAMLAND
DREAMLAND (Isabel Bader Theatre, 2:00 pm)
With its hydroelectric and geothermal power surplus, Iceland’s clean energy initiatives have ironically attracted heavy industries whose pollution decimates the natural vegetation. A troubling tale of sabotage from the front lines of the green revolution.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Tuesday, May 4: MARWENCOL
MARWENCOL (Isabel Bader Theatre, 9:45 pm)
Seeking solace after a brutal beating, Mark Hogencamp constructs a miniature WWII-era town in his backyard. But when his talent is discovered, the instant “artist” must choose between his fantasy life and the real world he’s carefully avoided.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Tuesday, May 4: FEATHERED COCAINE
FEATHERED COCAINE (Bloor Cinema, 6:30 pm)
What do you do when you walk into a room and see a falcon and a terrorist? A falconer enters a whirlpool of international intrigue and obsession when he takes on the smuggler market for coveted birds of prey.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Tuesday, May 4: FAREWELL
FAREWELL (Isabel Bader Theatre, 4:15 pm)
Through stunning archival footage and intimate journal entries, Lady Grace Drummond-Hay’s exhilarating yet tumultuous journey around the world is recreated, revealing her experiences as the only female passenger on board the 1929 maiden voyage of the Graf Zeppelin.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Tuesday, May 4: DAVID WANTS TO FLY
DAVID WANTS TO FLY (Bloor Cinema, 9:00 pm)
The director follows filmmaking idol David Lynch to seek enlightenment through Transcendental Meditation, his tumultuous journey ending in a pilgrimage to discover the elusive truth about the technique’s famous founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Posted: Tue, May 04, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Docs in the Headlines
- About.com capsule reviews including FREETIME MACHOS, JOAN RIVERS - A PIECE OF WORK, ITO - A DIARY OF AN URBAN PRIEST, THE OATH, and 12TH & DELAWARE.
- About.com capsule reviews of National Film Board of Canada titles screening at Hot Docs, including THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE, LIFE WITH MURDER, FLAWED, and GRACE, MILLY, LUCY… CHILD SOLDIERS.
- Torontoist capsule reviews of AISHEEN (STILL ALIVE IN GAZA) and ITO - A DIARY OF AN URBAN PRIEST.
- indieWIRE reports in the sale of THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE to Lorber Films.
- CTV.ca feature on THE STORY OF FURIOUS PETE.
- Film School Rejects grade A review of THE PARKING LOT MOVIE.
- Citytv News interview with John Walker, director of A DRUMMER’S DREAM.
- Eye Weekly capsule review of A PORTRAIT OF A MAN.
- Rabble.ca feature on Ripping Reality title THE CORPORATION.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 10:21 | #
Audience Award: Tally For Sunday May 2, 5pm
The Hot Docs 2010 Audience Award will be tallied throughout the Festival.
Your vote counts! Don’t forget to rate the film(s) after each screening, and stay tuned to the Hot Docs Daily for the latest results.
The top 20 below are current as of Sunday, May 2, 5pm.*
- WASTE LAND
- RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE
- BHUTTO
- GASLAND
- THE STORY OF FURIOUS PETE
- THE WOMAN WITH THE 5 ELEPHANTS
- CITIZEN ARCHITECT: SAMUEL MOCKBEE AND THE SPIRIT OF THE RURAL STUDIO
- BABIES
- HIS & HERS
- IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY
- TALHOTBLOND
- FLAWED
- AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE
- THE PARKING LOT MOVIE
- LIFE WITH MURDER
- THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ION B.
- DISH: WOMEN, WAITRESSING & THE ART OF SERVICE
- SMALL WONDERS
- A MAN CAME AND TOOK HER
- STOLEN LAND
*N.B. votes for MADE IN INDIA have not yet been tabulated.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 10:00 | #
Photo Gallery: May 2
View our photo coverage from day 4 of the Festival.
Featuring Big Bite in the Park, A SMALL ACT, and TALHOTBLOND.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 9:00 | #
Hot Pick for Monday, May 3: STEAM OF LIFE
STEAM OF LIFE (Isabel Bader Theatre, 7: 00 pm)
Naked men in saunas talk straight from the heart. The heat from rusty stoves cleanses their bodies, while drawing profound emotional catharses from several of these typically reserved Finnish men.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 8:40 | #
Hot Pick for Monday, May 3: THE RAINBOW WARRIORS OF WAIHEKE ISLAND
THE RAINBOW WARRIORS OF WAIHEKE ISLAND (Bloor Cinema, 9:15 pm)
A pioneering group of Greenpeace activists, the crew of the famous ship The Rainbow Warrior, form a community on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. Best described as a “rest home for burnt-out greenies”, the friends revisit their legacy of protest.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 8:38 | #
Hot Pick for Monday, May 3: PORTRAIT OF A MAN
PORTRAIT OF A MAN (Cumberland Cinema 2, 9:45 PM)
This last film in Koiso-Kanttila’s trilogy is a powerful and surprisingly intimate portrait of a 40-something single father in emotional crisis who, to save his relationship with his son, confronts a legacy of alcoholism and depression.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 8:32 | #
Industry Conference Panels: Monday May 3
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, returns for its 17th year as an essential meeting place for the international documentary industry.
All panels take place at the Rogers Industry Centre, Victoria College, 93 Charles Street West.
Panels for Monday May 3
09:30am NFB Coffee Talks: Where is the NFB Going?
11:00am Micro Meeting: Canwest-Global
1:00pm Micro Meeting: TVO
2:30pm Micro Meeting: CBC/Documentary
4:00pm Micro Meeting: Canada Media Fund
View the full industry schedule
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 11:03 | #
Tonight at Critical Mass: Paul Goldberger
Join us for the second installment of our Critical Mass series. See Paul Goldberger, Pulitzer Prize-winning Architecture Critic for The New Yorker and author of Why Architecture Matters in conversation with Michael Enright, Host of CBC Radio One’s The Sunday Edition.
Monday, May 3, 7pm Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal Centre, 750 Spadina Ave.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 5:10 | #
Get Your 2010/11 Doc Soup Subscription at the Special Festival Price!
Subscribe now and save! Get your 2010/11 subscription to Doc Soup, our monthly film series, before May 10th and take advantage of the special Festival price! Doc Soup begins October 2010 and screens at the Bloor Cinema.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 3 of the Festival, featuring IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY, LIFE WITH MURDER, and WASTE LAND.
Posted: Mon, May 03, 2010 - 1:50 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 3 of the Festival, featuring COOKING UP DREAMS, THE INVENTION OF DR. NAKAMATS, MADE IN INDIA, and THE PARKING LOT MOVIE.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 9:48 | #
Photo Gallery: May 1
View our photo coverage from day 3 of the Festival.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 9:02 | #
Hot Pick for Sunday, May 2: THE PLAYER
THE PLAYER (Isabel Bader Theatre, 7:00 pm)
Three hardened gamblers let us into their lives, their loves, and their losses. Through these men’s stories, Dutch documentarian John Appel weaves a masterful tale of his own father, an irrepressible gambler. Screens with DEAR MATTHEW.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Sunday, May 2: FAREWELL
FAREWELL (Isabel Bader Theatre, 9:45 pm)
Through stunning archival footage and intimate journal entries, Lady Grace Drummond-Hay’s exhilarating yet tumultuous journey around the world is recreated, revealing her experiences as the only female passenger on board the 1929 maiden voyage of the Graf Zeppelin.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Sunday, May 2: DREAMLAND
DREAMLAND (Bloor Cinema, 3:30 pm)
With its hydroelectric and geothermal power surplus, Iceland’s clean energy initiatives have ironically attracted heavy industries whose pollution decimates the natural vegetation. A troubling tale of sabotage from the front lines of the green revolution.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Emerging Filmmakers: Only 2 Days Left to Purchase Your Kickstart Pass
Perfect for emerging and mid-career filmmakers, or those wishing to further enrich their Hot Docs experience, Kickstart is a popular half-day series of panels devoted to conveying fundamental information about producing and distributing documentary films.
In addition to these highly informative panels, Kickstart passes include a screening vouchers and a ticket to each late night screening (after 11pm) during the Festival. Get more information on the Kickstart panels, and buy your Kickstart pass today.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Sunday, May 2: THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE
THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE (Bloor Cinema, 9:15 PM)
If Woody Allen and Lil Wayne had a love child it would be Josh Dolgin, a.k.a. “Socalled”. Hip-hop meets klezmer music in this kaleidoscopic portrait of the unstoppable gay musician, magician, songwriter, visual artist, and filmmaker.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Sunday, May 2: THE WOMAN WITH THE 5 ELEPHANTS
THE WOMAN WITH THE 5 ELEPHANTS (Isabel Bader Theatre, 1:30 pm)
Great writers create text that moves; great translators inhabit that movement. At 85, Swetlana Geier is the leading translator of Dostoyevsky into German. Inexhaustible and independent, she weaves stories that unlock the secrets of her craft.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Hot Pick for Sunday, May 2: GASLAND
GASLAND (Bloor Cinema, 12:30 pm)
Flammable tap water, mysterious ailments, poisoned land and livestock: Sundance prize-winner GASLAND exposes the shocking environmental calamities and cover-ups caused by natural gas drilling, shedding an absurd light on America’s new energy race.
Posted: Sun, May 02, 2010 - 5:00 | #
Video Coverage: Festival Highlights
Watch video coverage from day 2 of the Festival, featuring DISH: WOMEN, WAITRESSING & THE ART OF SERVICE, GASLAND, THE OATH, and THE STORY OF FURIOUS PETE.
Posted: Sat, May 01, 2010 - 8:18 | #
Photo Gallery: April 30
View our photo coverage from day 2 of the Festival.
Posted: Sat, May 01, 2010 - 7:35 | #
Hot Docs in the Headlines
- Rabble.ca story on A DIFFERENT PATH
- Jam! Showbiz top picks at the Festival
- Jam! Showbiz story on AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY and LEAVE THEM LAUGHING
- National Post interview with the directors of JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
- Winnipeg Free Press interview with the director of A DRUMMER’S DREAM
- CP24 interview with the director of THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE
- Exclaim review of THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE
- Toronto Star story on art docs at the Festival
- Torontoist capsule reviews
- South American Vision TV story on COOKING UP DREAMS
Posted: Sat, May 01, 2010 - 1:02 | #
Tonight at Critical Mass: Sasha Frere-Jones
Join us for Sasha Frere-Jones, pop critic for The New Yorker, in conversation with Eric Friesen, veteran broadcaster and writer, as part of our Critical Mass speaker series.
Saturday, May 1, 7pm, Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal Centre, 750 Spadina Ave.
Posted: Sat, May 01, 2010 - 5:15 | #
Watch Hot Docs Coverage on The Substream
Visit thesubstream.com to watch exciting video coverage of this year’s Hot Docs. Just posted: highlights from opening night and the festival preview episode
Posted: Sat, May 01, 2010 - 5:12 | #
Hot Pick for Saturday, May 1: MARK
MARK (Royal Cinema, 9:45 pm)
Meet Mark: punk, activist, transsexual-loving humanist. Mike Hoolboom’s personal homage to his friend and collaborator lovingly captures the spirit of a soul obsessed with kindness; one who gave everything to others, and then tragically took his own life. Screening with A MOTH IN SPRING.
Posted: Sat, May 01, 2010 - 5:10 | #
Programmer Picks: Canadian Spectrum Part 2
Programmers Lynne Fernie and Giséle Gordon discuss a selection of Canadian films. Get a taste of the art of waitressing with DISH, investigate how to tell (and manipulate) a story with HOW I FILMED THE WAR, hear a modern fairytale with THE MIRROR, step inside the dusty neighbourhood stores in SMALL WONDERS and hear about the charismatic musician Josh Dolgin in THE “SOCALLED” MOVIE.
Posted: Sat, May 01, 2010 - 5:00 | #
