Hot Docs Announces Full Lineup

TORONTO, March 21: Hot
Docs has unveiled its complete schedule for this year’s festival, with a total
of 173 films selected for screening from April 17-27.

The final selection of films
was chosen from more than 1800 submissions. Hot Docs will open with the
85-minute U.S. film Anvil! The Story of Anvil, directed by Sacha Gervasi. The film is the story
of the “demi-gods of Canadian metal,” now in their 50s, as they set off on a
European tour and prepare to record a new album, still pursuing their dreams of
heavy metal superstardom. The Canadian opening film is Air India 182, directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, a reconstruction
of the facts around the deadliest terror attack in Canadian history. Both films
appear in the Festival’s Special Presentations program, a selection of films
with high-profile subjects, made by master directors or those that have won
awards on the recent festival circuit.

In addition to the
competitive programs, Canadian Spectrum and International Spectrum, and the
World Showcase survey program, Hot Docs will also present six titles each in
its Spotlight on Iran and Made in Mexico programs. Two new themed program were
also revealed: Next, which looks at artists and the artistic process, and Make
Me a Believer, which reveals the offbeat ways that people pursue and practice
their faith. Two retrospective programs round out the Festival’s schedule,
Focus on Jennifer Baichwal, featuring the rising Canadian doc star, and the
Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective Honoring Richard Leacock, the
iconic filmmaker.

Finally, Hot Docs will
welcome official delegations from Italy, Brazil, Catalan, the Nordic region and
South Korea. These delegates will be featured guests at International
Co-Production Day, a series of panels and events designed to help spark
co-production opportunities among attending producers, and will participate in
the Toronto Documentary Forum on April 23 and 24.

“For 15 years now this
Festival has helped to celebrate the finest in Canadian and international
documentary filmmaking,” said Hot Docs’ executive director, Chris McDonald.
“Our growth is testament to the quality of the creative voices working in this
genre, and to Toronto’s wonderfully engaged and supportive audiences. We are
looking forward to the next 15 years.”

—By Irene Lew