NFB & Hot Docs Align for Doc Talks

TORONTO: The National Film Board of Canada and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival have lined up a number of participants for Doc Talks, a new series of conversations that provides access to leading directors in the industry.

The inaugural event will feature filmmakers discussing the impact of documentaries on the real world in a series of hour-long conversations. Discussions will take place May 3 to 5, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. They are presented in collaboration with the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.

The conversation on May 3, "Docs Making a Difference," discusses the long tradition of documentaries being catalysts for change. The speakers are Terence Macartney-Filgate (Up Against the System), Shannon Walsh (H2Oil) and Lee Hirsch (The Bully Project). May 4’s "Docs Modifying Minds" session will feature a discussion on how documentaries can change the way we see the world. Speakers are Charles Officer (Mightly Jerome), Susan Saladoff (Hot Coffee) and Anthony Baxter (You’ve Been Trumped). On May 5, "Docs Fueling Debate" will present ways in which documentaries ignite dispute and dialogue. Speakers are David York (Wiebo’s War) and Frank Piasecki Poulsen (Blood in the Mobile).