Hot Docs on CBC Returns

CBC and Hot Docs have reteamed to bring top festival selections to home screens across Canada in 2022.

The Hot Docs on CBC series makes first-run original Canadian feature documentaries available to Canadian audiences every Sunday in January via CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

The 2022 selections investigate financial and art scams, search for community and belonging and fight for the environment and fair work conditions.

Dead Man’s Switch: a crypto mystery, which aired on January 2, centered on Gerald Cotten, the 30-year-old CEO of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, who died suddenly in India. Over $200 million disappeared, leaving investors empty-handed, kicking off a major scandal and fuelling speculation that his exit was only one of many scams. It was directed by Sheona McDonald.

Portrayal, directed by Billie Mintz, sees Roman Lapshin compelled to bring recognition to his late grandfather’s legacy as an artist. He travels across three continents in a search for the truth behind a secret from the past involving the discovery of thousands of his grandfather’s missing paintings. It will premiere on January 9.

On January 16, Cody Westman’s Hell or Clean Water will make its debut. It tells the story of Newfoundlander diver Shawn Bath’s quest to clean up the coastal ocean floor as he seeks ways to scale up his operation and bring attention to a worldwide environmental crisis.

Bowing on January 23, One of Ours explores the life of Josiah Wilson, who was adopted as a baby in Haiti and raised in an Indigenous family in Alberta but was refused the right to play in an Indigenous basketball tournament. The film was directed by Yasmine Mathurin.

Rounding out the CBC and Hot Docs slate is The Gig Is Up: A Very Human Tech Story, from filmmaker Shannon Walsh. It shines a light on the modern gig economy, in which many workers have found dangerous work conditions, pay that can change without notice and the constant threat of being fired. It’s slated to premiere on January 30.

Sally Catto, general manager for entertainment, factual and sports at CBC, said: “We are excited to partner once again with Hot Docs to bring these captivating and insightful festival selections to viewers at home in January. As Canada’s home for must-see documentaries, we are proud to shine a national spotlight on documentary storytelling with Hot Docs on CBC, and celebrate the distinct perspectives of these filmmakers widely with audiences across the country.”

Heather Conway, Hot Docs’s co-president and executive director, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with CBC to bring these five outstanding films, all of which screened at our 2021 festival, to wider audiences across Canada. As North America’s largest documentary festival, we’re fortunate to have partners such as CBC who are as passionate as we are about these important Canadian stories.”