Antidiva: The Confessions of Carol Pope, directed by Canadian filmmaker Michelle Mama, will open the 33rd annual Hot Documents in Toronto from April 23rd to May 3rd. The film spotlights queer rock icon Carol Pope.
The special presentation program showcases notable films, festival stalwarts and well-known subjects, including the world premiere of Shalini Kantayya’s “Love Apptually,” about a journalist’s exploration of a dating app’s algorithm. Dorie Berinstein’s “Kenny Loggins: Belief of the Heart” traces the life and career of the singer-songwriter responsible for soundtracking some of Hollywood’s most unforgettable movie moments. Tommy Avallone’s ‘Myspace’, a portrait of the pioneering social networking platform. Mark Myers’ “The Tower That Built the City” celebrates the 50th anniversary of the CN Tower, which defines Toronto’s skyline. and Raha Shirazi’s War on Women, which traces four decades of feminist resistance to the Islamic Republic by Iranian women.
A program that spotlights fascinating stories from around the world, the International Spectrum Competition includes a lineup of world premieres. The 49th Year, directed by Heidrun Holzfeind, tells the story of an anarchist who has been imprisoned since 1980 and reflects on his radical past. Directed by Andrea Swito, “A Distant Call” captures a rare meditative conflict between local traditions and modern beliefs in a remote Indonesian community with ancient traditions. Directed by Faraz Fadaian, “Landstone” transports viewers to the Iranian desert. An old man and his wife face death and their fading bonds as they seek solace in a handmade cave. “Parasisi,” directed by Zaide Bill and Sebastian Segers, depicts how mining, missionaries, and medicine spill over into daily life along the Rawa River. “Stories for Sandro,” directed by Giacomo Boeri, brings back memories of the filmmaker’s father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Directed by Hamed Zolfaghari, The Disappearance follows a family in the remote nomadic landscape of Iran as they live a traditional life in the modern world. Directed by Misha Barban Dangerfield, “Vegapolis” transports audiences to the Montpellier rink, where teens gather every week to forge friendships, analyze unrequited love, and dream amidst laser lights and bass.
The World Showcase program features “revelatory stories” from around the world, including the world premiere of Simon Ennis and Brad Abrahams’ Tell Me the Truth, which draws truth seekers and former believers into the gravitational pull of conspiracy culture. In Tyee Country, by Jevan Crittenden and Nate Sulako, a century-old fishing club on Canada’s west coast faces extinction due to a declining salmon population. In Alisher Barfanbayev’s In Search of Drug Peace, a daring activist risks everything to fund a non-profit drug testing center and provide lifesaving harm reduction during Vancouver’s deadly overdose crisis.
The Canadian Spectrum Competition, a competitive program showcasing bold new work by Canadian directors, includes the world premiere of Sebastian Trahan’s The Code of Torts, in which an investigative journalist’s duty to follow the facts leads to the trial of five Canadian professional hockey players accused of sexual assault. In Ryan Elmakola and Jessica Johnson’s Concrete Turns to Sand, local oyster farmers ply their trade in a rapidly changing environment. Lee and Megan Wright’s The Last Days of April follows the journey of a determined disability advocate who lives with spinal cord binding and chronic pain. In Rico King’s “Nekai Walks,” Nekai Foster relearns to walk against all medical odds after being shot while walking home in Toronto’s Jane and Finch neighborhood. Oscar-nominated director Kim Nguyen’s Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom reveals an elusive connection between two families and photojournalist Eddie Adams’ iconic photographs in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. And in Evan Adams and Eileen Francis’ “təm kʷaθ nan Namesake,” a request from the Tla’amin people to rename Powell River, British Columbia, sparks a heated debate about whose history gets told and respected.
“Made in Brazil” will feature new Brazilian documentaries, including the world premiere of “Solar Shadow,” directed by Hugo Haddad and Isadora Canela, about the exploration of Brazil’s ancestral indigenous astronomy, and the world premiere of Mini Kelty’s “Dona Onete – This Little Piece of My Heart,” a portrait of Dona Onete, a singer and composer who emerged in her 70s as Brazil’s “Queen of Carimbo.”
Persister amplifies the voices of powerful and inspiring women, including the world premiere of Nance Ackerman’s Delivery Line. The film focuses on the life-saving work of fearless midwives who risk everything to help mothers in critical situations. In Indivisum: Legacies Adrift, directed by Katia Cafe-Febrisy, a Canadian filmmaker returns to her ancestral homeland of Guadeloupe and discovers a family torn apart over land inheritance.
The new Digital Witnesses program features stories of technology and surveillance, including the international premiere of Valeri Vich’s Ghost in the Machine, which interrogates who builds AI, who benefits from it, and who pays for it, and Barbora Charpova’s Virtual Girlfriends, which reveals the transactional dynamics of digital intimacy as three women pursue careers as creators of sexual content on OnlyFans.
Artscapes features creative thinking, artistic exploration and original filmmaking, including the world premiere of Antoni Cimolino’s This Above All: The Theater Life, directed by Barry Avrich, as Stratford Festival’s longest-serving artistic director, Antoni Cimolino, prepares for his final season as he reflects on the four decades he has dedicated to the theater repertory company. The international premiere will be Brendan Canty’s Gealtra. In this film, teenagers from Cork’s north side go from shy beginners to viral sensations by writing and performing Irish-language rap.
