The coronavirus, (COVID-19) pandemic is having a devastating impact on film festivals with many postponing or cancelling outright. Major festivals such as San Francisco International Film Festival and RiverRun International Film Festival have canceled, while others such as Richmond International Film Festival and Florida Film Festival have been postponed until the Summer or Fall.
Willie follows the amazing story of Willie O’Ree, the first black player in the National Hockey League, and his family from his great, great-grandfather’s escape from slavery in 1779 to Willie’s ascent to hockey’s highest honor – induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 12, 2018.
The documentary, Buddha in Africa by South African filmmaker, Nicole Schafer, will World Premiere at the 2019 Hot Docs Canadian International Festival taking place April 25 to May 5. The film will be presented in competition in the International Spectrum program. The winner of the Hot Docs Best International Feature Documentary Award will qualify for consideration for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
CALL HER GANDA[/caption]
Ganda [gʌn-daː] – meaning “beauty” in Tagalog
On October 11, 2014, Jennifer Laude was last seen with a United States Marine and later found dead in a motel bathroom. This and the identity of the suspect is known to both the Philippines and the United States Government, yet their imperialistic relationship and preponderant transphobia in both countries has rendered the case gridlocked. Filipino-American director PJ Raval seeks justice for trans woman Jeffery “Jennifer” Laude as her homicide evolves far beyond her death and echoes a long-pondered question: what is the United States’ role in the Philippines? Call her Ganda is a poignant exploration of LGBT+ relations in a time of social media saturation and in an environment dominated by lingering post-colonialism. Raval and journalist Meredith Talusan unravels the red herring media coverage and social delusion regarding Laude’s family and the trans community as they struggle for authentic visibility. This documentary intimately examines the resulting Filipino nationalism after Laude’s tragic death as well as the first indictment of a U.S. serviceman on Philippines soil.
Born Jeffery Laude, Jennifer was the breadwinner of her family and provided financial support to her mother. Though her main source of income was promiscuous, the viewer is asked to look beyond her sex-work, identity, and race to ultimately find humanity in someone that is most likely foreign to themselves. The film provides a glimpse into the misunderstood trans-culture of the Philippines and its relation to the nation’s prevailing poverty and corrupt political system. Testimony from her friends and family acquaints us with the bright and benevolent life Laude led while conversely probing us to question the immoral capabilities of United States servicemen. We feel her mother’s struggle for justice, recognize her fiancé’s pain as he tries to make sense of the tragedy, and understand the upheaval of the Filipino people in response U.S.’s intrusion in Filipino law. Raval inquires us to examine the relationship the Philippines has with its Western Subjugator and challenge documents such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that allow the U.S. to interfere in Filipino judicial processes under certain circumstances.
Call Her Ganda makes it a point to remind us of media’s involvement in the proceedings following the incident and the interconnective soapbox that is social media. We see how opinions over the internet sustain widespread dogmatism over complex controversies and how media can contort the truth for political interest whenever convenient. Though Laude and Pemberton’s case may seem unambiguous to either side of the aisle due to predispositions of gender, race, and nationality, Talusan explores varying perspectives subsequently highlighting the numerous moral dilemmas that saturate both the events in question and the legal turbulence that follows. The film itself seeks “Justice for Jennifer,” yet rather than completely villainizing a single person or group, Talusan ventures toward understanding Pemberton’s perspective and widespread transphobia ultimately revaluating modern and western education of gender fluidity.
Despite the film’s emphasis on social media’s tendency to polarize opinions, it doesn’t forget to demonstrate its power to bring people together under a meaningful cause. The film itself is a product of social support as it captures the united front that is transgender and Filipino pride. Joseph Scott Pemberton’s actions that night may have pained so many who knew and sympathized with Jennifer Laude, but this documentary makes it known that her death was not in vein. The anger and sadness that stems from mourning is galvanized into a passion for justice and social equality. Laude’s name stands as a reminder that trans people will continue to be marginalized and Filipinos overlooked if these moral dilemmas go unaddressed, unexamined, and uncontested. Call Her Ganda attempts to breed empathy regarding gender identity and race, ultimately breathing new life into Jennifer Laude by recognizing a deep desire shared by all humans: to unapologetically be one’s true self. Laude defined herself by who she knew she was and took pride in her identity making her truly Ganda.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YwQtgBRhZQ
We Could Be Heroes[/caption]
The 2018 Hot Docs film festival wraps today and last night at the Hot Docs Awards Presentation, 13 awards and $85,000 in cash and prizes were presented to Canadian and international filmmakers. The Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award went Friday to “A Little Wisdom,” and the Best International Feature Documentary was awarded to “We Could Be Heroes.”
After world premiering at the Berlinale in February, where it won both the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary and the Berlinale Peace Prize, Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar’s new documentary, The Silence of Others, will have its North American premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival.
The Silence of Others reveals the epic struggle of victims of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, who continue to seek justice to this day. Filmed with intimate access over six years, the film follows a courageous band of survivors as they organize the groundbreaking “Argentine Lawsuit” and challenge a decades long “pact of forgetting” around the crimes that they suffered.
Through this dramatic, contemporary story, The Silence of Others speaks to universal questions of how societies transition from dictatorship to democracy, how individuals confront silence and fight for justice, and how societies should deal with perpetrators of crimes against humanity in their midst. What happens when a country is forced to reckon with its past after decades of silence? Can justice be done after so long?
Pedro Almodóvar and his brother and producer Agustín, whose cinema careers began in the heady days after the death of Franco and Spain’s return to democracy, along with their partner Esther García, are executive producers.
As Agustín Almodóvar affirms, “The Silence of Others is a profoundly human and poetic documentary that treats difficult themes with tenderness, respect and care. With cinematographic style and a story that grabs you from the first second, the directors, Almudena and Robert, transport us on a journey of 6 years and thousands of kilometers, to explore forgetting and its consequences. We are moved by the great humanity of this work and are thrilled to be supporting its North American Premiere in Toronto.
Philippa Kowarsky of Cinephil, who handles world sales, comments: “The Silence of Others is a perfect fit for our slate of powerful, politically aware documentaries. Robert and Almudena’s film lets you experience the loss, but also the dignity and the tenacity of those victimized by dictatorship – a topic that reaches far beyond Spain.”[RB3]
Robin Smith of Blue Ice Docs, who is handling the Canadian rights, says, “We are incredibly proud to be working with Almudena and Robert on bringing their powerfully important and beautiful film The Silence of Others to Canadian audiences.”
From Picasso’s “Guernica” to Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, the Spanish Civil War holds a special place in the Western imagination, as a heroic and tragic early front against fascism. Yet outside Spain, little is known about the 40-years of dictatorship that followed, or the complex choices that were made during Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. As revealed in The Silence of Others, due to an amnesty law passed shortly after Franco’s death and still in force today, no crimes linked to the regime or its officials (many of whom went on to successful careers in democratic Spain) can be prosecuted. As a result, José María “Chato” Galante passes by his torturer’s window every day, Maria Martín can’t retrieve her mother’s remains from a mass grave to finally lay her to rest, and cases of stolen children remain uninvestigated.
To challenge this amnesty before time runs out, a small band of survivors launch the “Argentine Lawsuit”, based in international human rights laws and filed in Buenos Aires. The Silence of Others follows their six-year journey and reveals how a movement that began in someone’s kitchen can go where the Spanish legal system fears to tread, achieving thefirst-ever arrest warrants for perpetrators from Franco’s regime and bringing this nearly forgotten cause to world attention.
Here is a first look at Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, a dangerously intimate documentary directed by Alba Sotorra that follows a woman commando unit as it takes on ISIS. Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom will World Premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival on Sunday April 29.
When we meet Arian, a 30-year-old commander of the YPJ, the Kurdish-Syrian Women’s Protection Unit, she is struggling to recover from multiple ISIS sniper wounds. But her greatest worry is to be sent home. “If I live an ordinary life, I will be scared of death,” she says.
The words reflect the dual motivations that inspired Kurdish women to literally take arms against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as it gobbled territory and slaughtered villagers in their homeland. She and her all-female comrades know the stakes involved in stopping the ultra-fundamentalist insurgency from overrunning them.
“To them, a piece of fabric is worth more than a woman,” Arian says angrily in an earlier interview from the battlefield. “To end their threat to women, we will fight them until there is no one left.”
But Alba Sotorra’s riveting documentary Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, is about more than the threat in front of these women. It’s about their camaraderie. And it’s about what they left behind that they would like to see change in the face of a victory over the Islamic extremists.
The documentary jumps regularly between the post-recovery Arian – who wants nothing more than to get back in battle – and the YPJ fighters as they make village-by-village progress to the occupied Syrian city of Kobane, “the heart of Kurdistan.” We witness Arian in her role as a de facto life coach toward fellow soldiers who have left a life where they were only expected to be wives and mothers. “What kind of woman do you want to be?” she repeatedly asks those under her command.
As a fellow fighter named Nupelda offers in advance of the next fire-fight, “Here, there is a goal, to enrich my thoughts and be free.” There is tragedy along with the high ideals. Some of the women we meet en route to Kobane will be injured and killed. But the push forward continues, along with the dreams for a better life than before.
“When the war in Syria broke out, Kurdish women took arms against Daesh (ISIS),” director Sotorra says. “Having followed the news about the atrocities committed in the region, especially against women, I thought it was incredible that a female force was emerging as the fiercest power against these monsters.”
When the YPJ was taking back Kobane and repelling attacks, Sotorra undertook a risky filmmaking mission via contacts in Turkey, arriving in time to see a city in ruins and without power. “I decided to travel to Kobane and meet the women who had led that battle. I wanted to share their feminist struggle and, as a woman filmmaker, it almost felt like my duty to document it.
“It was an adventure. I had no idea what I was getting into. Sometimes I think if I had been aware of all the things I would experience, I wouldn’t have had the courage to go. But ignorance is bliss and this is a story about courage.”
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Comedian Tig Notaro Documentary TIG[/caption]
210 documentaries from 44 countries will be featured at the upcoming 22nd edition of Hot Docs, taking place April 23 to May 3, 2015. The Festival will opens with the international premiere of directors Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG (USA, 2014, 95 min), described as a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humor in the face of adversity.
This year’s Scotiabank Big Ideas Series will welcome such notable subjects as: Grammy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro (TIG); charismatic former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams, subject of (DANNY); director Alex Winter, WIRED senior writer Andy Greenberg and the parents of subject Ross Ulbricht (DEEP WEB); Ex-Fugee Pras Michel (SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT); and Olympic Gold Medal–winning hockey player Charline Labonté, former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean and American college football player Conner Mertens (OUT TO WIN).
Hot Docs announce DocX, a new program that celebrates innovative documentary storytelling through new technologies and original experiences, will feature a one-night-only participatory live performance of Katerina Cizek’s HIGHRISE: UNIVERSE WITHIN, LIVE. Festival audiences will also have the opportunity to experience the DocX Virtual Reality Showcase, a free exhibit at the Isabel Bader Theatre, available to view from Friday, April 24 to Friday, May 1, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In addition to the opening night international premiere of Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG, a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humour in the face of adversity, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Andreas Koefoed’s THE ARMS DROP, which follows a British arms dealer’s hunt for the MI5 agent who betrayed him; Violeta Ayala’s THE BOLIVIAN CASE, a sensational exposé about three teenage girls caught smuggling cocaine; Jessica Edwards’ MAVIS!, a powerful film rich with songs and stories from music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples; Nick Berardini’s TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE, an investigative look at the allegedly non-lethal TASER gun; Matthias Bittner’s WAR OF LIES, a riveting account about the effects of misinformation about weapons of mass destruction; and Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’ WESTERN, a subtle portrait of the ever-growing divide between two towns straddling the US-Mexico border.
In the competitive Canadian Spectrum program, notable films include: Charles Wilkinson’s HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, a look at a sustainable and healing community at risk from a proposed oil tanker route; Shelly Saywell’s LOWDOWN TRACKS, which tells the stories of five transient musicians on Toronto’s streets; Su Rynard’s THE MESSENGER, which highlights ever-worsening environmental devastation through the alarming disappearance of songbirds; Rama Rau’s NO PLACE TO HIDE: THE REHTAEH PARSONS STORY, an alarming account of the effects of cyber-bullying; and André-Line Beauparlant’s PINOCCHIO, a deeply personal portrait of the struggle to trust someone who feels no obligation to the truth.
In the competitive International Spectrum program, notable films include: Malin Andersson’s BLOOD SISTERS, the story of twin sisters bound by trauma; Karen Guthrie’s THE CLOSER WE GET, a sharply focused snapshot of strained family dynamics; Ramyata Limbu, Amy Benson and Scott Squire’s DRAWING THE TIGER, a powerful portrait of a studious daughter carrying her family’s hopes for a brighter future; and Ross Sutherland’s STAND BY FOR TAPE BACK-UP, a poetic and humourous meditation on memory and loss.
In the World Showcase program, notable films include: Yael Melamede’s (DIS)HONESTY—THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES, a fascinating and insightful study on honesty; Monika Pawluczuk’s END OF THE WORLD, a revealing look at personal struggles as the Mayan doomsday prophecy looms in the night; Maya Newell’s GAYBY BABY, a moving and honest film about the lives of children of same-sex parents; Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber’s PEACE OFFICER, a timely investigation of the controversies behind recent police shootings and the militarization of American law enforcement; and Gillian Laub’s SOUTHERN RITES, a complex look at race relations and the true pace of progress in America.
The Made In India program includes: Spandan Banerjee’s ENGLISH INDIA, a look at a country coming to terms with its own identity as it shakes off the weight of its colonial past; Parvez Sharma’s A SINNER IN MECCA, a fascinating personal essay on a gay Muslim’s inner-most struggles, and Anuj Adlakha and Farha Alam’s THE SUPERSTARS OF KOTI, a coming-of-age tale about three boys united as “chosen ones.”
The Next program includes: Luke Meyer’s BREAKING A MONSTER, a behind-the-scenes look at the tension between being a kid amidst the overwhelming demands of the music industry machine; and David Shapiro’s MISSING PEOPLE, an engrossing examination of the effects of violence on the psyche.
The Nightvision program includes: Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel’s FINDERS KEEPERS, a stranger-than-fiction tale of a human foot inadvertently bought at an auction; and Rodney Ascher’s THE NIGHTMARE, a real-life horror film about the mysterious phenomenon of sleep paralysis.
The Show Me the Funny program includes: Howie Mandel, Reed Grinsell and Steve Sunshine’s COMMITTED, an inspiring look at the hard road to success; and Bao Nguyen’s LIVE FROM NEW YORK!, the story of SNL’s enduring brand of television magic as told by the show’s countless alumni.
The Screen on Screen program includes: Florian Heinzen-Ziob and Georg Heinzen’s ORIGINAL COPY, a delightful ode to Mumbai’s last one-of-a-kind film poster painter; Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen’s RAIDERS!, the story of two friends painstakingly remaking Raiders of the Lost Ark; and Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti’s A WOMAN LIKE ME, a funny and moving documentary-drama hybrid about the filmmaker’s tumultuous journey with terminal cancer.
The Redux program will highlight six films that deserve another outing on the big screen.
Additionally, Hot Docs will present two retrospective programs: Focus On Carole Laganière, a mid-career retrospective of the filmmaker’s work; and the Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective, honouring the influential work of Chilean documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán.
Also a premier documentary conference and market, Hot Docs will be welcoming over 2,000 industry delegates who will partake in a wide array of industry events and services, including conferences sessions, receptions and parties, Hot Docs Deal Maker, The Doc Shop and the Hot Docs Forum, April 29 and 30. 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival announced its full film line-up for the upcoming 21st edition, taking place April 24 to May 4, 2014. From 2,435 film submissions, this year’s slate will present 197 titles from 43 countries in 12 screening programs.
In addition to the opening night international premiere of Brian Knappenberger’s THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ, an inspiring and emotional portrait of a young Internet visionary, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Pavel Loparev and Askold Kurov’s CHILDREN 404, a firsthand account of LGBT youth in Russia; Anthony Baxter’s A DANGEROUS GAME, an explosive tale of everyday heroes battling against Donald Trump’s development plans; Chad Walker and Dave LaMattina’s I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY, a big-hearted tale of the man behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch; Jesse Moss’ THE OVERNIGHTERS, depicting a local pastor risking everything to welcome the desperate men migrating to a small North Dakota community; Cynthia Hill’s PRIVATE VIOLENCE, a beautifully crafted story exploring the fact that the most dangerous place for a woman is her home; Igal Hecht’s THE SHEIK, a personal and emotional tale of Olympic wrestler and pop culture icon the Iron Sheik; and Joe Berlinger’s WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. JAMES J. BULGER, which strips away the myths surrounding infamous Boston gangster and FBI informant James “Whitey” Bulger.
In the competitive Canadian Spectrum program, notable films include: Thomas Wallner’s BEFORE THE LAST CURTAIN FALLS, a stunning portrayal of the tumultuous off-stage lives of six aging Belgian transvestites and transsexual performers; Vic Sarin’s THE BOY FROM GEITA, the story of a young Tanzanian boy with albinism surviving a brutal attack and given hope with the promise of surgery in Canada; Ray Klonsky and Marc Lamy’s DAVID & ME, following a tenacious filmmaker’s quest to prove a man’s innocence 28 years after his incarceration; Julia Kwan’s EVERYTHING WILL BE, a heartwarming and cinematically stunning ode to a Vancouver community in transition; Tony Girardin’s MARINONI, the story of Canada’s most revered bicycle craftsman attempting a world cycling record at 75 years old; John Kastner’s OUT OF MIND, OUT OF SIGHT, which follows the filmmaker’s return to the Brockville Mental Health Centre to capture patients struggling for control of their lives; and Amar Wala’s THE SECRET TRIAL 5, the shocking story of five Muslim men imprisoned without charge under Canada’s controversial security certificates policy.
In the competitive International Spectrum program, notable films include: Robert Greene’s ACTRESS, a present-tense portrait of The Wire’s Brandy Burre trying to balance the demanding roles of mother, lover, wife and performer; Gabriel London’s THE LIFE AND MIND OF MARK DEFRIEST, a look at the legendary Florida jailbreaker who is determined to escape the violence and despair of prison; Helen Simon’s NO LULLABY, a powerful film about three generations of a family that are silenced by a horrific secret; Adam Weber and Jimmy Goldblum’s TOMORROW WE DISAPPEAR, the story of Delhi’s famed “tinsel slum” performers who use every trick in their arsenal when their neighbourhood is illegally sold; and Eliza Kubarska’s WALKING UNDER WATER, a magical look at the last compressor diver from the Badjao tribe in Malaysian Borneo imparting his wisdom to a young student.
In the World Showcase program, notable films include: Ryuji Otsuka’s THE BEIJING ANTS, a cautionary tale about capitalism and customer service in modern China; Ryan Murdock’s BRONX OBAMA, the story of a true doppelgänger of Barack Obama who finds that life as the president isn’t always easy; Tony Shaff’s HOTLINE, an intimate portrait of the strangers who connect to save lives, predict futures and satisfy lust via telephone hotlines; David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg’s THE IMMORTALISTS, about two free-thinking biologists on a quest to find the cure for mortality and reverse the aging process forever; Andrea Kalin and Oliver Lukacs’ RED LINES, the story of two unlikely activists who struggle to create one free, democratic Syrian village; Stephanie Wang-Breal’s TOUGH LOVE, a rare glimpse inside the American child welfare system; and Ibtisam Mara’ana Menuhin’s WRITE DOWN, I AM AN ARAB, a heart-breaking film about the rich life of Palestine’s national poet Mahmoud Darwish.
The Made In Denmark program includes: Karen Stokkendal Poulsen’s THE AGREEMENT, an undiplomatically comic exposé in which Serbia and Kosova representatives face off over a co-existence agreement; Ulrik Wivel’s A DIFFERENT KIND OF BOY, the story of an autistic 18-year old and his brother on a road trip to Barcelona and independence; and Elvira Lind’s SONGS FOR ALEXIS, about a talented transgender musician and his girlfriend navigating their love story and its place in the world.
The Next program includes: Lina Plioplyte’s ADVANCED STYLE, an invigorating portrait of New York’s most stylish elderly women; Andrew Napier’s MAD AS HELL, about Cenk Uygur’s rise from public access TV to being the creator of the most popular online news show in the world; and Dennis Mohr’s MUGSHOT, a fascinating investigation into how mug shots have been repurposed as art and historical evidence.
The Nightvision program includes: Adam Rifkin’s GIUSEPPE MAKES A MOVIE, a portrait of the ultimate independent filmmaker completing his 30th feature in just two days; and William Westaway’s THE WRITER WITH NO HANDS, the story of a propaganda expert discovering the US military’s involvement in Hollywood.
The Love, Factually program includes: Doug Block’s 112 WEDDINGS, a revealing look into what keeps couples together after marriage; Philip Cox and Hikaru Toda’s LOVE HOTEL, an intimate glimpse into the unique world of love hotels in Japan; and Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel’s MEET THE PATELS, the story of a first-generation Indian-American letting his parents find him a wife.
The Mystery, Myth & Legend program includes: Dave Jannetta’s LOVE AND TERROR ON THE HOWLING PLAINS OF NOWEHERE, about the effect a violent death and unsolvable mystery has on a Twin Peaks-esque community; and Jessica Oreck’s THE VANQUISHING OF THE BABA YAGA, which reimagines the centuries-old Slavic fable of Baba Yaga within a dreamlike, anthropological portrait of modern-day life.
The Redux program will highlight five films that deserve another outing on the big screen.
Additionally, Hot Docs will present two retrospective programs: Focus On John Zaritsky, a mid-career retrospective of the filmmaker’s work; and the Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective, honoring the influential work of English documentary filmmaker and journalist Adam Curtis.
Also a premier documentary conference and market, Hot Docs will be welcoming over 2,000 industry delegates who will partake in a wide array of industry events and services, including conferences sessions, receptions and parties, Hot Docs Deal Maker, The Doc Shop and the Hot Docs Forum, April 30 and May 1.
Image via Facebook. Directors Reginald Harkema, Sam Dunn and Scot McFayden (SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER). Photo Credit: David Spowart Photography — atBloor Cinema.
The international premiere of director Brian Knappenberger’s THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ (USA, 2014, 105 min) will open the 2014 Hot Docs Festival on Thursday, April 24. Director Brian Knappenberger will be in attendance to introduce the film and participate in post-screening audience discussions.
“The Internet’s Own Boy is an incredible portrait of one of the greatest and most promising minds of a generation, Aaron Swartz,” says Hot Docs director of programming Charlotte Cook. “Director Brian Knappenberger has told Aaron’s story in a very beautiful and inspiring way, and we are honoured to be able to share it with not only our audience, but hopefully to help continue to share it with the world.”
As a teenager, Aaron Swartz took the Internet community by storm with capabilities, intellect and understanding that matched its most seasoned members. He helped found or develop countless household-name technologies and companies in the time it takes most people finish college. Aaron was a pioneer in Internet activism, and stood at the forefront of the SOPA and PIPA victories. He looked towards a limitless future—but his life took a dramatic turn. In 2011 and 2012, he was indicted by prosecutors who charged him with a staggering number of felonies. Aaron found himself facing 35 years in prison, and at the age of 26 was found dead in his apartment, from an apparent suicide. As we hear from those closest to Aaron, this incredibly inspirational and moving story shows how one of the most promising minds of a generation found himself staring down a government prosecuting him under the very laws he was fighting against.
THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ is director Brian Knappenberger’s fourth feature documentary. His third feature documentary, WE ARE LEGION: THE STORY OF THE HACKTIVISTS was an official selection of the 2012 Hot Docs Festival. THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY
Hot Docs announced 14 documentary features that will be part of the Special Presentations program at the 2014 Hot Docs Festival, taking place April 24 to May 4. Packed full of premieres, festival award winners, works by master filmmakers or featuring star subjects, films on the lineup include the World Premiere of the anti-Donald Trump film, A DANGEROUS GAME; I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY about the creator of Big Bird; and THE SHEIK about Olympic wrestler to American pop culture icon, Iron Sheik .
Special Presentation titles appears below, ordered alphabetically:
CHILDREN 404
D: Askold Kurov, Pavel Loparev | Russia | 2014 | 70 min | World Premiere
An intimate firsthand account of how Russian’s LGBT youth are fighting with extreme courage against President Vladimir Putin’s law forbidding “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors.”
A DANGEROUS GAME
D: Anthony Baxter | UK | 2014 | 90 min | World Premiere
In this explosive tale, everyday heroes battle against Donald Trump and a cast of greedy Goliaths who want to turn some of the earth’s most precious places into golf courses for the super-rich.
DEMONSTRATION
D: Victor Kossakovsky, 32 film students VVAA | Russia, Spain | 2013 | 70 min | Canadian Premiere
Legendary director Victor Kossakovsky sends 32 film students to document Barcelona’s massive and violent anti-austerity street protest in 2012. Set to an operatic score, his stunning collage transforms into a brilliant crowd-sourced street ballet.
EVERYDAY REBELLION
D: Arash T. Riahi, Arman T. Riahi | Austria, Switzerland, Germany | 2013 | 118 min | Canadian Premiere
What do topless Ukrainian women, Syrian dissidents and Wall Street Occupiers have in common? A colourful new tactic—creative non-violent protest. See why and how modern pacifism is winning in this slick tribute to disobedience.
THE GREAT INVISIBLE
D: Margaret Brown | USA | 2014 | 92 min | Canadian Premiere
With unprecedented access, this comprehensive documentary utilizes an investigative eye and a humanizing touch to examine the causes and impacts of 2010’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY
D: Chad Walker, Dave LaMattina | USA | 2014 | 85 min | World Premiere
With an incredible archive of home videos, the story of Caroll Spinney reveals how a big heart and unstoppable talent created two of the world’s most beloved Sesame Street Muppets, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.
MISSION BLUE
D: Robert Nixon, Fisher Stevens | USA | 2013 | 95 min | Canadian Premiere
The trailblazing career of internationally renowned oceanographer and eco-activist Sylvia Earle is celebrated in this beautifully shot testament to her passionate commitment to saving the world’s oceans and its imperiled inhabitants.
POINT AND SHOOT
D: Marshall Curry | USA | 2014 | 82 min | International Premiere
Baltimore native Matthew VanDyke shares extraordinary visual tales of his adventures motorcycling across the Middle East—including when he joins forces with Libyan rebels to oust Muammar Gaddafi, is captured and held in solitary confinement for six months.
RETURN TO HOMS
D: Talal Derki | Syria, Germany | 2013 | 87 min | Canadian Premiere
Filmed over the course of two years, Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize-winner RETURN TO HOMS takes us into the lives of two friends caught in the middle of the raging civil war in Syria.
RICH HILL
D: Andrew Droz Palermo, Tracy Droz Tragos | USA | 2014 | 92 min | International Premiere
In a small rural town, three young residents find themselves dreaming big but living small in this achingly beautiful, Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning depiction of adolescence.
SACRO GRA
D: Gianfranco Rosi | Italy, France | 2013 | 93 min | Canadian Premiere
Following the stories and endeavours of citizens living and working along the giant ring road that encircles Rome, this Venice Golden Lion winner paints an enchanting portrait of everyday moments in The Eternal City.
THE SHEIK
D: Igal Hecht | Canada | 2014 | 95 min | World Premiere
Every hero needs a villain. Without the Iron Sheik there could be no Hulkamania. Khosrow Vaziri’s transformation from Olympic wrestler to American pop culture icon is a personal and emotional tale that will “make you humble.”
UKRAINE IS NOT A BROTHEL
D: Kitty Green | Australia, Ukraine | 2013 | 80 min | Canadian Premiere
Ukraine’s gorgeous group of topless feminist activists, FEMEN, take off their shirts to take on their government, exposing gender inequality and government corruption through their provocative public protests.
WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. JAMES J. BULGER
D: Joe Berlinger | USA | 2014 | 107 min | International Premiere
Oscar-nominated director Joe Berlinger strips away the myths surrounding infamous Boston gangster and FBI informant James “Whitey” Bulger, exposing the truth behind his criminal empire and revealing shocking new allegations of government corruption and complicity.
DRAGON GIRLS directed by Inigo Westmeier took the big prize – the Best International Feature Documentary Award at the 2013 Canadian International Documentary Festval aka Hot Docs. Dragon Girls follows three young female students studying and living at the Shaolin Tagu Kung Fu school, home to over 20,000 students, far away from their homes and families. WHEN I WALK directed by Jason DaSilva received the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award. In WHEN I WALK, director Jason DaSilva, diagnosed with a severe form of multiple sclerosis at 25, turns the camera on himself to document a seven-year struggle with the disease that has no cure and a world filled with increasing obstacles.
Hot Docs ran April 25 – May 5, 2015 in Toronto, Canada.
The full list of winners
Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award
WHEN I WALK (D: Jason DaSilva; P: Jason DaSilva, Alice Cook; USA, Canada)
Sponsored by the Documentary Organization of Canada, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
An additional screening has been added on Sunday, May 5, at 6:30 pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre.
Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary
ALPHÉE OF THE STARS (D: Hugo Latulippe; P: Colette Loumède, Éric De Gheldere, Hugo Latulippe; Canada)
Sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada and DGC-Ontario, the award includes a $5000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
documentary Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award
Director Nicolas Renaud for BRAVE NEW RIVER (Canada)
Awarded to a first- or second-time Canadian filmmaker with a feature film in the Canadian Spectrum program, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of documentary.
Best International Feature Documentary Award
DRAGON GIRLS (D: Inigo Westmeier; P: Inigo Westmeier, Andreas Simon; Germany)
Sponsored by A&E, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
An additional screening has been added on Sunday, May 5, at 6:30 pm at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.
Special Jury Prize – International Feature Documentary
CLOUDY MOUNTAINS (D: Zhu Yu; P: Han Lei; China)
Sponsored by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the award includes a $5000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
HBO Documentary Films Emerging Artist Award
Director Lotfy Nathan for 12 O’CLOCK BOYS (USA)
Sponsored by HBO Documentary Films, the award includes a $3000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
Best Mid-Length Documentary
THE CIRCLE (D: Bram Conjaerts; P: Kobe Van Steenberghe, Hendrik Verthé; Belgium)
Sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts, the award includes a $3000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
Best Short Documentary Award
NOTES ON BLINDNESS: RAINFALL (D: James Spinney, Peter Middleton; P: Peter Middleton, Jen Kerrison; UK, Australia)
The award includes a $3000 prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
Hot Docs is an Academy Award® qualifying festival for short documentaries, and as winner of the Best Short Documentary Award NOTES ON BLINDNESS: RAINFALL will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided it complies with Academy rules.
Inspirit Foundation Pluralism Prize
Director Khoa Lê for BÀ NỘI (Canada)
Selected by the Inspirit Foundation, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of the Inspirit Foundation.
An additional screening of BÀ NỘI has been added on Sunday, May 5, at 7:30 pm at the Hart House Theatre.
Lindalee Tracey Award
This award honouring an emerging Canadian filmmaker with a passionate point of view, a strong sense of social justice and a sense of humour, was presented to two recipients:Antoine Bourges and Rocco Barriuso, both of Toronto.
Each recipient received a $5000 cash prize from Tides/Lindalee Tracey Fund and $5000 in production services from Technicolour Canada.
2013 Hot Docs Outstanding Achievement Award
Les Blank
Having tragically passed away on April 7, 2013, the award was accepted on his behalf by Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling, his longtime friends and collaborators.
documentary’s Don Haig Award
Winnipeg-based producer Merit Jensen Carr
This award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of documentary.
2013 Doc Mogul Award
Debra Zimmerman (Executive Director, Women Make Movies)
This year’s Audience Award winner and the two runners up are:
Also during this year’s Hot Docs Festival, attending filmmakers with official selections in the Festival were invited to vote for their favourite film. This year two films tied for the 2013 Filmmakers Award: THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR (D: Tinatin Gurchiani; Georgia, Germany) and THESE BIRDS WALK (D: Bassam Tariq, Omar Mullick; USA).