Unsurprisingly, some of the most entertaining documentaries at the festival are the ones about entertainers and artists, and this year’s fest is packed with fabulous films about game-changing talents carving their unique paths. Here are seven I saw and really enjoyed!
Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions (7/8)
Bold. Daring. Audacious. Theatrical. Rebellious. Unapologetic. Pioneering. Whichever adjective you choose to describe iconic Canadian rocker Carole Pope, you’ll see it in director Michelle Mama’s terrifically comprehensive and thoroughly entertaining profile of the Broadway-musical-loving (!) former Rough Trade frontwoman. A queer icon and trailblazing woman in music — whose groundbreaking work in the 1970s and ‘80s opened the creative door for countless artists who followed — Pope reflects on her life and career, from her early days growing up in Toronto and working the scene in Yorkville, to her musical partnership with her “glimmer twin” Kevan Staples, her romantic partnership with Dusty Springfield, her collaborations with everyone from Divine to the cast of SCTV, and the impact of the death of her younger brother in 1995. Interviews with some of Pope’s famous pals, including k.d. lang, Rufus Wainwright, Jann Arden and Peaches, reveal the significance of Pope’s cheeky taboo-breaking approach, and the enduring power that comes with a legacy borne from the pursuit of making great art instead of the pursuit of fame.
The Ballad of Judas Priest (7/8)
While watching this amazing exploration of the titular band’s rise to fame, I suddenly thought, “Wait. Am I a metalhead without realizing it?” Because this is the latest Hot Docs film about hard rockers — including, most recently, Dio: Dreamers Never Die in 2022 — that I’ve LOVED. Directed by Sam Dunn and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, and featuring interviews with many of Priest’s famous fans and friends (including Dave Grohl, Billy Corgan, Ozzy Osbourne, Kirk Hammett, Lzzy Hale and Jack Black), the documentary is a cinematic love letter to the iconic metal group. Lead singer (screamer?) Rob Halford and his bandmates reflect on their wildly successful career, from creating their signature look and crafting their biggest hits to surviving their public controversies and personal challenges, including Halford’s battles with substance abuse and coming out as a gay man (fun fact: who also loves Doris Day!). An absolute must-see for Judas Priest fans (the rare footage of the band’s very early performances alone is worth it!), it’s a full-throttle look at music-industry legends and their journey from Midlands misfits to metal-music masters.
Black Zombie (7/8)
For as long as most of us can remember, zombies have been a pop-culture go-to for scares and laughs. But the origins of zombie mythology can actually be traced back centuries to Haitian culture, the vodou religion, colonialism and slavery, when “the living dead” were tragic, not terrifying, figures. Director Maya Annik Bedward unpacks this fascinating history and explores how the truth has been distorted and revised over time, beginning in the 1920s with the work of American explorer/writer William Seabrook (specifically, his 1929 book The Magic Island), who first brought tall tales of the walking dead to light. Cultural historians, academics, and vodou practitioners provide insight into the background of vodou in Haiti, its cultural importance, and how Seabrook’s accounts gradually gave way through the decades to George A. Romero’s films, which are credited with launching the modern-day interpretation of zombies as brain-eating monsters. More importantly, the doc provides a critical exploration of how zombies have come to represent “otherness” in many modern-day movies and TV, and the subtle but sinister side effects of commercializing tropes. I love it when films I see at Hot Docs teach me things I didn’t know before, and this one — which is already slated for theatrical release in Canada later this year — definitely did that!
It’s Dorothy! (6/8)
As lighthearted as it is illuminating, this clip-packed doc from director Jeffrey McHale examines the seemingly universal appeal and enduring legacy of The Wizard of Oz and its plucky heroine, Dorothy Gale. From Judy Garland to The Wiz to the women of Wicked, and countless stage and screen iterations of L. Frank Baum’s timeless characters in between, the film explores why the relatable theme of searching for one’s identity resonates with so many different people for so many different reasons, and how every generation has found new meaning in the story of Dorothy and company. Several of the women who have played Dorothy over the years — including Fairuza Balk, Ashanti, and Diana Ross — also share their thoughts on her appeal and reflect on their own experiences embodying the character, revealing some of the parallels in her assorted incarnations, while celebrity fans from Lena Waithe to Margaret Cho reminisce about what Dorothy meant to them growing up. The doc does take a couple of narrative detours (for example, examining the dark side of fame for Garland) that occasionally feel out of place, but it’s otherwise a fun, nostalgia-driven trip down memory lane.
Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart (7/8)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the titular “Footloose” and “Danger Zone” singer-songwriter is crammed into this lively and satisfying profile from director Dori Berinstein. Chronicling Loggins’ ascent to the top of the pop charts and multigenerational appeal, from his early days harmonizing with his brother and his career-making collaboration with Jimmy Messina to his go-to status as a movie-soundtrack hit maker, the doc is anchored in Loggins embarking on his final tour. Contemplative and reflective, Loggins discusses some of his proudest achievements and most painful moments, his passionate environmentalism, his relationships with his kids, and how making music has been, as he describes it, “a journey into being myself.” Filled with archival footage of his performances (one sequence wherein he sings “Christopher Robin” over the course of 50 years is particularly moving), and interviews with peers such as David Foster, Kevin Bacon, Michael McDonald and Richard Marx, Berenstein’s film is a warm and exhaustive-in-the-best-way study of an artist looking back as he simultaneously looks forward.
Maintenance Artist (7/8)
Who knew the New York City Department of Sanitation had an artist in residence? Or that she’s being doing the job for 40+ years (!) and is still doing it today? Those are just two of the revelations in director Toby Perl Freilich’s wonderfully well-rounded profile of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, whose radical approach to social and environmental activism — namely, creating installations and photographic exhibits that honor and celebrate maintenance workers — has injected art into the daily life of the city, making it accessible to everyone. In a sort of doc-within-a-doc format, the film features a wealth of archival footage of interviews with sanitation workers in the 1970s (shot by Ukeles and her team at the time) alongside present-day commentary from colleagues, curators, and Ukeles and her family. A celebration of creativity and innovation — a choreographed snowplow “ballet” in Japan is especially magical — the film is a reminder of the importance and value of the people who maintain a city and maintain the Earth, so that the next time you see a janitor or a garbage collector, you might be more likely to stop, smile and say “thank you.”
Public Access (7/8)
Before the dawn of YouTube and TikTok, the anything-goes world of public-access television was the domain of the odd, outrageous and over the top, and this equally wild and wacky doc from director David Shadrack Smith pays homage to one of its most famous, most notorious outlets in New York City. Launched in the early 1970s and borne from the anti-establishment counterculture, NYC’s public-access TV channel was a place where anyone could make themselves a star, and the home to envelope-pushing, sometimes-graphic, often-controversial programming. At the same time, it was also a celebration of free speech, a medium for the gay-rights movement and AIDS education, and a platform that introduced the world to artists such as Patti Smith, Blondie and the Talking Heads. Assorted former staffers and hosts share their memories of their time in front of and/or behind the camera, and the film — which is assembled entirely from archival clips — revisits many of the personalities and pioneers that brought music, sexuality and technology into countless living rooms. It’s a fantastic time capsule of 1970s and ‘80s New York City, and a compendious throwback collage of some of the weirdest stuff ever seen on a screen.
Check out more of Moviepie’s coverage of Hot Docs 2026 here!
