Sadly, it’s that time again – time for me to bid adieu to all-day, all-night, wall-to-wall documentaries and line chats and post-film Q&As for another year. Happily, my final day of Hot Doc-ing featured a balance of despair and delight onscreen, with a series of strong films that brought my 2016 festival to a nice …
One of the nice things about having a media pass to Hot Docs is the ability for the passholder to change his or her mind on the fly. Because there’s no need to book tickets in advance, you can just see where the day (or your mood or the weather) takes you, and switch your …
After taking the previous night off to rest and recharge, I hit the ground running yesterday for a trio of films that, though it wasn’t planned, all tied together nicely in terms of theme. First up was The Happy Film (6/8), a doc about graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister’s quest to find out whether he can …
Here’s how you know it’s perhaps time to slow down and take a break: you’re a film-fest veteran who’s attended Hot Docs for the past 10 years (and TIFF for some 25+ years), but you nonetheless wind up getting into the wrong ticketholders line. Twice. In the same day. For two different screenings. That’s what …
Maybe it was the rain and grey skies, maybe it was the fact that it was a Sunday, but, man – it was like everyone forgot how to behave/work at Hot Docs yesterday. Every screening I attended started late, smartphones repeatedly popped on during films, the new ticket-scanning process s-l-o-w-e-d entry down everywhere… to the …
After the excitement of last night’s awesome Hot Docs experience at the Strike a Pose screening (from which it took me a good couple of hours to decompress), I worried that maybe my 2016 fest peaked too early. Seeing an amazing film early in a festival always sets the bar high, but I tried to start …
Day one of Hot Docs filmgoing! YAAAAY! I got to the Bader with plenty of time to spare, met up with my filmgoing pals and snagged my fave seat. First up was Weiner (7/8), a behind-the- scandal glimpse at the life of former congressman Anthony Weiner as he attempts to run for the mayor’s office …
As my Hot Docs 2016 gets underway today – see you in line! – here are a few of the films I managed to see at advance screenings. Ants on a Shrimp (3/8) Let me begin my saying: if you’d like to watch a live snapping turtle be killed and sliced apart on camera, in …
It is with sheer unbridled enthusiasm that I say: I *lurrrrrrrve* Hot Docs! It’s my absolute favourite film festival… and I’m over the moon that it’s time for another installment! (Where did the last year go?!) The 2016 fest runs from April 28th through May 8th, and welcomes over 230 films from 51 countries around …