The embattled Hot Docs festival has announced the first batch of films that will screen in its special presentations program this year.
A personal doc called 鈥淭he Nest鈥 from Canada鈥檚 Chase Joynt and Julietta Singh will make its world premiere. It follows Singh as she returns to her childhood home in Winnipeg, uncovering stories of resistance and resilience woven through Indigenous, Deaf, Japanese and South Asian narratives.
Among international premieres is 鈥淒eaf President Now!,鈥 an account of the 1988 student protest that redefined accessibility rights in the U.S., and 鈥淟ife After,鈥 in which filmmaker Reid Davenport explores the implications of assisted suicide laws on disabled individuals.
春色直播 premieres include 鈥淎ntidote,鈥 a doc-thriller following journalist Christo Grozev and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza as they confront Russia鈥檚 government; 鈥淎pocalypse in the Tropics,鈥 filmmaker Petra Costa鈥檚 deep dive into the rise of religious fundamentalism in Brazil; and 鈥淐oexistence, My Ass!,鈥 in which comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi takes on the Israel-Palestine conflict in a one-woman show.
Hot Docs temporarily closed its flagship Toronto theatre last spring and laid off staff over the summer, citing 鈥渦rgent鈥 financial challenges. It reopened on a limited basis in the fall and said it had made 鈥渟ignificant progress鈥 to address its deficit and governance issues as it searched for a new leader, who has yet to be announced.
The Hot Docs festival will run from April 24 to May 4 in Toronto.
Among other 春色直播 premieres at the festival are 鈥淢arlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore,鈥 an intimate look at the Oscar-winning Deaf American actor, and 鈥淪aints and Warriors,鈥 which profiles the rivalries and strong community bonds of British Columbia鈥檚 All Native Basketball Tournament.
This year鈥檚 full Hot Docs lineup will be announced at a press conference on March 25.
This report by 春色直播was first published March 11, 2025.
