Red Fever, a documentary about the impact of Indigenous people on Western culture, is among the films headed to this year's Hot Docs festival in Toronto.HO/The Canadian Press
Running this year from April 25 to May 5, Toronto’s annual Hot Docs film festival is of course devoted to documentaries. Offscreen, though, it has been nothing but drama lately.
Last month, in an exclusive interview with The Globe and Mail, Hot Docs president Marie Nelson sounded the alarm over the organization’s future because of a drop in ticket sales for the year-round programming at its 650-seat Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. “We find ourselves dealing with significant operational challenges – so much so that it puts the sustainable future of the organization on quite shaky ground,” she said.
Later in March, Hussain Currimbhoy stepped down as artistic director just four months after his appointment. At the same time, 10 festival programmers walked out en masse.
How will this affect audiences at this year’s festival? Not much, as the programming was completed long before the staffing upheaval. There will be fewer films – 168, down from 214 in 2023 – but the drop was a given: Last year’s bonanza was to celebrate the festival’s 30th anniversary.
The most significant change is the discontinuation of the festival’s streaming platform. With online viewership and available content having diminished since the height of the pandemic, Hot Docs at Home has been phased out.
Other than that, when it comes to the viewing experience, it’s business as usual for the largest event of its kind in North America.
How to attend Hot Docs 2024
Fans can browse the full list of films sorted alphabetically, with filters for subject, program, venue and accessibility. There’s also a downloadable PDF of the schedule..
Films will be screened at three downtown venues:
- Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (506 Bloor St. W.)
- TIFF Lightbox (350 King St. W.)
- Scotiabank Theatre Toronto (259 Richmond St. W.)
Single tickets, passes and packages can be purchased in advance online through the Hot Docs website. For films with no advance seats remaining, rush tickets are available.
What awards does Hot Docs give out?
Hot Docs 2024 will distribute more than $135,000 in cash and prizes to filmmakers. There are both juried awards for films in competition and audience awards. Winners will be announced May 3.
What to watch at Hot Docs 2024?
Brad Wheeler highlights six must-watch films from the fest’s lineup.