The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is presenting a stellar selection of seven National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produced and co-produced documentaries, including two world premieres, from April 25 to May 5 in Toronto.
World premieres
A Mother Apart (Oya Media Group/NFB)
Toronto filmmaker Laurie Townshend's feature documentary accompanies powerhouse Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin as she re-imagines the essential art of mothering.
Am I the skinniest person you've ever seen? (Compass Productions/9466-7565 Québec/NFB)
In this deeply personal short doc by Montreal director Eisha Marjara, dieting together seems like fun for two sisters-until their project takes a dark turn.
Canadian premieres
7 Beats Per Minute (Intuitive Pictures/NFB)
Mongol Chinese Canadian filmmaker Yuqi Kang follows freediving champion Jessea Lu's return to the site of her near-death experience, to face the traumas of her past.
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (Banger Films/NFB)
Toronto directors Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee explore the extraordinary story of a trailblazing Black trans soul singer who emerged as a chart-topping ingénue in Toronto, before vanishing on the eve of stardom.
Once named "Cuba's youngest soldier" in a publicity stunt, Newfoundland-based filmmaker Tamara Segura explores her father's troubled past and its connection to the Cuban Revolution.
Wilfred Buck (Door Number 3 Productions/NFB)
In Toronto-based Anishinaabe filmmaker Lisa Jackson's hybrid feature doc, charismatic and irreverent Cree Elder Wilfred Buck survives life on the streets to reclaim and share ancient star knowledge and spiritual ceremony.
Charles Officer Memorial Screening
When filmmaker Charles Officer died on December 1, 2023, the community of Toronto and Canadian cinema lost a visionary talent. As part of a special tribute, Hot Docs will screen his 2010 NFB feature documentary, Mighty Jerome.
More about the films
