Hot Docs 2024 -Drama & Picks

 

     APRIL 25 to May 5th, 2024.

This year's Hot Docs will be much different than previous Hot Docs for many reasons. I have been going to Hot Docs for years and volunteered for a short time, so I got to know some people who put the festival together.  These people are knowledgeable, kind and have Integrity.  This year with the exit of the 2 driving forces at the top of the list, Creative Director Shane Smith and Executive Director Chris MacDonald, and the change of the leadership at the top things didn't go as well as they usually did.  They brought in Creative Director Hussain Currimbhoy, who was said to create a toxic environment.  Marie Nelson became the President.  But ever-present were the programmers who after many years of experience pursued finding great films under more and more difficult circumstances.

After the decimation of cash flow caused by Covid closures and cutbacks and people's cautious return to big festivals the funding environment of any arts organization in Toronto became more difficult.  But add a toxic environment at the hands of its leaders and you create a powder keg ready to blow.  Just as Hot Docs was about to present their 2024 Press Conference there was a mass exodus of the programming team.  I have never seen this happen in over 20 years of attending festivals in Toronto.  I know a couple of the programmers and I know they are passionate about film and would not do this unless they saw no other choice.  

But they still did their job and there will be films at this year's festival.  I do hope that these events won't cast a shadow on the work of the documentary filmmakers who struggle to have their work completed and seen.

I wasn't at the Press Conference but someone I know was and it seemed as though Marie Nelson had to spend most of the time discussing what happened and why the programmers left.  

So this year will not have the people who programmed the films introducing them to audiences but I hope that you still go see the films and support the filmmaker.   The festival needs financial support to keep going and you can voice your wishes with feedback at the festival.

I put together a list of my Picks based on subjects and stories that seem interesting to me.  These generally fall into the categories of pop culture, environment, food and inspirational stories.

Here is my list and will see how many I get to see and what my thoughts are after I see them:

• Luther: Never Too Much
• Beard
• Born Hungry
• Charles Officer Memorial Screening of Mighty Jerome
• The Click Trap
• Cyborg Generation 
• Disco's Revenge
• Eno
• Eternal You
• Farming the Revolution
• The Here Now Project
• Limits of Europe
• Me, Michael and I 
• Michel Gondry, Do It Yourself 
• The Outpost
• A Photographic Memory 
• Secret Mall Apartment
• Seeking Mavis Beacon
• So This Is Christmas
• Stray Bodies
• Union 
• The White Mountain
• Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story 

 

I'm not going to give you the synopsis because I want you to go to the Hot Docs website and look up these films and others that might interest you.

Harvey Lalonde won't be there to take your tickets but I am sure he is sad to see his favourite people gone but would still wish he could be there to see you.

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What I saw at Tiff 23

 I saw more films than I did last year at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) 2023.

Not nearly as many as some of my friends saw but here is my list and what I thought of them.  In order of the dates I saw them.  

This year had a few celebrity Actor/Directors in attendance and lot's of International and Canadian Actors who may not get the same love when the Hollywood actors come to town.  It was a movie lovers festival with some sad, fun and thought provoking films.  The festival village was very subdued this year and the only real fan frenzy I saw was for the one film I couldn't get into because the rush line cut at me.  That was for the Brad Pitt of Hong Kong, actor Andy Lau who was there for the film The Movie Emperor.  I didn't know about him but my friend told me how much of a big deal he is.  I thought the film would be interesting but unfortunately will have to wait to see it another way.

The other big crowd turned up for the Live Nickelback show.  I saw the documentary but didn't have the energy to stick around for the show but being short I probably wouldn't have seen anything anyway because it was jam packed.

Here's a list of the films I did see and some brief thoughts on each one.

1. American Fiction- This was a volunteer preview film so the volunteers got to see it before the public and it was a surprise so it wasn't on my original list.  I liked it and got the point they were trying to make.  A few of my friends didn't love it.  It ended up winning People's Choice which I thought might have gone to the Holdovers.
2. Nickelback: Hate to Love - I love documentaries and this was a fun one because they poke fun at being called the most hated band.  They also revealed some of their personal challenges along the way.  It was a mix of their real life and show footage so if you are a fan you get the music if you know nothing about them you get a bit of their story.
3. One Life - This one was heart wrenching.  At the screening I attended the audience was filled with people that survived because of the one man that was the subject of this film.  Films that are based on real life always have more heft to them and with Anthony Hopkins empathetic performance the audience left balling at the end.  This was one of my favourites.
4. Ezra- This is an uncomfortable watch because of the tug of war between parents of an autistic child.  The actor playing the child was autistic in real life.  Bobby Cannavale gave a solid anxiety filled performance and the child gave a natural portrayal of the issues.  Robert DeNiro was as solid as he always is.  This was the last of a marathon day so it felt long to me.
5. Knox Goes Away-  I wouldn't say this is a great film but it was entertaining.  It's the Directorial debut of Michael Keaton.  Character wise it was interesting.  It couldn't use a little tightening up to make it flow a bit better.
6. Next Goal Wins- This is a Taika Watiti film.  He is in the intro and has a small bit in the film.  This one is based on a true story.  It was ok and very much like Ted Lasso but Ted Lasso has a lot more heart.  I didn't connect with this one as much as I did with Jo Jo Rabbit.  I guess having to stay true to the story might create restrictions to how far out there you can go.
7. Rustin- This one was about the organizing of the March on Washington and the Black Gay Man that was responsible for organizing it.  Directed by George C. Wolfe.  Starring Colman Domingo as Rustin and the centrepiece of this film.  It demonstrates the struggles of gay black men and the battle to move rights forward for all Black people.  It wasn't the type of film that makes you cheer at the end but it does make you reflect.
8. Flora and Son- This film stars Eve Hewson (daughter of Bono) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  Eve's character a single mom  Flora,  finds an old guitar in a dumpster thinking her son would like it for his birthday.  She gets it fixed and when her son isn't impressed she decides to take some online guitar lessons and connects with Gordon-Levitt and finds herself in the process and develops a better relationship with her son.
9. The Holdovers- This was my favourite film of the festival.  It was funny and original and had great characters.  It was directed by Alexander Payne.  He was the only one that was in attendance at the festival.  He told the story in the Q&A on how he found Dominic Sessa at one of the schools they filmed who was there taking theatre training and it was his first film.  Paul Giamatti who is one of the best character actors really demonstrates why he makes movies great.  Also a standout with a tough house mama staff member character was Da'Vine Joy Randolph.  You will love her while she melts Giamatti's tough heart.  It got the runner up for the People's Choice award so I would predict some Oscar buzz to come soon for this one.  All of my friends that saw this one loved it.
10. Memory- I really wanted to love this one because I love Jessica Chastain and she has delivered some excellent work over the years.  Not that her performance was bad but I just didn't love the film overall.  I didn't like the pace of the film and the interactions between all of the characters was just plain awkward.  Maybe that was the intent but I found it difficult to watch and I kept hoping something that made sense would happen.
11. Sly- One notable movie reviewer did not like this film but I enjoyed it but it did feel like it skipped through a lot of his history.  It was almost like a therapy session where he reveals that the whole reason of the things he did in his life was because of his tough father.  I would have liked to see more from his family and other people he worked with in the industry.  He was in attendance to intro the film at the screening I was at.  I was supposed to be volunteering at that screening but they cancelled that shift so I would have seen him up close instead of the balcony seats but at least I got to see the film.
12. Mother Couch- This was the last film I saw at the festival and unfortunately didn't leave feeling great about standing in a rush line at Scotiabank to see it.  Another case of I love Ewan McGregor but didn't love this film.   Too weird and the characters seemed clueless.  McGregor has very expressive facial expressions but it didn't help this film make sense.

                                Nickleback at Roy Thompson Hall with the director of the film