Hot Docs is pleased to offer closed captions, open captions, and described sound for select screenings.
Open Captions: These screenings display special captions on screen during the film.
Closed Captions: These screenings have special captions that can be viewed via a Captiview device.
Described Sound: These screenings have a special soundtrack that can be listened to on a device. Guests are encouraged to bring their own headphones.
In addition, hearing assist devices are available for all screenings at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, Innis Town Hall, Scotiabank Theatre and TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Equipment requests are facilitated at the venue box office, subject to availability.
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Screenings with closed captions (CC), open captions (OC) and described sound (DS) are indicated below.
ALWAYS IN SEASON
D: Jacqueline Olive | USA | 88 min
The unresolved case of a Black teen found hanging from a swing set in North Carolina in 2014 is the lens through which this searing doc examines the lingering trauma of more than a century of lynching and continued racial violence.
SUN, APR 28, 6:15 PM | Hart House Theatre (CC)
TUE, APR 30, 12:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (OC)
SAT, MAY 4, 6:30 PM | Hart House Theatre (CC)
ASSHOLES: A THEORY
D: John Walker | Canada | 81 min
Inspired by the NYT bestselling book, this lively philosophical investigation into the rise of asshole behaviour across the world asks: What does it mean to be an asshole, and more importantly, how do we stop their proliferation?
TUE, APR 30, 7:00 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
WED, MAY 1, 3:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
SAT, MAY 4, 12:45 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (OC)
CONVICTION
D: Ariella Pahlke, Nance Ackerman, Teresa MacInnes
| Canada | 78 min
Dreaming of a society that empowers rather than jails the marginalized, a group of incarcerated women in Canada joins forces with an advocacy organization, determined to author their own stories and rebuild their communities from the inside out.
SUN, APR 28, 6:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
MON, APR 29, 1:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 3 (CC)
THU, MAY 2, 12:30 PM | Hart House Theatre (OC)
THE CORPORATE COUP D’ÉTATM
D: Fred Peabody | Canada | 90 min
Piercing insights from journalist Chris Hedges and philosopher John Ralston Saul dissect America at a troubling crossroads, exposing Trump’s MAGA doctrine as a symptom of a broken democracy where power now lies with corporations, not citizens.
MON, APR 29, 9:30 PM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (CC)
TUE, APR 30, 10:00 AM | Isabel Bader Theatre (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 12:00 PM | Hart House Theatre (OC)
DRAG KIDS
D: Megan Wennberg | Canada | 80 min
Four precocious preteens perfect their lip synching and runway walks in anticipation of the biggest drag performance of their lives at Montreal Pride, in this fierce and joyous celebration of acceptance and self-discovery.
SUN, APR 28, 6:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
TUE, APR 30, 1:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 3 (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 3:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (OC)
GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND
D: Joan Tosoni, Martha Kehoe | Canada | 90 min
From a rural Ontario childhood to Greenwich Village of the ’60s, stadium tours of the ’70s and beyond, vivid archival footage helps chart the career of the legendary songwriter as he reveals the inspiration behind his lyrics and longevity.
SAT, APR 27, 6:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
TUE, APR 30, 6:30 PM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (CC) - *Big Ideas screening
THE HOTTEST AUGUST
D: Brett Story | Canada, USA | 95 min
Amid news of devastating wildfires and hurricanes, rising rents and white nationalist marches, anxious residents of New York City and its outer boroughs ponder an unpredictable and potentially catastrophic future during one steamy summer month.
MON, APR 29, 3:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
THU, MAY 2, 6:00 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 13 (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 12:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (OC)
“I TOLD MY MUM I WAS GOING ON AN R.E. TRIP…”
D: Lindy Heymann | UK | 42 min
Fusing tough subject matter with wicked humour and inventive spoken word, this thought-provoking performative doc stages four young actresses playing interchangeable roles to recount real-life abortion experiences. Screening with Egg and La Bonita
FRI, MAY 3, 9:00 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 13 (CC)
SAT, MAY 4, 12:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 4 (OC)
INSIDE LEHMAN BROTHERS
D: Jennifer Deschamps | Canada, France | 76 min
A cautionary tale for the ages and a grim portent of what may come again, this detailed autopsy of the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis highlights the mainly female mortgage brokers and accountants whose whistleblowing fell on deaf ears. Screening with Libre.
SAT, APR 27, 9:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
SUN, APR 28, 1:30 PM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 6:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (OC)
A KANDAHAR AWAY
D: Aisha Jamal | Canada | 83 min
When a family originally from Kandahar, Afghanistan, buys land in the tiny hamlet of Kandahar, Saskatchewan, their journey to consider the potential of the Prairies reveals a generational divide and clashing ideas on what it means to be Canadian.
WED, MAY 1, 6:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
THU, MAY 2, 1:00 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (OC)
SAT, MAY 4, 10:15 AM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
KILLING PATIENT ZERO
D: Laurie Lynd | Canada | 100 min
Skilfully revealing the homophobia behind the headlines, this doc traces the devastating impact of the 1980s AIDS epidemic and clears the name of the Québécois flight attendant who was infamously known as Patient Zero.
FRI, APR 26, 8:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
SAT, APR 27, 12:30 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 4 (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 2:45 PM | Hart House Theatre (OC)
LAST BREATH
D: Alex Parkinson, Richard da Costa | UK, Sweden | 86 min
When a commercial diver is stranded hundreds of feet underwater with only five minutes of oxygen, his crew launches an eleventh-hour rescue mission in a ferocious storm. Told with incredible underwater access, this suspenseful story stares death in the face.
MON, APR 29, 6:45 PM | Hart House Theatre (CC)
TUE, APR 30, 3:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC) (DS)
SUN, MAY 5, 8:45 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 3 (DS) (OC)
MOONLIGHT SONATA: DEAFNESS IN THREE ACTS
D: Irene Taylor Brodsky | USA | 90 min
The filmmaker ushers us through a poignant memoir of her deaf son growing up and her deaf father facing his twilight years, scored by the melancholy notes of Beethoven’s iconic sonata, written when the composer’s own hearing began to fail.
MON, APR 29, 9:00 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (CC)
TUE, APR 30, 3:00 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto (DS) (OC)
FRI, MAY 3, 9:00 PM | Fox Theatre (CC)
N. SCOTT MOMADAY: WORDS FROM A BEAR
D: Jeffrey Palmer | USA | 85 min
The life and career of Pulitzer Prize–winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday, one of Native America’s most celebrated literary figures, is explored in this spiritual journey through the expansive landscapes of the West and New Mexico.
THU, MAY 2, 6:00 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 6:00 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 3 (OC)
SUN, MAY 5, 5:45 PM | Aga Khan Museum (CC)
OUR DANCE OF REVOLUTION
D: Phillip Pike | Canada | 102 min
Protest and passion ground this long-overdue look at Toronto’s Black LGBTQ community, featuring a rousing oral history of struggle and triumph from four decades of local legends and freedom fighters.
MON, APR 29, 6:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
WED, MAY 1, 2:45 PM Scotiabank Theatre 3 Toronto (OC)
FRI, MAY 3, 12:00 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 8 (CC)
THE PICKUP GAME
D: Matthew O’Connor, Barnaby O’Connor | UK,
Canada | 96 min
This provocative insider investigation exposes the secrets of the scandal-filled yet thriving pickup industry, where would-be Casanovas pay to be coached in the art of seduction.
TUE, APR 30, 8:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
WED, MAY 1, 10:15 AM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
SAT, MAY 4, 3:15 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (OC)
PIPE DREAMS
D: Stacey Tenenbaum | Canada | 78 min Converging on Montreal for the prestigious Canadian International Organ Competition, five talented young musicians from around the globe face off to master “the king of instruments,” with their determination proving to be as moving as their artistry and skill. Screening with That’s My Jazz.
SUN, APR 28, 3:15 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 4 (CC)
TUE, APR 30, 9:00 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 3 (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 10:00 AM | Isabel Bader Theatre (CC)
PREY
D: Matt Gallagher | Canada | 85 min
This riveting story of deceit, corruption and vindication follows a survivor of sexual abuse as he and his lawyer take on the Catholic Church in an Ontario court.
FRI, APR 26, 9:00 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
SAT, APR 27, 1:00 PM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (CC)
THU, MAY 2, 1:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
QUIET STORM: THE RON ARTEST STORY
D: Johnny Sweet | USA | 116 min
Following an infamous on-court brawl, Ron Artest became the most maligned athlete in sports. This distinctly American biography follows him from his childhood in Queens to his turbulent NBA years to his reinvention as inspiring mental health advocate Metta World Peace.
SUN, APR 28, 5:30 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 3 (CC)
MON, APR 29, 10:15 AM | Isabel Bader Theatre (CC)
SUN, MAY 5, 10:30 AM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (OC)
SEAHORSE
D: Jeanie Finlay | UK | 90 min
For a British trans man yearning for a child, the journey to conceiving is anything but straightforward. Through intimate access, experience this story of heartache, determination and love that illuminates what it truly takes to be a father.
TUE, APR 30, 9:00 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 8 (CC)
WED, MAY 1, 1:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (OC)
SHELLA RECORD – A REGGAE MYSTERY
D: Chris Flanagan | Canada | 87 min
When a reggae fanatic unearths a record by a mysterious diva in a Toronto junk shop, his resulting musical obsession drives him on an increasingly desperate quest to Kingston, Jamaica, to track down the song’s elusive singer.
MON, APR 29, 9:15 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (CC)
WED, MAY 1, 12:45 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 4 (OC)
FRI, MAY 3, 3:15 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 3 (CC)
THERE ARE NO FAKES
D: Jamie Kastner | Canada | 114 min
When a celebrity buyer begins to doubt the authenticity of a painting by iconic Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau, he’s drawn into the tragic web of an exploitative art forgery ring that quickly widens far beyond the canvas.
MON, APR 29, 6:00 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
WED, MAY 1, 8:15 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 3 (CC)
TOXIC BEAUTY
D: Phyllis Ellis | Canada | 90 min
Cancer, diabetes, developmental delays and more—the cosmetics industry’s ugly secrets are exposed through exclusive interviews with scientists, whistleblowers and consumer survivors who raise pressing questions about the true cost of beauty.
SUN, APR 28, 6:30 PM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (CC) *Big Ideas screening
MON, APR 29, 12:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
THU, MAY 2, 5:45 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 3 (OC)
TRIXIE MATTEL: MOVING PARTS
D: Nick Zieg-Owens | USA | 91 min
The half-Ojibwa drag queen, musician, comedian and TV personality—best known for snatching the crown in season three of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars—provides an all-access pass to the tour of her rollicking one-woman show.
SAT, APR 27, 9:30 PM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (CC)
SUN, APR 28, 3:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 8:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
SAT, MAY 4, 9:45 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (OC)
WELL GROOMED
D: Rebecca Stern | USA | 87 min
Move over, Westminster Kennel; there’s a more colourful dog show in town. Creative groomers—those who dye and sculpt dog fur into kaleidoscopic shades and shapes—face off in an irresistibly over-the-top contest circuit that will leave you howling.
THU, APR 25, 8:00 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)(DS)
FRI, APR 26, 12:45 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (CC)
SAT, MAY 4, 10:15 AM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (DS)(OC)
WHEN WE WALK
D: Jason DaSilva | USA, Canada | 79 min
Recently divorced, the filmmaker attempts to relocate closer to his young son, but confronts the harsh inequity of the US Medicaid system, which would prevent him from accessing the care he needs to live while battling advanced multiple sclerosis.
MON, APR 29, 6:30 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (OC)
TUE, APR 30, 12:45 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 12:45 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (CC)
WILLIE
D: Laurence Mathieu-Leger | USA, Canada | 89
In the midst of the American civil rights movement, Willie O’Ree became the first Black player to skate in the NHL. An inspiration to many, the remarkable story of this recent Hall of Fame inductee’s courage and resilience transcends the sport.
MON, APR 29, 6:30 PM | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (CC) (DS) *Big Ideas screening
TUE, APR 30, 4:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (DS) (OC)
FRI, MAY 3, 10:15 AM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC) (DS)
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT
D: Brent Hodge | Canada | 60 min
The catchy hook of Baha Men’s 2000 hit single asks an age-old question, and this hilariously earnest doc asks many more, taking a wild ride through eight years of a man’s runaway obsession with the song and its much-disputed origins. Screening with Life in Miniature and Memory Video.
THU, MAY 2, 9:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 (CC)
FRI, MAY 3, 6:30 PM | Hart House Theatre (CC)
SUN, MAY 5, 9:30 PM | TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (OC)
A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM
D: Yu Gu | USA | 85 min
Football and feminism collide as former cheerleaders file class-action lawsuits and face off with the multi-billion-dollar NFL corporation, alleging rampant wage theft, sexism and labour violations.
TUE, APR 30, 8:30 PM | Scotiabank Theatre Toronto 4 (CC)
THU, MAY 2, 9:00 PM | Isabel Bader Theatre (OC)
SAT, MAY 4, 12:30 PM | Fox Theatre (CC)
Accessible screenings are supported by the Government of Ontario, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation and J.P. Bickell Foundation.