Big Ideas Screening // Monday, April 27
5:00 PM: Big Ideas Cocktail
Make it a big night out with an exclusive reception before the Big Ideas screening on April 27. Add a cocktail ticket to your Big Ideas screening and connect with friends, fellow doc-lovers and special guests while supporting Hot Docs. Ticket includes drinks, canapes and popcorn.
6:30 PM: Big Ideas Screening & Discussion
Join director Tommy Avallone for a conversation about Myspace, the pioneering social media site that became a cultural phenomenon for casual users and upcoming artists alike, and how it set the stage for the social media landscape that we know today.
About the film
Step back to 2003 to the rise of the pioneering US social network Myspace. What began as a playground of music, message boards and Top 8 friendships quickly became a cultural force, embedded in the DNA of all the social media apps we use today. It helped launch careers and fuel movements—from the rise of Katy Perry and Taylor Swift to the grassroots energy of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Meet the personalities responsible for its popularity, including Dane Cook, Lil Jon, Jeffree Star and Tila Tequila. More than a website, Myspace offered escape, experimentation and community—it was a place where strangers became friends. But as it reshaped pop culture and laid the ground for the influencer economy, it also foreshadowed the social media saturation we live with today. What is its true legacy? What led to its downfall? Through candid reflections from those who built it, used it, and rose because of it, this film revisits a pivotal moment in digital history and asks: Where are we headed next? Simone Estrin