Join us for one of our most popular member events: our annual showcase of the Hot Docs Festival's best, most crowd-pleasing short films. We're thrilled to bring you these seven films that showcase the incredible range and diversity of shorts presented during the 2019 Festival.
Post-screening Q&A with Andrew Moir, director of Take Me to Prom.
THE FILMS
And That is How the Rivers Came to Be
D: Miguel Araoz Cartagena | Peru | 2019 | 3 min | STC
The enchanting Peruvian legend of a Kukama god comes alive in this animated film about the creation of the vast, winding rivers of the Amazon, reminding us of our sacred, unbreakable connection to water.
The Day Don Died
D: Steve J. Adams, Sean Horlor | Canada | 2018 | 13 min | STC
When a condo community learns of a neighbour's death, the dramatic retelling of his disappearance and demise takes on a life of its own. Each version of the story sounds stranger than the last, until a revelation takes everyone by surprise.
Life in Minature
D: Ellen Evans | UK | 2018 | 5 min | STC
For Kath Holden, no detail is too small, as demonstrated by her whimsical miniatures of the paraphernalia of ordinary life. In eschewing the more genteel forms created by traditional miniaturists, Kath has carved a truly unique place for herself.
Scenes From a Dry City
D: François Verster, Simon Wood | USA | 2018 | 13 min | STC
Cape Town is closing in on "Day Zero," when citizens' taps will run dry. It's a perfect storm of catastrophic drought, rapid population growth, political infighting, unchecked construction, racial and economic inequity. This is what a world without water looks like.
Take Me to Prom
D: Andrew Moir | Canada | 2019 | 20 min | STC
Dressed in their dream outfits, a group of people take us back to the night of their prom. The music, dancing, outrageous stories and poignant moments make the event an unforgettable turning point in a journey of unapologetic queer identity and expression.
That's My Jazz
D: Ben Proudfoot | Canada, USA, Denmark | 2018 | 14 min | STC
The son of famed Kansas City jazz musician Milton Abel, Sr. contrasts his father's musical genius to his own dexterity as a pastry chef. To the beat of a mesmerizing soundtrack, we discover deeper truths about relationships between fathers and sons.
Uncaged: A Stand-In Story
D: Blake Johnston, Kelso Steinhoff | Canada | 2019 | 10 min | STC
Uncaged tells the quirky tale of Marco Kyris, an aspiring actor whose only claim to Hollywood fame is working as a stand-in for Nicolas Cage and living in the shadow of the electric, enigmatic star.