Hot Docs Announces Special Guests at 2026 Hot Docs Festival

Hot Docs is thrilled to welcome intriguing film subjects, filmmakers and special guests to its 2026 Festival, taking place in Toronto April 23 to May 3.

Featured guests are listed below. In most cases, the guests will be present at one or more screenings.

Carole Pope from Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions (D: Michelle Mama | P: Bill Taylor | Canada | 2025 | 89 min) - Canadian singer songwriter, queer rock icon and lead singer of Rough Trade.

Kenny Loggins from Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart (D: Dori Berinstein | P: Dori Berinstein | USA | 2025 | 96 min) - Grammy Award-winning singer songwriter. 

April Hubbard from The Last Days of April (D: Ree Wright, Meaghan Wright | P: Ree Wright, Meaghan Wright, Melani Wood | Canada | 2026 | 75 min) – Halifax artist and disability advocate. 

Chris DeWolfe from Myspace (D: Tommy Avallone | P: Van Toffler, Trent Johnson | USA | 2025 | 96 min) - Co-founder and former chief executive officer of MySpace. 

Amy Goodman from Steal This Story, Please! (D: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin | P: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Karen Ranucci, Diana Cohn, Caren Spruch | USA | 2026 | 102 min) - investigative journalist and co-founder and host of Democracy Now!

The 2026 Festival will also host over 200 of the world’s top documentary filmmakers and producers to introduce their films and participate in post-screening audience Q&As. Among those filmmakers in attendance are those listed below. 

Michelle Mama, director of Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions (D: Michelle Mama | P: Bill Taylor | Canada | 2025 | 89 min) 

Poh Si Teng, director of American Doctor (D: Poh Si Teng | P: Poh Si Teng, Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad | USA, Palestine, Denmark, Malaysia, Qatar | 2026 | 93 min) 

Sam Dunn, director of The Ballad of Judas Priest (D: Tom Morello, Sam Dunn | P: Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen | USA | 2026 | 98 min) 

Maya Annik Bedward, director of Black Zombie (D: Maya Annik Bedward | P: Maya Annik Bedward, Kate Fraser, Hannah Donegan | Canada | 2026 | 90 min) 

Jeffrey McHale, director of It's Dorothy! (D: Jeffrey McHale | P: Ariana Garfinkel, Zel McCarthy, Suzanne Zionts | USA | 2025 | 97 min) 

Dori Berinstein, director of Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart (D: Dori Berinstein | P: Dori Berinstein | USA | 2025 | 96 min) 

Shalini Kantayya, director of Love Apptually (D: Shalini Kantayya | P: Elizabeth Woodward | USA, Australia | 2026 | 81 min) 

Tommy Avallone, director of Myspace (D: Tommy Avallone | P: Van Toffler, Trent Johnson | USA | 2025 | 96 min) 

Kim Nguyen, director of Saigon Story: Two Shootings in the Forest Kingdom (D: Kim Nguyen | P: Nabil Mehchi, Robert Vroom, Ariel Nasr | Canada | 2026 | 91 min) 

Tia Lessin, director of Steal This Story, Please! (D: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin | P: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Karen Ranucci, Diana Cohn, Caren Spruch | USA | 2026 | 102 min) 

Monica Henriquez and Louis Massiah, directors of TCB – The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing (D: Louis Massiah, Monica Henriquez | P: Louis Massiah | USA, UK, Canada, France, Senegal | 2025 | 105 min) 

Barry Avrich, director of This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino (D: Barry Avrich | P: Mark Selby, Barry Avrich | Canada | 2026 | 78 min) 

Sara Dosa, director of Time and Water (D: Sara Dosa | P: Shane Boris, Elijah Stevens, Jameka Autry, Sara Dosa | USA, Iceland | 2026 | 90 min) 

Mark Myers, director of The Tower That Built a City (D: Mark Myers | P: Mark Myers, Luke Myers | Canada | 2026 | 92 min) 

Raha Shirazi, director of A War on Women (D: Raha Shirazi | P: Marco Serrecchia, Marica Stocchi, Beatrice Bordone Bulgari, Gianluca Curti, Daniele Occhipinti, Luca Bradamante | Italy | 2026 | 102 min) 

Dawn Porter, director of When a Witness Recants (D: Dawn Porter | P: Dawn Porter, Jennifer Oko, Miriam Weintraub | 2026 | USA | 117 min)