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The Hottest Docs

As awards season heats up, Hot Docs brings you a selection of the most acclaimed and awarded documentaries of the year.  

Plus: Meet the makers behind these exceptional films! Select screenings include a live or pre-recorded director Q&A. 

Series runs Starts December 5

Opens Tuesday, December 5

a woman leaning on a bed and smiling

Kokomo City

In this wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered documentary, filmmaker D. Smith passes the mic to four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City.  

Stick around for a pre-recorded Q&A with director D. Smith.

  • D: D. Smith
  • USA
  • 2023
  • 73 min
More details

Opens Sunday, December 10

a woman in a turtle fountain writing in a journal

The Disappearance of Shere Hite

The Hite Report, a groundbreaking study of the intimate experiences of women, presaged current conversations about gender and sexuality, and made its author a target. 

Stick around for a pre-recorded Q&A with director Nicole Newnham.

  • D: Nicole Newnham
  • USA
  • 2023
  • 116 min
More details

Opens Tuesday, December 12

a man and a woman cuddling and reading on a couch

The Eternal Memory

Oscar-nominated director Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent) tells the uplifting and heartbreaking love story of Augusto and Paulina, whose lives were forever changed by Augusto’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. 

In Spanish with English subtitles.

Stick around for a pre-recorded Q&A with director Maite Alberdi.

  • D: Maite Alberdi
  • Chile
  • 2023
  • 85 min
More details

Opens Wednesday, December 13

a woman in front of a wall of photos

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

A look at the life of poet Nikki Giovanni and the revolutionary historical periods through which she lived, from the civil rights movement to the birth of Black Lives Matters.

Stick around for a pre-recorded Q&A with directors Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster. 

  • D: Michèle Stephenson & Joe Brewster
  • USA
  • 2023
  • 102 min
More details

Opens Wednesday, December 13

two men sitting together in a car

To Kill a Tiger

Follow the story of a father whose love for his daughter in the face of a horrific sexual assault forces a social reckoning in his small Indian village.

In Hindi and Nagpuri with English subtitles.

Join director Nisha Pahuja with special guests Anita Lee and Mike Munn for a Q&A after the December 13 screening. Moderated by filmmaker Yung Chang.

  • D: Nisha Pahuja
  • Canada
  • 2022
  • 125 min
More details

Opens Friday, December 15

a man with a backpack by the ocean

The Mission

From National Geographic, discover the story of American missionary John Chau, who was killed when he attempted to make contact with one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous communities. 

Stick around for a pre-recorded Q&A with directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss after each screening.

  • D: Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss
  • USA
  • 2023
  • 103 min
More details

Opens Sunday, December 17

a man with glasses and two puppets

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe

Kindness, creativity and a touch of magic makes the world a brighter place. Explore the story and impact of Canadian entertainer Ernie Coombs and his iconic series, Mr. Dressup

Join director Robert McCallum, Nina Keogh (Truffles), Jim Parker (Alex), Jani Lauzon (Granny), and Cathie LeFort, Daughter of Ernie Coombs for a Q&A after the December 17 screening. Moderated by Heidi Reitmaier.     

  • D: Robert McCallum
  • Canada
  • 2023
  • 90 min
More details

Saturday, December 23, 6:30 PM

a man with a microphone

32 Sounds

Join Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Green as he takes the audience on a journey through time and space to experience in new ways the astonishing sounds of our everyday lives. 

Stick around for a pre-recorded Q&A with director Sam Green.

  • D: Sam Green
  • USA
  • 2023
  • 97 min
More details

Opens Thursday, December 28

three people in wetsuits under the water

The Deepest Breath

The story of a champion freediver and expert safety diver, whose lives seemed fated to converge at the height of their careers.  

In English and Italian with English subtitles.

Stick around for a pre-recorded Q&A with director Laura McGann.

  • D: Laura McGann
  • Ireland, United Kingdom & USA
  • 2023
  • 108 min
More details

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