Blamblog - Brett Lamb's Blog

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Hot Docs Press Conference

Hot Docs runs from April 30 to May 10 this year and this year's programme was announced at the press conference at Revival this morning. I'm not providing the graphics for the fest this year, so for the first time -- er, ever -- I was able to attend without having to go home and pull twenty all-nighters. A single Hot Docs was the largest project I'd ever worked on... and I did it five times. The last time I was able just enjoy Hot Docs as part of the audience was waaaay back when passes were photocopied pieces of pink paper and you could just wander in to most screenings because 'what kind of person goes to see see documentaries?'

How things change.

There are over 150 docs at this year's fest. Usually by this point I've already seen a third of the films but this not this year, so no inside tips on what's good. But here are some local films you should really see:

I think I've been hearing about Suzanne's Cat Ladies doc since those Hot Docs passes were pink pieces of paper ... and now it's done!

I'm going to be sure to see Alan Black's Bingo doc, Jackpot. When I was a teenager, I used to work fundraising Bingo's from time to time at the bingo hall in London, Ont. owed by Paul Haggis' father. It was a crazy place ... alan's last movie was about musicians in the Yukon.

Alan Zweig's new film, A Hard Name, is about ex-convicts meeting the world after prison.

Sarah Goodman, who directed the excellent 2004 doc Army of One, has a new film called When We Were Boys, about preteens in a private school . Velcrow Ripper's new doc, Fierce Light, also continues its run around the world. There are also new films by Hubert Davis and the 'Let's All Hate Toronto' guy, Albert Nerenberg. A local film also opens the fest for the first time this year: Jennifer Baichwal's Act of God.

Tickets are on sale now and the screening schedule hits the streets next week!

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