HOT DOCS
April 29 - May 9, 2010
Toronto / Canada
North America's largest documentary festival runs for 11 days, April 29 to May 9, presenting over 170 films from more than 40 countries and welcoming hundreds of international filmmakers and industry delegates to Toronto. In 2009, Rabbit a la Berlin won the Hot Docs Award for Best Mid-length Documentary and eventually received an Academy Award nomination.
Industry Programme - Hot Docs Conference and Market - April 29 - May 9, 2010
Toronto Documentary Forum - A documentary pitching event, May 5 - 6, 2010
The Doc Shop - A fully digital video library for accredited industry passholders, with on-demand access to 1500+ docs
May 3 - 8, 2010, the East Silver Caravan - East Silver's travelling mini-market - will make a stop at the 2010 Hot Docs with an outstanding selection of the latest East European documentaries. Contact: Anna Kaslová, East Silver, info@eastsilver.net.
Programme Categories:
Special Presentations - High-profile screenings and special events
Canadian Spectrum - Compelling Canadian stories and perspectives
International Spectrum - A competitive program of works from around the world
World Showcase - A popular global survey of the year's finest docs
Next - A program that explores creativity in the performing and visual arts
Outstanding Achievement: Kim Longinotto - A retrospective celebrating Kim Longinotto's distinguished career
Focus on: Tahani Rached - Showcasing a uniquely talented Canadian filmmaker
Spotlight: Ripping Reality - A retrospective of 10 groundbreaking doc features of the decade
Made in South America - A selection of films that demonstrate the ever-growing success and veracity of South America’s documentary film community
Small Acts - Everyday acts of kindness, altruism, activism, leadership
East European documentaries in the 2010 Hot Docs lineup:
International Spectrum
ARSY-VERSY
Slovakia 2009, 23 min
D: Miro Remo
The film is a story of a mother and her son Lubos who lives in a world turned upside-down, or, arsy-versy. Lubos broke free from the world as generally conceived by others to arrive at the supreme human-nature symbiosis; he flew away to a planet purely inhabited by butterflies - intelligent beings. The sole focus of his life energy, enriched by a great deal of empathy, is being chanelled into his amateur photography and film making, the climax of his fascination with natural phenomenona being his unique study of bats. By way of communicating with the upside-down creatures he is fascinated with, he attempts to achieve the utmost understanding between man and beast. He is assisted by his mother who has been a great support to him, but is now apprehensive about her son’s future. „What will become of the kid?“ she wonders. Those who „knew“ him thought him lost up to the moment they saw the arsy-versy film; now it’s them who are losing it!
Screenings: May 1, 4:15pm, Isabel Bader Theatre / May 5, 1:45pm, Isabel Bader Theatre
East Silver 2009
International Spectrum
CHEMO
Poland 2009, 58 min
D: Pawel Lozinski
The day ward at the Warsaw oncology clinic is always full of chatter. Conversation seems to be part of the treatment, nattering with a bedside neighbour part of the prescription. Women and men, young and old debate headscarves versus wigs, swap cabbage home remedies, and hope for a healthy recovery. A father intends to live long enough to read his son’s Master’s thesis; another plans to attend a wedding; and an expectant mother looks forward to meeting her new baby. No topic is off-limits as patients share intimacies normally relegated to pillow talk. They lay bare their regrets, their fears, and the lies they tell their loved ones in order to spare them. Ordinary moments are magnified in close-up shots—a spreading smile, an escaped tear, a baby photo. Life is worth living because every day brings something new, and suffering is a step towards gaining another one.
Screenings: May 1, 7pm, Cumberland2 / May 3, 1:30pm, Isabel Bader Theatre
East European Forum 2007 / East Silver 2009
Ripping Reality
CZECH DREAM
Czech Republic 2004, 87 min
D: Filip Remunda, Vít Klusák
Prague, Czech Republic, 31 May, 2003, a few minutes before 10a.m.; there are more than 3000 people jostling on a remote parking place. Many of them are clutching plastic bags in their hands; some of them are armed with trolley. Assistants are handing out plastic cups and the host on the lit stage urges people to have a drink from the nearby water tanker. The "hyper-anthem" of Czech Dream rings out once again from the speakers: "Try to see as a child, many things will seem wild..." Suddenly the managers of the hypermarket rush out on stage, greet their customers and briskly cut the glittering ribbon. Guards remove the metal barriers and the crowd starts moving. They still have 300 metres to reach the hypermarket. People start running... A moment later, the fastest of them are struck dumb: the hypermarket that they have reached is nothing but a huge film decoration...
Screenings: May 1, 11:30am, Isabel Bader Theatre
East Silver 2004
World Showcase
DISCO & ATOMIC WAR
Estonia, Finland 2009, 78 min
D: Jaak Kilmi
Disco and Atomic War tells the story of a strange kind of information war in which a totalitarian regime stands face to face with the heroes of popular culture. And loses. Western popular culture had an incomparable role shaping Soviet children's worldviews in those days - in ways that now seem slightly odd. Finnish television was a window to a world of dreams that the authorities could not block in any way. Though Finnish channels were banned, many households found some way to access the forbidden fruit. Disco and Atomic War offers its own version of recent history, mixing spy games into a human tragicomedy.
Screenings: April 30, 9:15pm, The ROM Theatre / May 1, 2pm, Cumberland2
East European Forum 2007 / Docu Talents From the East 2008 / East Silver 2009
World Showcase
OSADNÉ
Slovakia 2009, 65 min
D: Marko Škop
Osadne is a film about an encounter between current top European leaders and the local politicians from the last village on the edge of the European Union. The small village of Osadné welcomes a delegation from the European Parliament. And vice versa – the mayor and priest from OSADNÉ visit Brussels institutions on invitation from the European Parliament.
Screenings: May 1, 4:30pm, Cumberland2 / May 3, 2pm, Innis Town Hall
Docu Talents From the East 2008 / East Silver 2009
International Spectrum
SIX WEEKS
Poland 2009, 18 min
D: Marcin Janos Krawczyk
Due to different life situations there are mothers who do not want or those who cannot bring up their children. They have the right to give the child away just after delivery. During the first six weeks of the newborn's life the mother has to make the decision about the definit resignation of her parental rights. She is free in making her decision however the decision she makes cannot be changed afterwards. A biological mother loses any contact with her child. She can only write a final letter to the child. The film shows in a poetical way the first six weeks of the small human being who was given away.
Screenings: May 1, 7pm, Cumberland2 / May 3, 1:30pm, Isabel Bader Theatre
East Silver 2009 / Silver Eye Award 2009
Special Presentations
TIME'S UP
Germany 2009, 15 min
D: Jan Peters, Marie-Catherine Theiler
For Jan Peters and Marie-Catherine Theiler, looming deadlines, extended to-do lists, and buzzing cell phones form the pressure cooker that is their modern urban life. Upon news of Marie-Catherine’s pregnancy, the two decide it’s time to slow down. Time’s Up is their “experiment in time management.” Seeking out experts from physicists to yoga instructors, they examine with wit and irony the indefinable concept of time.
Screenings: May 4, 6:45pm, The ROM Theatre / May 6, 4pm, The ROM Theatre
Breathless - Dominance of the Moment 2009 / East Silver 2009
Contact:
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