Hot Docs trumpets female representation

Canadian documentary festival Hot Docs has unveiled its 230-title line-up for 2017, with female filmmakers representing close to 48% of the official selection.

The festival, which runs from April 27 to May 7, will open with Lana Šlezić’s Bee Nation, a CBC-backed doc following students in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan as they compete in the first province-wide First Nations Spelling Bee.

Other docs selected for the 24th edition of the fest include David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg’s Bill Nye: Science Guy, about the titular PBS host and educator; Josh Greenbaum’s Becoming Bond, which focuses on one-time James Bond actor George Lazenby; Brian Knappenberger’s Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, which looks at Hulk Hogan’s legal battle against gossip site Gawker; Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral, which studies the destruction of the world’s coral reef; and Matthew Heineman’s City of Ghosts, which is one of eight Syria-focused films screening at Hot Docs.

This year’s event will also feature a Made in Japan programme, presenting a range of films from the Far East, including A Room of Her Own: Rei Naito and Light, in which women share stories that reflect the work of a mysterious Japanese artist; and Ryuichi Hirokawa: Human Battlefield, in which the titular photojournalist revisits the sites and stories that defined his career.

On the industry side, Hot Docs expects to host more than 2,500 industry delegates, with networking events including the Hot Docs Deal Maker, The Doc Shop and the Hot Docs Forum, the latter of which will take place this year on May 2 and 3.

The festival’s director of programming, Shane Smith, said: “As our world shifts in startling new ways, Hot Docs is committed to showcasing those films that tackle topics of global importance, from environmental issues and human rights to international conflict.”