HOT DOCS FILM FESTIVAL

The prestigious Canadian festival Hot Docs is the largest documentary film festival in the world and is coming to Sydney to educate and enchant audiences with a unique program of 24 films from 15 countries.

Artistic director Richard Moore has brought the finest documentaries from all over the world for this inaugural festival screening at the Palace Cinemas.

The ideology that “documentaries are what you watch on television” has changed amongst movie-goers. “Documentary film-maker Michael Moore changed that way of thinking when he came on the scene many years ago,” explained Moore. “Documentaries are not confined to television. There has been a small niche market for documentaries for years and film distributors can see this.”

“This festival is for a Palacey [Palace Cinema] type of audience – a thinking audience. There are so many different subjects to choose from and special interest groups should come out of the woodwork.”

“Two documentaries which I highly recommend are Diving Into The Unknown, which is a captivating underwater cave rescue adventure, and The Sex Temple, a raunchy and hilarious story about a queer guy who rebuilds and transforms his burnt down theatre into a swinger’s club.”

As to whether Australian audiences should embrace this festival? An enthused Moore replied, “I bloody well hope so – it’s a great program!” (MMo)

TOP PICKS

A BALLERINA’S TALE (USA) – Documents African-American ballerina Misty Copeland’s rise to fame and the hardships she endured. Introduced to ballet at the age of 13, this award winning dancer succeeded in a classical ballet world where dancers traditionally have the “skin colour of a freshly skinned apple”.

A LIFE OF ITS OWN: THE TRUTH ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA (AUSTRALIA) – Should this drug be illicit in Australia? An investigation reveals that properties of cannabis have a proven therapeutic value for people suffering from epilepsy and cancer. Real life cases and interviews with medical experts make this unmissable viewing.

INGRID BERGMAN: IN HER OWN WORDS – A revealing look at the incredible life of a screen legend who reshaped the film world through her award-winning movies. Clips from her films, private screen tests and rarely seen footage from her own home-made films translate into exceptional viewing.

Jun 21–Jul 3. Palace Verona, 17 Oxford St, Paddington. $19-$150 (10 films). Tickets & info: hotdocsoz.com