Overview
So, you've binged on The Jinx and Making a Murderer, and now you need another outlet for your factual film and television fix. Well, we predict you're about to get excited about the newest addition to Australia's film festival circuit: Hot Docs.
Hot Docs isn't just your small-scale local documentary festival. Screening more than 200 films, it's North America’s largest doco-focused showcase, and has been running for 23 years. Given that it's also known as the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it is limited to the borders of the nation in its name; however, when it makes the leap to Australia in June this year, that'll no longer be the case.
Thanks to the folks at Palace Cinemas — including the artistic director of the Australian offshoot, Richard Moore — this brand new doco onslaught will be shown on Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra screens this June and July. Indeed, Palace just keeps building their annual calendar of events, with this revelation following the announcement of a new festival dedicated to American independent cinema, which will kick off in May.
The move is certainly timely, and is just the latest link between the festival's main Toronto base and our sunny shores. This year, the Canadian run has selected Australia as its special country of focus. And for its Aussie debut, it will screen a curated selection of festival hits and audience favourites, spanning premieres of both local and international content.
Hot Docs will screen at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema from June 21 to July 3, Melbourne's Palace Westgarth from June 14 to 26, and Canberra's Palace Electric from June 15 to 26. For more information, keep an eye on the Palace Cinemas website and Hot Docs Oz Facebook page.