Hot Docs

This Week at The Bloor: 11/7/14

This week, The Bloor offers films looking at the ethical and legal problems of security certificates in The Secret Trial 5 and misunderstood urban communities in Slums: Cities of Tomorrow.

Interview: Charlie Lyne

We talk to film critic, essayist, and documentarian Charlie Lyne about his look back on teen movie trends of the 90s in Beyond Clueless.

RIFF 2014: Interview: Edward Lovelace and James Hall

It’s hard to imagine what it’s like to have a stroke without knowing someone who’s been through one.  The human brain is a tricky beast on the best of days, and it’s hard to put into words much less into visuals on a screen.  But directors Edward Lovelace and James Hall get closer than anyone […]

Interview: Dr. Sylvia Earle

We talk with world renowned oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle about being the subject of Fisher Stevens and Robert Nixon's documentary Mission Blue, now available on Netflix.

Interview: Andreas Johnsen

We talk with Andreas Johnsen, the Danish director of the documentary Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case about chronicling the post prison life of one of the world's most revered and influential artists, being allowed into Ai Weiwei’s inner circle, the various ways the artist tested his resolve as a filmmaker, and what he learned about Weiwei and his current situation.

Hot Docs 2014: 112 Weddings Review

112 Weddings Love, Factually 112 Weddings is misleading in a number of ways, none of them favourable. A personal experiment from long time wedding videographer turned documentary filmmaker Doug Block, 112 Weddings doesn’t examine that many matrimonial ceremonies. It’s just the total career count of wedding videos Block has been commissioned to make as of […]

Interview: Tom Berninger

We talk to Tom Berninger, subject of and filmmaker behind the documentary Mistaken for Strangers about any potential fame he has seen as a result of appearing alongside his more famous and notable brother (lead singer of The National), how the film has the potential to bring new fans to The National’s music, why his brother has heavy metal tendencies despite not being a very metal guy, what he remembers about being on tour and his job, and why he really might not be all that different from his big brother.

Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2014: Valentine Road Review

Valentine Road Discrimination is universal and some of the most horrible examples of it are happening in our very own schools.  Valentine Road is an emotional gut punch of a film, keeping manipulation at bay and letting the story of its sadly departed victim of high school violence and those affected by it speak for […]

This Week at The Bloor: 2/7/14

This week at The Bloor, entertaining looks at some hard headed intellectual icons that are often talked about in hushed reverential tones: atheist pundits Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins in The Unbelievers and the the late, controversial American writer and wit Gore Vidal in Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia.

Interview: Steve Hoover

We talk to Steve Hoover, the director of the documentary Blood Brother, about his relationship with his best friend has progressed as a result of filming him working with children suffering from AIDS and HIV in rural India, the two sides to his friend's personality, and the film’s gut punching opening sequence.

Interview: John Kastner

Dork Shelf talks to filmmaker John Kastner about his latest effort, NCR: Not Criminally Responsible (debuting on CBC Doc Zone this Thursday), and the hot button issue of people accused of violent crime, but who are unable to stand trial for mental health reasons.

NXNE 2013: Film

With the film portion of this year's 19th annual NXNE festival kicking off this Thursday, we take a look at six of this years offerings: All Out War, Mistaken for Strangers, BB King - The Life of Reily, The Rolling Stones - Charlie is My Darling - Ireland 1965, Filmage - The Story of Descendants/ALL, and Global Groove Network.