Hot Docs 2014: Kung Fu Elliot (Matthew Bauckman & Jaret Belliveau)

Screening for the final time toady at the Scotiabank Theatre at 9:30 is this highly entertaining, often funny, film about no-budget movies, bad acting, ‘good’ kung fu, and lies. In Moncton, New Brunswick, we are introduced to Elliot Scott and his girlfriend Linda. Elliot’s only desire is to be Canada’s kung fu star, like his heroes…

Hot Docs 2014: The Homestretch (Anne de Mare & Kirsten Kelly)

Screening for the second time this afternoon at 3:30 at the ROM, as well as one final time on 4 May at 7 at Scotiabank is this strong documentary that shines a light on a heartbreaking subject. Opening with some terrifying stats, like there are between 2,000 and 3,000 homeless youths on the streets of…

Toronto After Dark: The Banshee Chapter (2013) – Blair Erickson

  The Scary Night programme of Toronto After Dark came to a frightening close last night at Scotiabank, with the film I have been most looking forward to all festival, The Banshee Chapter. Using the 1950s MK Ultra experiments (something I only learned about because of The X-Files initially) as its launching point, the story follows a…

Hot Docs: Remote Area Medical – Jeff Reichert & Farihah Zaman

Scotiabank played host to a heartbreaking presentation of this beautiful film that shows the terrible state of medicine in the United States and its practice. Remote Are Medical, created by Stan Brock (who seems to travel everywhere by bike), was established to bring doctors to the Amazon. Recent times however, have necessitated them to bring more work…

Hot Docs: The Great North Korean Picture Show – James Leong & Lynn Lee

Wednesday evening, I got a look inside the world of acting and film in North Korea. What I found was an entertaining film, that despite being heavily monitored by the secretive state’s government (they reviewed all the dailies before they were allowed to be used, and some material couldn’t be used due to faults, according to them,…

Hot Docs: Maidentrip – Jillian Schlesinger

Laura Dekker wants to sail around the world. Alone. She’s 14. (When I was 14 I had a ridiculously early curfew – RIDICULOUSLY(!) – and wasn’t allowed to do a lot of after school activities, and we were living on a 23 square mile island!) 519 Days, 27,000 nautical miles. Alone. No support crew, no follow…