Well, I didn’t wind up seeing any films on Sunday, the final day of HotDocs 2008. With the transit system out of commission, I decided to just call it a fest and go out with a whimper instead of a bang. It was an excellent week of film-going, I must say, with fantastic weather, mostly great films and more than a few Myrocia Watamaniuk-run Q&A sessions. What I lurve so much about HotDocs – and I said this last year – is its accessibility to the public. Daytime screenings are FREE for students and seniors, and tickets are a very affordable $10 a pop (cheaper if you buy a pass). Filmmakers are almost always in attendance to chat with audiences, and the program book – which is of the exact same quality and almost the same size (page-count wise) as the TIFF program book – is a measly $2! TWO DOLLARS. Flat. For a giant, perfect-bound reference book printed on thick paper stock. How much does TIFF charge for almost the identical product (which, btw, is packed to the hilt with advertising that no doubt covers its entire cost and then some)? More than $30 when you factor in taxes! Proof, once again, that TIFF loves to gouge its audiences whenever and wherever possible. But that’s a rant for September.
For now, and to conclude this year’s coverage, HotDocs has announced its winners for 2008, and they are as follows:
Audience Award: TAKING ROOT: THE VISION OF WANGARI MAATHAI
Top 10 Films as Voted by Audiences:
1. TAKING ROOT: THE VISION OF WANGARI MAATHAI (D: Lisa Merton, Alan Dater; USA)
2. PLANET B-BOY (D: Benson Lee; USA)
3. DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER (D: Kurt Kuenne; USA)
4. THE ENGLISH SURGEON (D: Geoffrey Smith; UK)
5. TRIAGE: DR. JAMES ORBINSKI’S HUMANITARIAN DILEMMA (D: Patrick Reed; Canada)
6. ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL (D: Sacha Gervasi; USA)
7. THE BEETLE (D: Yishai Orian; Israel)
8. DADDY TRAN: A LIFE IN 3-D (D: Siu Ta; Canada)
9. STRANDED, I’VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS (D: Gonzalo Arijon; France)
10. ALL TOGETHER NOW (D: Adrian Wills; Canada)
Best International Feature Documentary: THE ENGLISH SURGEON
Special Jury Prize for International Feature Documentary: TO SEE IF I’M SMILING (D&P: Tamar Yarom; Israel)
HBO Documentary Films Emerging Artist Award: Boris Despodov for CORRIDOR #8 (P: Martichka Bozhilova; Bulgaria)
Best Canadian Feature Documentary: JUNIOR (D: Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault; P: Johanne Bergeron, Yves Bisaillon (NFB))
Special Jury Prize for Canadian Feature Documentary: FLICKER (D: Nik Sheehan; P: Maureen Judge, Anita Lee (NFB))
Best Short Documentary: THE APOLOGY LINE (D&P: James Lees; UK)
Best Mid-Length Documentary: IT’S ALWAYS LATE FOR FREEDOM (D&P: Mehrdad Oskouei; Iran)
And that’s a wrap! See you at the Worldwide Short Film Fest in June...
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2 comments:
I told you that you needed to see Dear Zachary :-)
I've just been berated anew for not being interested in seeing Planet B-Boy this weekend, which is currently playing in my neck of the woods. "SEE??? I told you." :)
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