Jennifer Baichwal’s film to open Hot Docs festival in Toronto

After being forced into virtual screenings over the last two years due to Covid-19, the North America’s largest documentary film festival returns to Toronto theatres coupled with a streaming option.

The latest project from a leading Indo-Canadian filmmaker will open the 29th edition of North America’s largest documentary film festival, Hot Docs, while a veteran Indian director will be honoured with a retrospective.

Indo-Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal’s latest project, Into the Weeds, will open the 2022 edition of Hot Docs. (Courtesy: Hot Docs)

Indo-Canadian Jennifer Baichwal’s Into The Weeds will have its world premiere as the opening night film for Hot Docs, which will begin on April 28 and run through May 8.

After being forced into virtual screenings over the last two years due to Covid-19 restrictions, the festival will also return to Toronto theatres coupled with a streaming option.

Baichwal will be the first filmmaker to have a production open the festival for a second time, after her Act of God did so in 2009.

In a release, Hot Docs described Into the Weeds as “the powerful David-and-Goliath story of a former groundskeeper who takes on a multinational agrochemical corporation after his terminal cancer diagnosis”.

Meanwhile, Indian documentarian Anand Patwardhan’s films will be showcased at the festival as he has been selected for the Outstanding Achievement Award retrospective.

“It’s been nearly three years since we last had a live festival, and we are elated to be able to bring these outstanding, outspoken stories to Toronto cinemas, and online across Canada,” Shane Smith, Director of Programming for Hot Docs, said. “This year’s programme speaks directly to many of today’s most urgent issues and will leave audiences energised, inspired and, in some cases, outraged,” he added.

Indian films have often found a platform at Hot Docs, giving them international exposure. In fact, the only Indian film to make it to the Academy Awards nominee shortlist this year, Writing with Fire, had its premiere at Hot Docs last year. It was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category but did not win.