Twenty-nine (yes 29!) Women Make Movies filmmakers will be pitching and premiering at Hot Docs this year, a record number! Eight films made with the support of the WMM Production Assistance Program will be premiering at the festival, including:
- STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS (dir. Jalena Keane-Lee; prod. Erin Lau, Amber Espinosa-Jones) – WORLD PREMIERE;
- KARUARA, PEOPLE OF THE RIVER (dir. Stephanie Boyd & Miguel Araoz Cartagena; prod. Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari, Leonardo Tello Imaina, Stephanie Boyd) – WORLD PREMIERE;
- THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL (dir. Pamela Hogan; prod. Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir, Pamela Hogan, Jeffrey Kimball, Sam Jinishian) -WORLD PREMIERE;
- A MOTHER APART (dir. Laurie Townshend; prod. Alison Duke, Ngardy Conteh George, Justine Pimlott) – WORLD PREMIERE;
- DEVI (dir. Subina Shrestha, prod. Rosie Garthwaite) – WORLD PREMIERE;
- A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY (dir. Rachel Elizabeth Seed; prod. Rachel Elisabeth Seed, Sigrid Dyekjaer, Michael Sherman, Matt Perniciaro, Danielle Varga, Beth Levison) – INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE;
- INTERCEPTED (dir. Oksana Karpovych; prod. Rocío B. Fuentes, Giacomo Nudi, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel, Olha Beskhmelnytsina ) – CANADIAN PREMIERE; and
- 7 BEATS PER MINUTE (dir. Yuki Qang; prod. Ina Fichman, Sherien Barsoum) – CANADIAN PREMIERE.
New films from WMM program alums Brett Story (UNION), Yance Ford (POWER), Katerina Suvorov (STREETS LOUD WITH ECHOES), and Dawn Porter (LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH), the latter of which will be the opening night film, are also premiering.
Twelve filmmakers will be pitching projects that are currently being made with the support of the WMM Production Assistance Program.
Three of these are participating in the Forum:
- ARREST THE MIDWIFE (dir. Elaine Epstein; prod. Elaine Epstein, Robin Hessman, Ruth Ann Harnisch);
- THERE’S ONLY ONE SHIRLEY (dir. Isadora Kosofsky; prod. Isadora Kosofsky, Amanda Mustard); and
- #WHILEBLACK (dir. Jennifer Holness and Sydney Fussell; prod. Ann Shin, Geeta Gandbhir, Tara Jan).
And nine are participating in Deal Maker:
- THE SANDBOX (dir. Kenya Jade-Pinto; prod. Shasha Nakhai, Kenya-Jade Pinto);
- GIRL ISLAND (dir. Marjorie Vecchio; prod. Susan Stryker, Marjorie Vecchio);
- THE SOLDIER’S JOURNEY (dir. Helena Maksyom; prod. Adrian Privu, Yasmin C. Rams, Renko Douze, Dea Gjinovci);
- WAR ON WOMEN (dir. Maris Salumets; prod. Elina Litvinova);
- #NUNSTOO (dir. Lorena Luciano; prod. Filippo Piscopo);
- BARBARA FOREVER (dir. Brydie O’Connor; prod. Elijah Stevens);
- WILL THEY EVER COME BACK (dir. Ángela Carabali; prod. Sandra Tabares-Duque, Ángela Carabalí);
- DREAMS OF THE WILD OAKS (dir. Marjan Khosravi; prod. Milad Khosravi); and
- an UNTITLED MIDDLE EAST PROJECT (dir. Janay Boulos, Abd al-Kader Habak).
Program alum Mila Turajić, Leah Galant, and Ina Fichman will also be pitching new projects in the Forum and program alum Claire Sanford and Katerina Suvorova will be pitching new projects in Deal Maker.
WMM Executive Director Debra Zimmerman, Managing Director Kendra Hodgson, and Senior Program Associate Kyra Brands will be in attendance.
Congratulations to all of the filmmakers!
