Hot Docs Festival Offers Diverse Programming for First Live Audience in Two Years

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefEpic Pictures Releasing has licensed North American rights to Korean action film “Hot Blooded,” from leading Seoul-based film sales agency Finecut. The deal is one of several struck by the agency ahead of Cannes, where it is also launching sales on Critics’ Week title “Next Sohee.”Starring Bae Doona and Kim Si-eun, “Next Sohee” is directed by Jung July, whose acclaimed “A Girl at My Door” played in Un Certain regard in 2014.

Kate Bock has officially made the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit for a decade. The model is making her 10th appearance in the 2022 issue, which features Kim Kardashian, Maye Musk, Ciara and Yumi Nu as the latest cover girls. "It feels wild," the 34-year-old admitted to Page Six Style on Monday.

Gloria Estefan is revealing how the new “Father of the Bride” remake will differ from past versions of the film.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Thrown into the limelight by the Oscar nomination for Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent” in 2021, Chilean documentaries been growing in stature worldwide for years.At Cannes, venerable Patricio Guzman world premieres his latest doc, “My Imaginary Country” (“Mi País Imaginario”) as a special screening, following on his lauded “The Cordillera of Dreams” which was awarded the 2019 L’œil d’Or award for Cannes’ best documentary. Matias Rojas’ “Our Memory” will be among the spotlighted projects at Cannes Docs.

Hayden Panettiere will be making her long-awaited return to the big screen for the upcoming sixth film, reprising the role she originated more than a decade ago in the fourth installment of the franchise. She'll be joining a host of familiar faces, including Melissa Barrera (Sam), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy), Mason Gooding (Chad) and Jenna Ortega (Tara), all of whom have also been confirmed to be returning for the new sequel. According to a press release, principal photographed is scheduled to begin this summer. With filming shaping up to begin, one leading lady has told ET that she's still not sure if she'll be back.Neve Campbell, who has played Sidney Prescott since the first film, revealed at the  premiere this week that she's not attached to the upcoming horror film just yet.

Jennie Punter Chan Tze Woon’s “Blue Island,” a doc-narrative hybrid exploring Hong Kong’s recent protest movement and ensuing crackdown, won Hot Docs’ Best International Feature Documentary Award and a Cnd. $10,000 cash prize, it was announced Saturday in Toronto at the festival’s awards ceremony, held at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.The film was cited by the jury for its “evocative use of re-enactments interwoven with traditional documentary forms to create a rich, socially-grounded cinematic tapestry.”North American rights to “Blue Island” were picked up by New York-headquartered documentary distributor Icarus Films in advance of the film’s world premiere at Hot Docs, which is an Academy Award qualifying festival for feature documentaries.

Fred Savage has been fired from his role as executive producer of ABC’s reboot of “The Wonder Years” due to what’s being characterized as “inappropriate conduct.”

Jennie Punter “The Queendom,” one of 20 projects presented at Hot Docs’ marquee market event, the Forum, has won the First Look first prize of Can. $25,000 cash, one of three pitch prizes announced Thursday at the festival.The documentary and science-fiction hybrid—about three Indigenous scientists, all women, who decide to partner with mushrooms to fight for their territories—is directed by Otilia Portillo and produced by Paula Arroio Sandoval for Mexico’s Oscura Producciones S.A.

RELATED: Happy 60th Birthday, Wayne Gretzky! Looking back at the legendary career and life of 'the Great One'Although Canada's climate is ideal for learning to carve ice, hockey fever transcends the Great White North. Celebrities across the globe don memorabilia, wave towels and holler "goal!" at a fever pitch.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Miracle: Letters to the President,” directed by Lee Jang-hoon, was Saturday named as the best film winner at the Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine, following an audience poll. The South Korean-made film was described by festival organizers as “a sweet-natured hymn to the power of dreams.” Second and third places belonged to Chinese-produced pictures Li Ruijun’s “Return to Dust” and Xing Wenxiong’s “To Cool to Kill,” respectively.

Reigning “Jeopardy!” champion Mattea Roach represents a new generation of the quiz show’s all-star players.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorInternational sales company Andana Films has acquired Islamic State documentary “Rojek,” which has its North American premiere in Hot Docs’ Canadian Spectrum section on Saturday.The film, which had its world premiere in the International Competition section at Visions du Réel, will have a theatrical release in Canada through Maison 4:3.In the film, director Zaynê Akyol talks to imprisoned members of the Islamic State, alternating their words with aerial views of the countryside. It is “an unexpected look at a far-reaching current political issue, and a film whose subject matter and rhythm create an impressive cinematic object,” Andana stated.Mariam Zaidi at Hot Docs said: “The Syrian Democratic Forces, mostly Kurdish, as well as the international coalition, have succeeded in dislodging the Islamic State from their last stronghold and ending their project of establishing a caliphate in Syria.

Actor Dan Aykroyd and his wife, Donna Dixon, have announced their plans to separate after almost 40 years together.

Gary Lucy has filmed his final Hollyoaks scenes, after 23 years on the hit soap. The 40-year-old has appeared as Luke Morgan on the Channel 4 show since 1999, and had countless dramatic storylines that have covered important issues such as male rape. However, Gary’s time on the soap is coming to an end and he's now filmed his final scenes, with co-star Erin Palmer posting about how much she will “miss him” on set.The actress, who plays Ella Richardson, shared a selection of photos of the duo as they posed behind-the-scenes.

Rolling Loud is coming to Canada. The renowned rap festival, which has hosted installments in Miami, New York City, Los Angeles, as well Portugal, and Australia, will host its first-ever Canadian edition in Toronto on September 9–11 at Ontario Place.

“Don’t get excited,” said Despicable Me franchise star Steve Carell to the filled Colosseum at Caesars Palace before his presentation of Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticWhen Feist takes to the stage for four shows over two nights at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium this week, some burning questions may be raised. Like: Where is the stage, exactly? This experimental, very intimate.

“Selling Sunset” season 5 has officially arrived on Netflix, and, of course, it’s packed with plenty of drama as the Oppenheim Group agents return to sell lavish houses in the heart of Beverly Hills.