A few weeks ago, an invitation from Hot Docs 2014 arrived in the mail. A few phone calls later, we were all set and ready to make our way to chilly Canada for this year’s international documentary festival, conference and market. We were part of the record-breaking 192,000 people in attendance, but in spite of these large numbers the festival felt warm and welcoming. The filmmakers, the other delegates and the festival crew were a friendly bunch of people who were always eager to discuss new ideas and films, both new and old. Toronto itself is a laid-back city, filled with talkative dwellers who embody a unique blend of ethnically diverse cultures.

The great food and the music in Toronto are curious blends and products of immigrant cultures, from Chinese and Korean to Greek, Italian and Jewish. All in all, we ate a lot of amazing food and saw even more inspiring and thought-provoking films.

Over the next few days, check back in for a look at the documentaries we saw at Hot Docs and the interviews we did with filmmakers. If you’re dreaming of a trip to Canada and enjoy watching documentary films, be sure to add Hot Docs 2015 to your “must do” list! See you there. Posted by Micka in June 2014.