We’re excited to announce that thirteen films from WMM’s Production Assistance Program will be at the 2025 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Eight films made will be premiering or screening at the festival, and five exciting new projects from our program will be participating in Works-in-Progress and Deal Maker programs.
The following four films have premieres:
✦ I DREAMED HIS NAME
World Premiere
An Afro Colombian farmer, was a victim of forced disappearance 30 years ago. His filmmaker daughter and her sister embark on a mystical road-trip across Colombia, learning about their father’s activism and dedication along the way.
Director: Angela Carabali
Producers: Sandra Tabares Duque, Angela Carabali
✦ 9-MONTH CONTRACT
North American Premiere
Desperate to provide a more stable and dignified life for her daughter, Zhana rents out her womb as a surrogate mother in Georgia’s unregulated surrogacy industry. This comes at a high cost as her body.
Director: Ketevan Vashagashvili
Producers: Anna Khazaradze, Nino Chichua, Sylvia Nagel, Martichka Bozhilova
✦ LIFE AFTER
International Premiere
Using Elizabeth Bouvia’s 1983 public fight for the right to die on her own terms as a starting point, filmmaker Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There, Hot Docs 2022) brings disabled voices to the fore in the discussion of assisted suicide.
Director: Reid Davenport
Producer: Colleen Cassingham
✦ HOLLOWAY
International Premiere
Within the decaying walls of Holloway Prison in central London, six women return to a space that once confined them. Over the course of five days, they embark on a deeply cathartic journey that invites introspection and healing.
Directors: Sophie Compton & Daisy-May Hudson
Producer(s): Alice Hughes, Polly Creed, Sophie Compton, Tarquin Ramsay
The following four films have been highlights at recent fests and are not to be missed:
✦ RIVER OF GRASS
A vivid and immersive lyrical exploration through the enchanting yet fragile landscapes of the Florida Everglades, River of Grass delves into the deep-rooted historical and contemporary environmental challenges that threaten this unique ecosystem, known for its sprawling wetlands and rich biodiversity.
Director: Sasha Wortzel
Producers: Danielle Varga, Sasha Wortzel
✦ COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!
How can we both address and inject humour into one of the most lethal conflicts in modern history, which has captured worldwide media attention? That’s the looming question comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi faces when it comes to approaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in her one-woman show.
Director: Amber Fares
Producers: Rachel Leah Jones, Amber Fares, Valérie Montmartin
✦ APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS
A meditation on the historically intertwined relationship between church and state in Brazil that culminates in the large-scale occupation of the national congress and attempted coup on January 8, 2023. With the global rise of right-wing fascism, this is a much-needed intervention and a call to safeguard the fragility of democracy.
Director: Petra Costa
Producers: Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino
✦ WRITING HAWA
An intimate, observational and urgent piece that captures the enduring resilience of three generations of Hazara women, highlighting the fragility of women’s rights and the ongoing fight for liberation.
Director: Najiba Noori
Producers: Christian Popp, Hasse van Nunen, Renko Douze
Screening in the Works-in-Progress screenings on Monday, April 28 is BLUE SWEATER WITH A YELLOW HOLE. Directed by Tetiana Khodakivska and produced by Elena Saulich and Tetiana Khodakivska, this project recently won the Sunny Side of the Doc Prize at the East Doc Platform 2025.
The following projects are participating in Deal Makers and taking meetings with industry representatives:
✦ BREAKING THE SILENCE (working title)
Director: Ivan MacDonald
Producers: Elizabeth Unger, Ivan MacDonald
✦ CONFESSIONS OF A FEMALE GAMER
Director: Dolya Gavanski
Producers: Dolya Gavanski, Martichka Bozhilova
✦ THE HALF TRUTHS
Director: Hemal Trivedi
Producers: Cynthia Kane, Laurence Uebersfeld, Amelia Hanibelsz
✦ HOW TO DIE
Director: Robin McKenna
In addition, two new projects from program alumni will also participate in the industry events:
- GAWLO, produced by program alum Jessica Hallenbeck, has been selected for the Deal Makers program and is also featured in the Works-In-Progress showcase.
- SISTER SENATORS, directed by Emily Harrold and produced by Robin Hessman, both of whom are program alum, is also part of the Deal Makers program.
Congratulations to all the filmmakers!
