With the 2020 Hot Docs Festival postponed, CBC has announced that a selection of first-run feature documentaries that would have debuted at the world’s largest documentary festival will now premiere on CBC-TV, the CBC Gem streaming service and documentary Channel, starting Apr. 16.

“We are proud to be partnering with CBC to announce these select Hot Docs 2020 titles and premiere them to Canadian audiences,” said Brett Hendrie, Executive Director, Hot Docs, in a release. “Postponing this year’s Festival was heartbreaking, but Hot Docs will continue its mission of supporting documentary filmmakers and bringing their work to audiences through these uncertain times. We’re excited by this unique opportunity to share these vital stories, and we look forward to bringing the full 2020 Festival lineup to our audiences as soon as possible.”

In addition to 2020 Hot Docs Festival titles, documentary Channel will offer an expanded Hot Docs programming slate from Apr. 16 to May 10, showcasing feature-length documentaries from past Festivals. In addition, the Hot Docs At Home On CBC collection will be available to stream on CBC Gem, including features from past festivals and a selection of CBC Short Docs from the 2020 Festival.

CBC and Hot Docs will also partner to bring at-home audiences interactive, livestreamed Q&As with filmmakers and other original digital content at CBC Docs.

The initial schedule follows with more programming announcements to come. Each documentary will air on CBC and CBC Gem at 8 p.m. local time (8:30 NT) and on documentary Channel at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

• Thursday, Apr, 16: MADE YOU LOOK: A True Story About Fake Art (Canada, documentary Channel Original, directed by Barry Avrich)

An entertaining and suspenseful look at the dark side of New York’s art scene, and the bizarre characters behind the largest art fraud in American history. 

• Thursday, Apr. 23: 9/11 KIDS (Canada, documentary Channel Original, directed by Elizabeth St. Philip)

It’s the most famous whisper in American history. President George W. Bush learns of the 9/11 attacks while sitting in front of 16 schoolchildren. Today those kids are in their mid-20s and offer a fascinating window into post 9/11 America.

• Thursday, Apr. 30: FINDING SALLY (Canada, documentary Channel Original, directed by Tamara Mariam Dawit)

A personal investigation into the mysterious life of the director’s aunt Sally, an Ethiopian aristocrat-turned-communist-rebel who disappeared during the Ethiopian Revolution.

• Thursday, May 7: MEAT THE FUTURE (Canada, documentary Channel Original, directed by Liz Marshall)

The prospect of meat consumption doubling by 2050 is a wake-up call for solutions. The planet’s future may lie with cell-based meat, a food science that grows meat from animal cells, without the need to slaughter animals.

• Thursday, May 14: THEY CALL ME DR. MIAMI (Canada, documentary Channel Original, directed by Jean-Simon Chartier)

In a world obsessed with self-image Dr. Michael Salzhauer is a rising star. This in-demand plastic surgeon livestreams butt lifts and breast augmentations and is followed by millions on Snapchat.  He’s also an Orthodox Jew, married for 20 years, with five children. The film explores both his family life and religious beliefs, along with his internet pop-culture fame and persona, Dr. Miami.

• Thursday, May 21: INFLUENCE (Canada/South Africa, documentary Channel Original, directed by Richard Poplak and Diana Neille)

Investigating the rise and fall of the world’s most notorious public relations and reputation management firm, the film charts the recent advancements in weaponized communication.

• Thursday, May 28: THE WALRUS AND THE WHISTLEBLOWER (Canada, documentary Channel Original, directed by Nathalie Bibeau)

A whistleblower is sued for $1.5 million for plotting to steal a walrus and falls down the rabbit hole of a personal quest against the backdrop of a movement to end marine mammal captivity. 

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