Toronto’s Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary film festival, has appointed Hussain Currimbhoy as its artistic director. He replaces Shane Smith, who left the organization in June, and will assume his role immediately.
Currimbhoy has worked as a film producer, director and film curator since 2002. He is an executive producer on feature documentaries such as “And, Towards Happy Alleys” (Berlinale, CPH:DOX), “Praying for Armageddon” (CPH:DOX), “Tomorrow’s Freedom” (Sheffield DocFest) and “The Beloved” (Melbourne Film Festival).
He has worked with the Chicago Media Project as their director of investment and global strategy, and lead for the Shifting Voices Film Fund, CMP’s program designed to elevate and support feature documentary works by marginalized filmmakers.
As a film programmer, Currimbhoy has worked for film and industry events including Sundance Film Festival, Sheffield DocFest, Melbourne Film Festival, Nordisk Panorama Film Festival, Doc 10 and the Red Sea Film Festival. In 2023, he created and launched the Gåsebäck Film Festival, an independent film event in Helsingborg, Sweden that showcases international cinema, regional short films and filmmaker masterclasses.
Currimbhoy will oversee programming for Hot Docs Canadian Intl. documentary Festival, Toronto’s Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema and Docs for Schools, the organization’s national educational program.
“I am delighted to welcome Hussain to the Hot Docs team, where he will curate the next chapter of our organization’s story. I am confident that with his unique vision, tremendous experience, and remarkable talents, he will successfully steer Hot Docs’ programming team into an exciting new phase,” Marie Nelson, Hot Docs’ president, said.
“It is an absolute honor to take up this position with one of my favorite film festivals, and in my hometown, no less,” Currimbhoy said. “I must paraphrase poet and author Mahmoud Darwish to sum up how I feel about delivering a new vision for Hot Docs: ‘When you see something beautiful, it breaks walls down.’ Together with Hot Docs’ world-renowned programming team and a lot of bonhomie, we will do just that.”
He continued, “Our aim is to deepen our festival and year-round programming to provide even more opportunities for our audiences to engage with the best of documentary film in all its forms. I am excited to get started and to continue this vital endeavor of showcasing creative, unique docs by the world’s most exciting filmmakers in Toronto, while also sharing the richness of Canada’s extraordinary, diverse talent with the world.”
Additionally, Hot Docs has promoted associate director of festival programming Heather Haynes to the role of director of festival programming, effective immediately. Haynes has worked at the organization for over 17 years.
Currimbhoy will lead programming for the upcoming Hot Docs festival, April 25 to May 5. He will work alongside Haynes, festival programming manager Kristin Boivin, programming administrative coordinator Sadia Ali, senior international features and shorts programmer Angie Driscoll, senior Canadian programmer Alex Rogalski, senior international programmer Myrocia Watamaniuk, and programmers Samah Ali, Vivian Belik, Jesse Cumming, Gugi Gumilang, Lucila Moctezuma, Margaret Pereira, Gabor Pertic, Kaitlynn Tomaselli, Mariam Zaidi and Yiqian Zhang.
