Canada’s best-known documentary festival has undergone a a major management change. On July 9, the Hot Docs board of directors announced “with deep regret and gratitude” that the president is leaving the organization.
According to the statement, Marie Nelson “shared the news that she will be leaving her position”, implying that it was her decision. She’s a former senior vice president of ABC News and a former vice president of news and independent film at PBS.
“Marie came to us in July 2023 with an incredible record of executive leadership in independent documentary film, news, and broadcasting,” the board’s statement says. “Under her guidance, the Hot Docs team set forth with ambitious objectives aimed at elevating the Festival’s profile and expanding its reach with year-round programming.”
Currently, interim executive director Janice Dawe and managing director Heidi Tao Yang head the organization.
Nelson’s departure comes in the wake of a tumultuous year for the organization.
Near the end of March, IndieWire reported that the artistic director, Hussein Currimbhoy, and 10 programmers had resigned. This came a month before this year’s festival. Currimbhoy had been in the position since November 2023.
The 10 programmers issued a statement alleging a “toxic workplace”. Moreover, they insisted that they would “continue to fight for films and filmmakers”.
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema closes
Then in April, the Breach reported that about 60 employees had left the festival since 2021. The article alleged that “corporate coziness and supposed political agnosticism put the festival out of step with much of the documentary community, a significant part of their audiences, and much of its former and present staff”.
More recently, the organization closed the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema for financial reasons and laid off some staff.
In its last filing with Canada Revenue Agency in 2023, Hot Docs reported revenue of $9,112,889. Total expenditures were $11,113,581.00, amounting to a $2-million operating deficit.
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