Toronto’s Hot Docs announced on Thursday that Diana Sanchez will become the organization’s new executive director.Supplied
After a tumultuous year that witnessed a programmer exodus, a leadership overhaul and the temporary shuttering of its flagship cinema, Toronto’s Hot Docs announced Thursday that Canadian film festival veteran Diana Sanchez will become the organization’s new executive director.
Sanchez, who spent two decades at the Toronto International Film Festival, rising to the position of senior director of film before departing in 2022, will oversee not only Hot Docs’ annual festival and conference but also year-round operations inside the single-screen Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in downtown Toronto. Sanchez takes over March 31 from interim director Janice Dawe, who has been leading the beleaguered not-for-profit since the departure of president Marie Nelson last May.
“Hot Docs is stepping into an exciting new chapter – one of growth, transformation and renewed vision,” Sanchez said in a statement. “As documentary cinema continues to evolve, I’m eager to champion bold voices, embrace fresh ideas and foster meaningful connections.”
Sanchez will step into the role as Hot Docs prepares to launch the 32nd annual edition of North America’s premiere documentary film festival, albeit in a slimmed down fashion. This past fall, festival organizers said that this year’s edition, which runs from April 24 through May 4, will feature about 100-plus titles, down from the 168 featured in 2024 and the 214 screened in 2023. The organization is also pausing its annual Hot Docs Forum – a renowned international co-financing market for filmmakers – as the festival similarly downsizes its industry component.
The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, in Toronto, in an undated handout photo. Sanchez will also oversee year-round operations inside the single-screen theatre.Gabriel Li/The Canadian Press
The reduction in scale is a result of severe financial strains faced by the organization, tensions which spilled into public view in the spring of 2024 when Nelson excoriated Justin Trudeau’s Liberals for leaving Hot Docs out of the 2024 federal budget following a rare plea for government support. Since then, Hot Docs endured departures from key programming staff and a restructuring of its board.
This past fall, Hot Docs also put the building housing its year-round cinema, which the organization purchased in 2016, up for sale, with the hopes of securing a favourable lease-back arrangement from a potential buyer. As of Thursday, representatives for Hot Docs had no updates on the sale of the building.
This full lineup for this year’s festival will be announced March 25.
