FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TORONTO, MAY 1, 2015.
DOC NOW 2015 Festival presents 11 films and seven gallery
exhibitions from the students of Canada’s only Documentary
Film MFA program
The DOC NOW Festival is set to enter its seventh year,
featuring 18 documentary works of film, photography and
new media, with film screenings at The Bloor Hot Docs
Cinema and exhibitions in five galleries across Toronto. All
screenings and exhibitions are free and open to the public.
The festival kicks off with a launch event on May 26th at The
Gladstone Hotel and runs until June 28th.
The DOC NOW Festival celebrates the work of established and
emerging documentary practitioners from Ryerson
University’s Master of Fine Arts program in Documentary
Media. Established in 2007, Ryerson’s Documentary Media
program is the only MFA degree program in Canada
dedicated to developing tomorrow’s documentary filmmakers
and visual artists. The program contributes to Canada’s
world-renowned reputation for excellence in documentary by
nurturing new talent and fostering innovative critical
approaches.
With 11 films and seven gallery exhibitions, artist talks and
industry events, DOC NOW 2015 will become a hub for
documentary art and culture in the city.
DOC NOW 2015 Festival Launch: May 26th
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St West
Doors open at 6:30 pm. Welcome and Keynote, 7:00 pm.
Reception, 8:00–10:00 pm.
Join us for the 2015 Festival Launch at The Gladstone Hotel
Ballroom for drinks, snacks and a keynote address by world-
DOC NOW Festival ● media contact: Katie Anderson ● [email protected] ● www.docnow.ca
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renowned, investigative documentary filmmaker Ric Esther
Bienstock.
What does it mean to be making documentaries in 2015?
Financially, there can be little payoff for filmmakers and
photographers in the industry, and yet, a growing number of
people are picking up cameras to document social injustices,
cultural transformations and personal histories.
Documentaries help define and shape our chaotic and
fragmented world. With a multitude of platforms now being
created to share stories, there are new opportunities
emerging for today’s documentary makers. Our keynote
speaker, Ric Esther Bienstock, will share her experience and
insights into the documentary form, and explore why, even in
the face of financial hardship, it is an exciting time for
documentarians.
The evening will commence at 7:00 pm with a DOC NOW
Festival Preview followed by Ric Esther Bienstock’s keynote
speech. The evening will close with a reception with light
refreshments and conversation with DOC NOW artists.
Film Screenings: June 3rd and 4th
The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor St West
This year, DOC NOW offers 11 films, grouped together into
three programs. The films will be screening from 6:30 to
11:00 pm on June 3rd and from 6:30 to 9:00 pm on June 4th
at The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.
These films examine a range of topics from a daughter’s
search for her biological parents, to a portrait of an aspiring
digital media artist striving to make a name for herself in a
predominantly masculine videogames industry. They
represent a wide range of styles from an experimental piece
on new immigrant experiences of snow to an investigative
look at the state of the Canadian workforce for individuals
who have physical disabilities.
After each program there will be a 20-minute question-andanswer period with the filmmakers moderated by award
winning filmmaker Min Sook Lee.
DOC NOW Festival ● media contact: Katie Anderson ● [email protected] ● www.docnow.ca
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There will be a secondary screening of all three programs on
June 20th at Ryerson University, 122 Bond Street.
For full film descriptions and screening times, please visit
docnow.ca/screenings. All screenings are free.
Gallery Exhibitions: May 1st to June 28th
DOC NOW 2015 presents seven unique gallery exhibitions
across the city. The works address themes such as black
queer experiences of grief and loss, coping with mental
illness and vision and memory.
They transport audiences to locations near and far, from the
rural landscapes of Latvia to College Street in Little Italy, our
own proverbial backyard.
Participating galleries include:
• Ryerson Image Centre Student Gallery
• Charlotte Hale & Associates
• Ryerson Artspace at The Gladstone
• Gallery 50
• Gallery 1313
All seven gallery exhibitions are presented with a separate indepth artist talk. At these events, DOC NOW artists will each
be in conversation with another Toronto artist or scholar,
including Marc Glassman, Deanna Bowen and Vid Ingelevics.
For project descriptions, gallery opening hours and artist talk
dates, please visit docnow.ca/exhibitions. All gallery
exhibitions are free and open to the public.
-30For more information or to schedule media interviews please contact:
Katie Anderson
[email protected] | 416.885.3127
docnow.ca
DOC NOW Festival ● media contact: Katie Anderson ● [email protected] ● www.docnow.ca
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