Hot Docs announces that its January Doc Soup in Toronto will be Portrait of Wally, directed by Andrew Shea.  Called “a cinematic masterwork about a painted masterpiece,” by The Huffington Post, Portrait of Wally will screen on Wednesday, January 9, at 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., and on Thursday, January 10, at 6:45 p.m. at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor St. West). Filmmaker Andrew Shea will be in attendance to introduce the film and answer questions following the screenings.

When Jewish art dealer Lea Bondi fled Vienna in 1939, his Egon Schiele painting Portrait of Wally, a tender picture of the artist’s mistress, was seized by the Nazis. The painting resurfaced in 1997 while on loan to Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art, sparking a thirteen-year legal battle with the owner’s heirs. Portrait of Wally traces the history of this iconic image, from Schiele’s gesture of affection toward his young lover, through the post-war confusion and subterfuge, to its surprising reappearance and the ensuing legal battle. This is the stunning account of a painting that brought Nazi art looting into the public sphere and forced museums to search their own collections and return the last “prisoners of war” to their families.  Click for tickets

Meanwhile, the Calgary Doc Soup presents Brooklyn Castle directed by Katie Dellamaggiore.  Called a “fascinating up-close look at the real-life dramas of budding chess masters” by Variety magazine, Brooklyn Castle screens on Wednesday, January 9, 2012, 7:00 pm at the Plaza Theatre (1133 Kensington Road Northwest).

Public school I.S. 318 is a chess powerhouse, producing national champions straight out of junior high. The secret to the school’s success? Coaches who hold leadership skills and divergent thinking above standings and trophies, and students eager to learn and improve. Brooklyn Castle follows the challenges and triumphs both on and off the chessboard as the financial crisis brings severe budget cuts to after-school programs. With three-quarters of the student body living under the poverty line, will the chess club survive the economic downturn? Will the students realize their goals? Will Rochelle become the first female African-American chess master? Will sixth-grade prodigy Justus conquer his stage fright? Will Patrick overcome his ADHD by honing his powers of concentration? In life, as in chess, the answers aren’t clear. The truth is not about right and wrong, it’s about infinite moves and the choices we make.  Click for tickets