from vkpr

Hot Docs is pleased to announce that it will pay tribute to John Zaritsky with this year’s Focus On retrospective, an annual program showcasing the work of a mid-career Canadian filmmaker, during the 21st annual Festival, April 24 to May 4. The complete Focus On John Zaritsky program will be announced in March, and Hot Docs is pleased to announce that John Zaritsky will be in attendance at this year’s Festival.

“To be able to celebrate John Zaritsky is a delight,” said Hot Docs’ director of programming Charlotte Cook. “John is an iconic Canadian filmmaker whose career spans more than thirty years and his work is broad and rich. We are thrilled to be able to honour him at this year’s festival.”

As part of the retrospective, Hot Docs will screen Zaritsky’s ROMEO AND JULIET IN SARAJEVO, in partnership with Toronto Public Library’s One Book program, the selected title this year being The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. One Book is a city-wide book club as part of the library’s annual Keep Toronto Reading Festival, a celebration of books, running April 1-31.

John Zaritsky @ Hot Docs 2010

John Zaritsky has been making documentary films for almost 40 years. His films have been honoured with more than 30 major awards, been broadcast in 35 countries, and have screened at more than 40 film festivals around the world, including Sundance, TIFF, VIFF, IDFA, Hot Docs and SXSW. Notable awards include: an Academy Award® for JUST ANOTHER MISSING KID (1982); seven Geminis; the Hot Docs Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature for LEAVE THEM LAUGHING (2010); and Emmy Award nominations for BROKEN PROMISES (1989), BORN IN AFRICA (1990), and ROMEO AND JULIET IN SARAJEVO (1994). Recently, Zaritsky has directed Gemini Award winners COLLEGE DAYS, COLLEGE NIGHTS (2004), THE SUICIDE TOURIST (2007) and THE WILD HORSE REDEMPTION (2007) for his Vancouver-based production company Point Grey Pictures. He is currently working on ECCENTRICS and NO LIMITS with Real to Reel Productions.

Visit website for more info on Hot Docs and retrospective.