Press Release
Toronto, Canada – Hot Docs is excited to announce the full lineup of events that will make up Curious Minds Festival, taking place at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema this November 6 to 9. The full event schedule is now available online at hotdocs.ca/curious and tickets and passes are now on sale.
Curious Minds Festival will bring a total of eight dynamic events over the course of four days, covering a breadth of topics and subjects that spotlight stories, voices, issues and ideas that shape our present and challenge us to think deeply about the world we inhabit. Creators, artists, change makers and thought leaders will share their experience and expertise live on stage with inquisitive audiences.“We’re extremely excited to welcome an incredible lineup of special guests for our Curious Minds Festival this November,” said Diana Sanchez, Executive Director, Hot Docs.
“Through our work championing documentary voices and practices, we’re able to share with our audiences a wide scope of issues and perspectives from here at home and around the world. Curious Minds Festival is an excellent extension of this, allowing us to hear from leading experts and inquisitive minds as they engage in provocative conversations live on our stage. We can’t wait to welcome both new and existing audiences to our cinema to take part in this special event.”
Curious Minds Festival Passes and single tickets are now on sale. Visit hotdocs.ca/curious for more information and to purchase today.Below is the full list of events including dates and times, with all guests announced to date.
AI AM CANADIAN: GETTING REAL ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CANADA
Whether we notice it or not, artificial intelligence is already part of our daily lives—recommending what to watch, helping screen job applications, curating our news feeds, and even assisting doctors with diagnoses. These systems are quietly shaping how we live, work and connect, becoming increasingly embedded in the routines of Canadians. AI continues to evolve, how can we better understand the role it plays in our everyday decisions? What opportunities does it create? And what questions should we be asking about transparency, responsibility, and the future of human agency?
Guests:
Daniel Wigdor, Co-Founder and CEO of AXL and Professor, University of Toronto
Shingai Manjengwa, Senior Director, Education and Development, Talent & Ecosystem at Mila Institute
John Weigelt, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Canada
Nora Young, Author, Journalist, Host & Creator of CBC’s Spark (Moderator) Thursday, November 6, 7:00 PM
MUNK DEBATES: FRIDAY FOCUS – LIVE PODCAST
Catch up on the week’s news as Munk Debates presents a special live recording of Friday Focus podcast, a weekly, half-hours masterclass on current events hosted by founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs Janice Stein, and chair of the Munk Debates Rudyard Griffiths.Guests:Janice Stein, Founding Director, Munk School of Global AffairsRudyard Griffiths, Chair, Munk Debates Friday, November 7, 11:00 AM
TIM WU: THE AGE OF EXTRACTION
Tim Wu—the preeminent scholar and former White House official who coined the phrase “net neutrality”—presents his latest book The Age of Extraction. The story starts with the internet of the 1990s and 2000s that promised widespread wealth and democracy, only to create new economic classes and aid the spread of autocracy. As Wu explores the rise of platform power, detailing the risks and rewards of working within such systems, he frames our current moment with lessons from recent history—from generative AI and predictive social data to the antimonopoly and crypto movements—and envisions a future where technological advances can serve the greatest possible good. Concise and hopeful, The Age of Extraction offers consequential proposals for taking back control to achieve a better economic balance and prosperity for all.
Guests:
Tim Wu, Law Professor, Columbia University Friday, November 7, 7:00 PM
CRIME STORY x FORGED
CBC Crime Story’s Kathleen Goldhar interviews Forged host Adrian Stimson about what is believed to be the biggest art fraud in the world. The late Norval Morriseau, known as the “Picasso of the North,” is one of the most celebrated Indigenous artists in the world but, in recent years, his legacy has been undermined by a systemic and sordid scheme to manufacture fakes. Stimson, an artist from the Siksika Nation, follows a tip from a rockstar art collector and pulls back the curtain on the origin of the Morrisseau fakes. Travelling from Thunder Bay to Australia’s Northern Territory, this riveting true crime story gets increasingly outrageous as it unravels, while never losing sight of the heart of the story—namely, Morrisseau’s staggering artistic genius. This is a conversation for true crime lovers, artist and anyone who cares about the legacy and future of Indigenous lives.
Guests:
Kathleen Goldhar, Host, Crime StoryAdrian Stimson, Artist and Host of Forged Saturday, November 8, 1:00 PM
WHERE ART MEETS TECH: TORONTO’S VIDEO GAME SCENE
Some of Toronto’s leading video game creators share the inside scoop on the city’s robust video game industry.
Guests:Navid Khavari, Narrative Director, UbisoftLindsay Rollins, Writer, Programmer, and Character Artist, Rocket AdriftKaitlin Tremblay, Writer, Narrative Designer, Soft RainsVictoria Kucher, Executive Director, Hand Eye Society (Moderator) Saturday, November 8, 4:15 PM
STILL SINGLE: SCREENING & DISCUSSION
When Chef Masaki Saito became the first of Canada’s chefs to be accorded two Michelin stars, his humorous and brief acceptance speech concluded with “I’m still single. I don’t know why.” A deep-dive into Saito’s world, Still Single is an exploration of his groundbreaking approach to Omakase dining, revealing the intense lifestyle driving his culinary genius. But while the chef’s charisma makes this a delightfully entertaining behind-the-scenes look at a culinary superstar, its juxtaposition with his personal life poignantly highlights that loneliness may be the cost of excellence.
Guests to be announced Saturday, November 8, 7:30 PM
JESSE WENTE: DANGER EAGLE
It’s bird! It’s a plane! It’s DANGER EAGLE! Award-winning author Jesse Wente joins us for a fun-filled reading of his new children’s book Danger Eagle. This action-packed adventuring featuring a stunt-penguin stuffed animal will delight action movie fans young and old. Look forward to an interactive event with reading, pictures, activities, and fun for the whole family!Guests:Jesse Wente, Author and Journalist Sunday, November 9, 1:00 PM
CHANI NICHOLAS: ASTROLOGY READING & DISCUSSION
Influential Canadian astrologer and activist Chani Nicholas will guide us through an interactive live birth chart reading of filmmaker, actor and producer Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, drawing on astrology, spirituality, and mindfulness in everyday life.
Guests:
Chani Nicholas, Astrologer and ActivistElle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Writer, Director, Producer and Actor Sunday, November 9, 4:30 PM. The Curious Minds Festival is supported by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
For more information on Curious Minds Festival, visit hotdocs.ca/curious
