Classic Movies Live Season 7, Episode 14 – Hot Docs Film Festival 2026
May 20, 2026
In this week’s episode of Classic Movies Live!, Jeff is joined by film critic Pedro Lima to talk about the Hot Docs film festival! Now in its 33rd year, Hot Docs celebrates the best in documentary filmmaking, featuring true stories from all around the world.
In this episode, our hosts discuss four films from the festival, including American Doctor, Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild], House of Hope, and Steal This Story, Please! As well, Pedro and Jeff talk about what Hot Docs has meant to them, and the state of the festival in 2026. And because film criticism is about repertoire, our hosts also make plenty of film recommendations; you can find a list of recommendations and where to see them below!
For more Hot Docs coverage, you can hear Pedro and Jeff on this week’s companion episode of Contra Zoom Pod, where they joined host Dakota Arsenault and guest rach to talk about a completely different set of films! Pedro and Jeff also joined Dakota on last year’s Hot Docs-themed episode of Contra Zoom Pod, which you can find right here.
You can also check out Pedro’s reviews for most of the main films discussed in this episode. Check out Pedro’s more in-depth thoughts on American Doctor, House of Hope, and Steal This Story, Please! (also reviewed by Jeff for Contra Zoom Pod). And of course, check out the Hot Docs section of Contra Zoom Pod for more reviews by yours truly and others.
After you’ve listened to the episode, if any of the films mentioned piqued your interest, here’s a list so you can more easily search them out!
Films mentioned in this episode:
The Tower That Built A City (Jeff’s review)
The Ballad of Judas Priest (Jeff’s review)
Roommates (Available to watch on Netflix)
MySpace (Review by Dakota Arsenault of ContraZoomPod)
Dahomey (Available to watch on MUBI)
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Mr Bachmann and His Class
While We Watched
My Undesirable Friends, Part I: Last Air in Moscow (Available to watch on MUBI)
