Hot Docs has unveiled its full lineup for the 29th annual Toronto festival, with Jennifer Baichwal’s documentary Into the Weeds (pictured) selected as the opening film.

The 96-minute world premiere documentary is written, directed and produced by Baichwal and produced by Nicholas de Pencier. It follows the story of Bay Area groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson who sparks a legal battle with a multinational agrochemical corporation after exposure to its herbicide caused him to fall ill.

Hot Docs, which streams nationwide and runs live in Toronto from April 28 to May 8, will have 63 world premieres and 47 international premieres. This year’s program is comprised of 49% women directors.

The festival also features a number of Canadian world premieres within the Canadian Spectrum competition lineup. Titles include Don’t Come Searching, directed by Andrew Moir and produced by Moir, Michelle Serieux and Sherien Barsoum; Okay! (The ASD Band Film), directed by Mark Bone and produced by Gregory Rosati and Amalie Bruun; Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened To Bernie Langille, directed by Jackie Torrens and produced by Jessica Brown; Freedom from Everything, directed and produced by Mike Hoolboom; Scrap, directed and produced by Stacey Tenenbaum; and Shelter, directed and produced by Tess Girard.

Each of the films are also eligible for the Rogers Audience Award, which gives a total of $50,000 across three films. First place earns $25,000, second gets $15,000 and third receives $10,000. Eligible Hot Docs films must have a Canadian director and be CAVCO-certified.

Other Canadian world premieres include Fazila Amiri’s And Still I Sing, Patrick Dell’s Shooting War and Louie Palu’s Zero Position, featured in the World Showcase program; Shane Belcourt’s Beautiful Scars, in the Artscapes program; Phyllis Ellis’ Category: Woman and Chloe Sosa-Sims’ Hunting in Packs, part of the Persister program; and Barri Cohen’s Unloved: Huronia’s Forgotten Children, in the Hidden Histories program.

Barry Avrich’s The Talented Mr. Rosenberg was previously announced as part of the festival’s special presentation world premieres.

In a statement provided to Playback Daily, Torrens said she and producer Jessica Brown brought a short film version of Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened To Bernie Langille to Hot Docs in 2018 with the goal of making a deal to do the full-length version, “told with miniatures for the reenactments.”

“Amazingly, that’s exactly what happened — we were immediately commissioned by the Documentary Channel to make the feature documentary that’s playing Hot Docs this year,” said Torrens. “So for me, the world premiere of our film at Hot Docs is a full-circle moment.”

Image courtesy of Mongrel Media