Hot Docs kicks off with a focus on LGBTQ+ rights, showcasing 113 films amid financial cuts.

Hot Docs, Canada's largest documentary festival, opens with Winnipeg filmmaker Noam Gonick's "Queer Acts of Love and Resistance." This year’s lineup is scaled back to 113 films due to financial challenges, down from 213 in 2023. The festival, running from April 24 to May 4 in Toronto, emphasizes films that amplify marginalized voices, particularly the LGBTQ+ community, amid growing rights threats in the U.S. and potential challenges in Canada.