Diana Sanchez is set to be the new executive director of Hot Docs. The festival announced today that Sanchez would step into the role beginning March 31 after Janice Dawe assumed the position on an interim basis after president Marie Nelson stepped down last summer.
The news comes just before Hot Docs is set to drop its main programming announcement for the 2025 festival, and marks an effort to bring back the event with renewed energy. This time last year, tensions in the programming department saw many programmers, including veterans, walk off the job in protest of leadership, which prompted the resignation of director of programming Hussain Currimbhoy and a rocky start to the embattled festival as it faced financial challenges in a shifting landscape for the arts in Canada with funding uncertainties, inflation, changing audience habits, calls for the festival to urge its top sponsor Scotiabank to divest from arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, and considerable debt that accumulated during the pandemic.
A veteran of the Toronto festival scene, Sanchez offers a familiar face for cinephiles. She spent over 20 years at the Toronto International Film Festival where she was best known for bringing Latin American cinema to the line-up as an International Programmer. She was appointed TIFF’s Senior Director, Film in April 2019, a position she held through the 2021 festival, covering two years with pandemic-related challenges. She is also a founder of the International Film Festival of Panama and served as its artistic director as it became a key player for films from Latin America. Sanchez has also worked at festivals such as International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Miami Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
Sanchez is also a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto, from which she received her Master’s Degree. She recently helped stimulate the campus cinematheque by developing relationships between the Cinema Studies department and the university archives.
Sanchez will help the festival rebound as it marches ahead with a trimmer slate this year, which includes a pause for the marquee industry event, the Hot Docs Forum. Her role, as per a release from Hot Docs, will “oversee the strategic direction and management of the annual Hot Docs Festival, conference and market, as well as Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema and the organization’s year-round industry and public facing programs and activities.” Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema was listed for sale in November following a temporary closure. It gradually began re-introducing screenings in January with films like No Other Land, Union, Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion, and Blue Rodeo: Lost Together drawing full houses and bringing the audience back to the 650 seat venue.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Hot Docs team at such a pivotal moment,” Sanchez said in a statement. “Storytelling has the power to rediscover, reimagine, and bring fresh perspectives to the world around us. In that same spirit, Hot Docs is stepping into an exciting new chapter—one of growth, transformation and renewed vision. As documentary cinema continues to evolve, I’m eager to champion bold voices, embrace fresh ideas and foster meaningful connections—both within our local community and across the global documentary landscape. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Hot Docs to shape a dynamic and inclusive future for documentary storytelling.”
“On behalf of the Board, we are thrilled to welcome Diana to Hot Docs. We are confident that her leadership will usher in an exciting new era for the organization,” added Hot Docs’ Board Co-Chair Nicholas de Pencier. “Diana brings passion, vast experience in the industry, and an unwavering commitment to the power that film has to bring people together and effect positive change. We look forward to her vital contribution in reshaping Hot Docs’ future, strengthening our Festival and Cinema, and continuing to champion filmmakers in Canada and beyond. Her vision will help Hot Docs amplify diverse voices, connect audiences with vital stories, and foster meaningful dialogue that sparks empathy and understanding.”
Hot Docs notes that Sanchez will lead the organization and festival into “a period of rebuilding and reimagining, championing new initiatives and expanding the Festival’s global impact.” Her appointment marks a key measure amid the festival’s rebuilding, as Heather Haynes stepped up to the role of Director of Programming in October as the festival brought back several departed programmers along with some new faces. The organization is still working with a slimmed-down three-member board following major restructuring after last year’s festival.
Hot Docs has announced 15 selections for its Special Presentations line-up so far, including acclaimed docs like Come See Me in the Good Light, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, and the world premiere of The Nest, along with a showcase of works produced by filmmakers in exile. Additional titles, including Canadian programming, will be announced on March 25. This year’s festival runs April 24 to May 4.
