Veteran Hot Docs programmers Heather Haynes and Elizabeth Radshaw have left the organization. The Canadian Press first reported that the longtime programmers—two points of consistency among a festival undergoing considerable turnover—departed Hot Docs after many years on the team.
Haynes was promoted to the position director of programming in 2024, marking two decades with Hot Docs. She previously served as a longtime international programmer, curator of the Doc Soup series at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, and director of festival programming in 2023. She stepped away from the latter position temporarily in 2024 amid tumult that included a mass exodus of programmers, but returned as a point of confidence for the festival as it faced considerable financial and organizational challenges.
Radshaw had led the Industry programming at Hot Docs since 2009. Under her guidance, Hot Docs became a key hub for deals, financing, and accelerating filmmakers’ careers, particularly documentary creatives from underrepresented demographics. On the Industry side, the Hot Docs Forum grew to be the festival’s marquee event with producers and directors from around the world landing in Toronto to pitch their projects to broadcasters, distributors, commissioners, and other stakeholders in the documentary field. Hot Docs paused the Forum for the 2025 edition. No word has been released about its future.
“Serving this community for nearly two decades has been the most powerful and fulfilling chapter of my professional life,” said Radshaw in a release. “It’s been an honour to work alongside extraordinary creators, to help build platforms that didn’t exist before, and to shape the global conversation around documentary film.”
Hot Docs told the Canadian Press that no decision have been made regarding replacements for Haynes or Radshaw. Hot Docs announced the appointment of festival circuit veteran Diana Sanchez as executive director earlier this year ahead of the festival. The 2025 event, which scaled down considerably from previous years, was generally received as a step towards rebuilding Hot Docs’ place in the circuit. A conditional sale was also announced for Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, which went on the market last year. Hot Docs is still planning a 2026 festival with the call for submissions opening in September.
Update (10 July 2025): This post was updated to include quotes from Haynes and Radshaw. Hot Docs has also noted that Diana Sanchez will assume leadership of the programming team and Industry side in the interim.
