Things are not getting better at the Hot Docs festival.

Director of programming Heather Haynes Announces departure from Hot Docs

Hot Docs announced that director of programming Heather Haynes has concluded her tenure with the organization. Through her nearly 20-year journey with Hot Docs, Haynes’s passionate and thoughtful approach to programming, along with her talent for fostering deep relationships with filmmakers, has had an immeasurable impact on the organization. Hot Docs is deeply grateful for her contributions and unwavering commitment to the transformative power of documentary.

 “Being part of Hot Docs has been a deeply meaningful experience,” said Haynes. “At the heart of it all has been the filmmakers—their vision, bravery, and belief in the documentary form as a force for truth, beauty and justice. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to advocate for their work, to help bring their stories into the world, and to witness the ways those stories ripple through audiences and communities.”

Haynes’ longstanding relationship with Hot Docs began almost 20 years ago as an international programmer for the annual Festival. In 2022, she transitioned to a full-time role, quickly ascending to director of programming in October 2024. Most recently, she led the programming team through the successful 2025 Hot Docs Festival. A passionate advocate for documentary and its storytellers, she continued to create space for urgent, resonant work by launching this year’s successful Made In Exile program—a bold new strand that spotlights filmmakers in exile, while deepening Hot Docs’ commitment to human rights, artistic freedom, and global storytelling.

In addition to her festival leadership, Haynes oversaw programming during reopening of the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in November 2024, working with the team to restore a vital cultural space to the Toronto community.

During this time of transition, executive director Diana Sanchez will lead the programming team.

Elizabeth Radshaw steps down from Hot Docs after 17 years of transformative leadership

Hot Docs has announced that director of industry programs Elizabeth Radshaw has stepped down after 17 remarkable years with the organization. During her tenure, Radshaw established pioneering film funds, secured millions in direct financial support for the documentary community, and championed thousands of filmmakers. Her work has reshaped both Hot Docs and the documentary landscape.

 “Serving this community for nearly two decades has been the most powerful and fulfilling chapter of my professional life,” said Radshaw. “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.”

Radshaw joined Hot Docs in 2009 as director of the Hot Docs Forum, then the Toronto Documentary Forum, before becoming director of industry programs in 2011. At the Festival, Radshaw led major market initiatives, including the Hot Docs Forum and Deal Maker, creating vital financing opportunities for hundreds of films. Also at the Festival, she established the first look curated access program that connects philanthropic and doc-loving supporters with new projects in development.

Radshaw was instrumental in founding the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund, with the generous support of Blue Ice Docs, to support a new generation of African documentary filmmakers. Radshaw led Hot Docs Partners, an initiative that connected individuals with a deep appreciation for documentary filmmaking and an interest in supporting feature-length projects seeking financial backing. Additionally, she helped create the CrossCurrents International Doc Fund , initiated and supported by R&M Lang Foundation to fund short form documentary storytelling from within groups whose perspectives have been historically underrepresented. The Fund expanded to include a feature strand supported by Panicaro Foundation, as well as a Canadian strand supported by Netflix. The CrossCurrents Canada Doc Fund also became a pillar of the Canadian Storytellers Project. The initiative, supported by Netflix and spearheaded by Radshaw, won a 2020 Business/Arts Community Impact Award, and included the Doc Ignite filmmaker labs, the Hot Docs Incubatortraining program, and the Doc Accelerator professional development program.

A final highlight is her role in Hot Docs commissions, including In the Name of All Canadians with Heritage Canada for the country’s 150th anniversary, Roads to Regeneration with SAP, and the Citizen Minutes collection, supported by the Rossy Foundation, which is now on its third series.

During this time of transition, executive director Diana Sanchez has assumed leadership of Hot Docs’ industry programs.