Hot Docs artistic director Shane Smith latest leader to exit film festival

Hot Docs organizers say artistic director Shane Smith plans to leave the organization after eight years.

The Toronto documentary film festival announced Smith’s exit while recognizing his contributions to shaping a “rich, diverse and inclusive” institution that draws greater attention to underrepresented voices.

Smith was also responsible for rolling out several festival program additions.

They included the Persister short documentaries section, the Deep Dive program, which celebrates episodic storytelling, and Markers, a selection of “boundary-pushing” doc features and shorts.

His departure from Hot Docs comes a month after 25-year veteran Chris McDonald stepped down from his role as president, to be succeeded by PBS and ABC News veteran Marie Nelson.

Hot Docs says Smith will leave the fest at the end of the month. The search for his successor will begin next month and he will remain a consultant through the transition period.

Smith joined Hot Docs as a programming director in 2015 before he was promoted to artistic director last year.

Among his other roles in the entertainment industry, he previously served as the director of special projects at the Toronto International Film Festival. He was also a short film programmer at the Sundance Institute.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2023.

SHARE: