The Hot Docs board has appointed industry veteran Diana Sanchez as the festival’s executive director ahead of the 32nd annual edition from April 24-May 4 in Toronto.
Starting March 31, Sanchez succeeds interim executive director Janice Dawe. She will oversee the strategic direction and management of the annual festival, conference and market, as well as Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema and the organisation’s year-round industry and public facing programmes and activities.
After Screen revealed the dramatic mass exodus of 10 programmers a year ago in the wake of artistic director Hussain Currimbhoy’s departure, the Hot Docs board said it was entering a period of “rebuilding and reimagining, championing new initiatives and expanding the festival’s global impact”.
Sanchez was selected after an extensive search. She has held prominent festivals roles including senior director of film and international programmer at TIFF, served at Miami Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival and Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), and founded International Film Festival of Panama. Dawe will stay on to support the transition.
Hot Docs board co-chair Nicholas de Pencier said, “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 […] Her vision will help Hot Docs amplify diverse voices, connect audiences with vital stories, and foster meaningful dialogue that sparks empathy and understanding.”
Sanchez said she was eager to “champion bold voices, embrace fresh ideas and foster meaningful connections”, adding: “I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Hot Docs to shape a dynamic and inclusive future for documentary storytelling.”
Most recently, she led the first season of University of Toronto’s ‘Pop-Up’ Cinematheque, developing a partnership between the Media Commons Archives and the Cinema Studies Institute to showcase the Archives’ collection and offer access to students and diverse audiences for campus programming.
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