Press release from Screen Australia
Three Australian documentaries are screening in competition over the next week at Hot Docs. Held in Toronto, Canada, Hot Docs is North America’s largest documentary festival.
Penny Vozniak’s Despite the Gods will have its international premiere at Hot Docs, screening in the World Showcase program. Despite the Gods tells the story of Jennifer Lynch’s disastrous return to filmmaking as she delves into an ambitious Bollywood/Hollywood production.
Also screening in the World Showcase program is Catherine Scott’s Scarlet Road which follows Australian sex worker Rachel Wotton who, impassioned about freedom of sexual expression, works with clients who have disabilities.
David Tucker’s My Thai Bride will screen in the International Spectrum program. My Thai Bride details the ensuing demise of a 46-year-old Welshman after his marriage to a poor Thai bar girl.
This year’s Hot Docs will showcase 189 films selected from 2,085 submissions. Also a premier documentary conference and market, Hot Docs will welcome over 2,000 industry delegates who will partake in a wide array of industry events and services, including conferences sessions, The Doc Shop and the Hot Docs Forum.
Hot Docs takes place 26 April–6 May 2012. For more information visit: www.hotdocs.ca
DESPITE THE GODS
(85 mins)
Production Company House of Gary
Director Penny Vozniak
Producer Karina Astrup
Synopsis An overly ambitious Bollywood/Hollywood production about a man-eating snake goddess becomes an exercise in self-actualisation rather than effective filmmaking. An unforgiving behind-the-scenes look at Jennifer Lynch’s disastrous return to filmmaking after a 15-year hiatus.
MY THAI BRIDE
(55 mins)
Production Company Showreal Productions
Director/Producer David Tucker
Writer Ashleigh Hooker
Synopsis Ted marries a Thai bar girl but when his money runs out the marriage ends and he returns to the UK destitute, having learned what his Thai wife already knew: without money you lose everything.
SCARLET ROAD
(70 mins)
Production Company Paradigm Pictures
Director/Co-producer Catherine Scott
Producer Pat Fiske
Synopsis Driven by her passion for free sexual expression and the rights of sex trade workers, Australian sex trade worker Rachel Wotton specialises in a long over-looked clientele – those with disabilities.