From April 23 to May 3, the 2026 Hot Docs Festival will present documentaries from around the world to audiences in Toronto. 115 films from 51 countries will screen during this year’s Festival. Tickets are on sale now.
Since her first appearance in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, Dorothy Gale has enchanted generations with her courage, curiosity and determined search for home. What is it about her story that still feels so relatable, especially to those whose experiences aren’t always centred? It’s Dorothy! invites audiences on a dazzling journey through Dorothy’s enduring cultural legacy, tracing her profound impact on women, folks of colour, and LGBTQ+ communities. The film weaves a poignant portrait of Judy Garland’s life and her connection to those who see themselves in Dorothy, blending mesmerizing archival footage from Garland’s career and the classic 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz with insights from contemporary voices including Ashanti, Margaret Cho, Lena Waithe and John Waters. At once fantastical and deeply human, It’s Dorothy! reminds us that through self-love, the celebration of imagination, and the radical power of belonging, there truly is no place like home. Simone Estrin
