Tomorrow is the first day of Hot Docs here in Toronto, and this year I will finally make it to some of the screenings. As I made my online calender of must-sees today, I got excited about the opportunity to learn about Iran’s transgender community or maverick neurosurgery. My top two pics to watch are The Art Star and the Sudanese twins about controversial artist Vanessa Beecroft and her two adopted children, and Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma about the Nobel prize winner’s work with Doctors without Borders in Somalia and Rwanda. There are plenty of other development-related docs appearing, including two about HIV/AIDS (here and here), one about media and human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and another about Central American migrants. There are a couple on Canadian community development issues as well: check out Bevel Up: Drugs, Users and Outreach Nursing.

What: Hot Docs When: April 17-24 Where: Around Toronto

Looks like Malcolm Gladwell (author of Tipping Point and Blink, and a frequent contributor to the New Yorker) is headed to Toronto to duke it out with UofT professor Mark Kingwell (an established journalist as well). The event will be held at Convocation Hall here at the University, and judging by Gladwell’s engaging lecture about gastro-marketing featured on TED, I’m excited to hear his take on social change.

Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30

Convocation Hall, University of Toronto

Tickets: $200 (vip), $25 (adult), $10 (student). Buy them here.