The holiday season is always full of big-budget Hollywood films, so we decided to bring in some amazing alternatives!

This Friday we’re starting the holidays early with the opening of 56 UP, the latest installment in Michael Apted’s Up Series. Always worth the wait to catch up with Apted’s subjects and how their lives have progressed since the series began in 1964, 56 UP is something special. Come out and see for yourself where these “kids” are now.

Also opening Friday is the brilliant Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters, an in-depth profile of Crewdson as he challenges himself and the art world with his elaborate and provocative photographs. Known for spending a massive budget on each photo he creates, Crewdson stages beautifully evocative and subtly subversive images of small town America. Shot over a decade, filmmaker Ben Shapiro documents Crewdson’s creative process, providing some of the best behind-the-scenes footage of an artist at work.

On Christmas Day we are proud to be opening The Central Park Five, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon. This doc examines the fear-mongering and horrific injustice that resulted in the wrongful conviction of five teenagers in the infamous 1989 Central Park Jogger case. An essential reminder of how flawed the system can be, The Central Park Five cleverly dissects how this case illustrates a systematic lack of justice within North American courts, media and politics.

In true Bloor tradition, we are presenting three holiday favourites: A Christmas Story, It’s A Wonderful Life and White Christmas. Admission to these films is free with a donation (healthy food item or monetary donation) to The Stop Community Food Centre. We’ll have a donation box at the box office.

If you prefer the dark side of Christmas, check out for the newly restored version of Black Christmas on Saturday evening! It may have been made in the 70′s but it’s still one of the best horror/slasher movies made.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

- Robin Smith, Programmer, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema