Les Blank to Receive Hot Docs Outstanding Achievement Award

TORONTO - American documentary maker Les Blank is to receive the 2013 outstanding achievement award at the upcoming Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

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The Canadian festival also plans a focus on Polish documentaries as part of its Made In sidebar, and will pay tribute to local filmmaker Peter Mettler.

Blank, whose credits include Burden of Dreams, the 1982 chronicle of Werner Herzog’s chaotic film Fitzcarraldo, is also to receive a retrospective during the 20th edition of the Canadian festival.

“His is an incredible body of work that explores culture, music, personality and beyond with grace, humor and the highest caliber of craft, and one which has also inspired generations of filmmakers. I can’t wait to bring this retrospective to the Festival and celebrate Les’ wonderful work,” Hot Docs director of programming Charlotte Cook said in a statement on news of Blank’s tribute.

Past Hot Docs outstanding achievement award honorees include Heddy Honigmann, Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and Albert Maysles.

Mettler will receive a Focus On retrospective at Hot Docs, which honors a mid-career Canadian filmmaker.

His documentary credits include Picture of Light, Gambling, Gods and LSD and his most recent title, The End of Time.