TORONTO – Veteran BBC filmmaker and journalist Adam Curtis is to receive the 2014 outstanding achievement award from the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, organizers said on Tuesday.
The festival also tapped Oscar-winning Canadian filmmaker John Zaritsky to be the subject of this year’s Focus On retrospective.
As it fetes Curtis, Hot Docs said it will screen a retrospective of films by the British filmmaker made during a long career as a director, producer and writer.
Curtis’ film credits include Italians, Modern Times, Pandora’s Box and the 2009 film All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace.
“Adam Curtis blends journalism and cinematic storytelling to critique media and power in society with an unmatched style and complexity,” said Hot Docs director of programming Charlotte Cook on Tuesday in a statement as she cited his documentary work.
Curtis currently writes a blog for the British pubcaster.
Past winners of the outstanding achievement award include Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
Hot Docs will also pay tribute to Zaritsky with a retrospective that includes Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo.
Zaritsky earned an Academy Award for his 1982 film Just Another Missing Kid.
The 21st edition of Hot Docs is set to run in Toronto from April 24 to May 4.
