Last year I was lucky enough to take part in Hot Docs ‘Doc Ignite’ crowd sourcing initiative with my film ‘How to Build a Time Machine’ (which I’m still filming). Now, a month before the kickoff of the 2013 Hot Docs Film Festival, a great new project is looking for your support! Nicolina Lanni and John Choi’s ‘Lost & Found’ looks at the reunion of objects lost in the 2011 Japanese tsunami with their original owners. Here’s some info on this interesting story:

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku, Japan was a magnitude 9.0 – it was the most powerful earthquake ever to hit Japan. It triggered tsunami waves that reached heights of 40.5 meters. The waves devastated the eastern shore of Japan. 20,000 lives were lost and with them entire villages were swept into the sea. 25 million tonnes of debris – homes, cars, boats, personal belongings – was washed into the Pacific Ocean. Some debris sunk, some was rescued in the early days of clean up, the rest is slowly floated across the world and is now landing on the shores of North America.

LOST & FOUND follows the epic endeavor underway to reunite objects lost in the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Strangers, continents apart, are coming together to salvage the memories amid the debris. Join us as we journey to Japan with the beachcombers, oceanographers, kayakers and environmentalists who have found these objects, return these lost belonging to their rightful owners, and hear the stories behind them.

Have a look at the ‘Lost & Found’ campaign trailer at the top of this post and then head over to Doc Ignite and contribute! As usual, there are lots of great incentives to choose from.

I managed to catch Rodney Ascher’s ‘Room 237′ last year at TIFF and I can say that fans of ‘The Shining’ definitely want to check this one out. Some might be familiar with the conspiracies surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece, but the theories put forth in this visual essay range from thought provoking critical analysis to unrestrained and often unfounded obsessive compulsive reasoning. Here’s the synopsis:

After the box office failure of Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick decided to embark on a project that might have more commercial appeal. The Shining, Stephen King’s biggest critical and commercial success yet, seemed like a perfect vehicle. After an arduous production, Kubrick’s film received a wide release in the summer of 1980; the reviews were mixed, but the box office, after a slow start, eventually picked up. End of story? Hardly. In the 30 years since the film’s release, a considerable cult of Shining devotees has emerged, fans who claim to have decoded the film’s secret messages addressing everything from the genocide of Native Americans to a range of government conspiracies. Rodney Ascher’s wry and provocative Room 237 fuses fact and fiction through interviews with cultists and scholars, creating a kaleidoscopic deconstruction of Kubrick’s still-controversial classic.

IFC picked up ‘Room 237′, which opens in New York and hits VOD in the US on March 29 (April 5 in Los Angeles). Also, have a look at the new poster below.

This seems to be from a TV show called ‘Into the Night With…’ in which, according to IMDB, “Two celebrities meet for the first time to spend an evening in each others and the camera’s company.” This episode, directed by Bruce La Bruce, was filmed during the release of Korine’s Trash Humpers and follows the two filmmakers as they explore Korine’s hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Definitely worth a watch.

I’ve yet to see ‘Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey’ but I’ve heard great things. Looking forward to checking this one out. Here’s the synposis:

Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey follows the real life rock ‘n’ roll fairy tale of Filipino Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from YouTube to become the front man for iconic American rock band Journey. In this Cinderella story for the ages, Arnel, having overcome a lifetime’s worth of hardships, must now navigate the immense pressures of replacing a legendary singer and leading a world-renowned band on their most extensive world tour in years.

‘Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey’ is playing in select theatres and is now available on iTunes and VOD via Docurama Films.

Another trailer for another AJ Schnack documentary (this time co-directing with David Wilson) that’s also having its world premiere at another film festival (SXSW)! Very excited for this one.

“We Always Lie To Strangers” is a story of family, community, music and tradition set against the backdrop of Branson, Missouri, a remote Ozark Mountain town that is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the United States. Here, millions from around the country, and particularly from the American Midwest, flock for a return to “old fashioned, traditional values” and the family-style entertainment of Branson’s 100+ staged music shows, many of which feature families performing together. As Branson faces economic uncertainty and changes in attitudes on social issues, the interwoven sagas of these performing families form a composite both of Branson and of contemporary America.

‘We Always Lie to Strangers’ will have its world premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. Click here for more info on where and when you can see it.

It’s just been announced that AJ Schnack’s ‘Caucus’ will have its world premiere at this year’s Hot Docs film festival. From the Hot Docs press release:

Republican leadership hopefuls compete at the 2012 Iowa Caucus amidst a battlefield of county fairs and petting zoos. This is a different behind-the-scenes look at politics, offering remarkable access to candidates and a very unlikely underdog story.

Check out the trailer above. Also, check out what else Hot Docs has lined up for its Special Presentations program.