After temporarily closing the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in June to address an operating deficit, the team behind North America’s largest documentary festival is resuming programming this month as part of a limited reopening.

Throughout the closure, the movie house at 506 Bloor St. W. has been temporarily leasing out its space to other organizations and partners to host their own screening events. For example, CFC Conversations: Black Excellence with [filmmaker] Karen Chapman is a free third-party event sponsored by the CFC and TD Bank that takes place Dec. 5.  The 45-minute on-stage conversation is devoted to perspectives told by Black creatives in the screen-based industry.

This Friday’s premiere of Your Tomorrow (Dec. 6) is part of the Cinema’s regular schedule — the Ali Weinstein-directed documentary follows an eccentric group of characters who use and care for the once-celebrated Ontario Place over the course of a year.

Viewers will see Ontario Place evolve through the eyes of a security guard who had worked there for 40 years, a pair of Taiwanese retirees who visited the park daily, a swimmer who led his cult following in year-round lake dips, as well as other artists, urban explorers, birdwatchers, government officials, and environmentalists. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director and producers, moderated by Hot Docs’ Director of Programming, Heather Haynes.

“We are deeply excited to reopen our cinema, where the magic of storytelling comes alive through Canadian and international films that connect with our valued audiences,” Haynes said in a statement. “With a lineup of award-winning documentaries ready to inspire and engage, we invite you to share in the joy of experiencing these films on the big screen, surrounded by a community of passionate viewers. Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema is more than just a venue; it’s a home for our documentary family, a place where stories unite us and foster connection. We can’t wait to welcome you back for this extraordinary journey.”

On Dec. 13, in honour of Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond, check out the free screening of Seeking Mavis Beacon, an investigation into the disappearance of one of the most influential Black women in technology. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Jazmin Jones and co-collaborator Olivia McKayla Ross, moderated by Toronto-based critic and curator Saffron Maeve.

For those looking to get into the holiday spirit, the Cinema will screen Christmas classics throughout the month such as White Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, and Die Hard!

In October, Hot Docs announced that — as part of its longer-term rebuilding strategy — it was seeking a new owner for its cinema as the organization works through two years of operating deficits.  Hot Docs has been in business for just over three decades and is the largest documentary festival in North America, with the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema having a seating capacity of 650.