“ON MY OWN TERMS” AND "TRACES" IN THE HOT DOCS FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
“Traces” by Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk and “On My Own Terms” by Tadeusz Chudy have been selected for the programme of Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival – one of the world’s most important and prestigious documentary film festivals. The films will be presented in the non-competitive World Showcase section. This year’s edition of the festival will run from 23 April to 3 May 2026.
Hot Docs ranks amongst the most significant documentary festivals in the entire world. Established in 1993, the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary film festival on the American continent. The event, organised by a non-profit institution, is devoted to supporting and championing the art of documentary filmmaking and to creating production opportunities for non-fiction filmmakers. Each year, the spring screenings are accompanied by an international film market and a series of industry conferences.
On My Own Terms tells the story of Paweł and Julka – half-siblings raised in a children's home who dream of independence and living as they see fit. When Paweł begins to find success in boxing and Julka unexpectedly inherits an apartment, it appears that the autonomy they have longed for is at last within reach. Adulthood, however, swiftly puts their plans to the test, forcing the siblings to confront challenges they had never anticipated.
International festival distribution for the film is handled by KFF Sales.
“Traces” tells the story of Ukrainian women who survived sexual violence during Russia’s war and refuse to remain silent. Kovalenko – director and protagonist of last year’s “My Dear Theo” which documented her own frontline experience – now returns with a collective perspective, revealing sexual violence as a weapon of war. The film offers an empathetic portrait of six individuals and a story of survival, courage, and solidarity forged through community. Its central message is clear: we must not look away – an appeal voiced by both the protagonists and the filmmakers as they confront the stigma surrounding survivors. The title itself underscores the layered nature of such trauma, from visible traces of destruction to the less tangible wounds that persist in the psyche and social relationships.
This marks another important stop on the film’s international journey. Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk’s documentary recently won the Audience Award in the Panorama Dokumente section at the Berlinale, and had earlier been presented at the Thessaloniki festival and at CPH:DOX.
You can find out more about the festival here.