The Shannon is Ireland’s greatest geographical landmark and longest river. It is both a barrier and highway, a silver ribbon holding back the rugged landscapes of the west from the gentler plains to the east. On its journey south, the Shannon passes through a huge palette of rural landscapes, where on little-known backwaters, Ireland’s wild animals and plants still thrive as almost nowhere else. For a year, wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson lives on the river, camping on its banks, exploring its countless tributaries in a traditional canoe, following the river from dawn to dusk through the four seasons, on a quest to film the natural history of the Shannon as it has never been seen or heard or experienced before.

Comic Hasan Minhaj of “The Daily Show” shares personal stories about racism, immigrant parents, prom night horrors and more in this stand-up special.

A simple can of ravioli propels this spectacular 30,000-kilometre, eight-country journey through all phases of food production and the far flung sources of international ingredients. A dream-like voyage with glimpses of disconcerting realities, the story begins with a single mother toiling in one of the biggest open pit mines in Brazil and ends on the shelf of a grocery store in Finland. Along the way, the workers whose calloused hands mine, raise and harvest each ingredient reveal their dreams and hopes, like the Danish pig farmer who loves his sows but longs for a girlfriend, and the Portuguese tomato picker who wants to stay healthy long enough to pay her daughters way through university. Sumptuous photography and impressive sound design make an eloquent statement about our modern, globalized world, making us aware of the hundreds of invisible people who prepare the food we eat every day. -Gisèle Gordon (HotDocs.ca)

Go With Your Gut is documentary on the theme of how you should always follow your heart. It tells the stories of 7 Chinese independent domestic brand founders. The main characters are Mao …

In an audacious investigation, Freightened will reveal the mechanics and perils of freight shipment; an all-but-visible industry that holds the key to our economy, our environment and the very model of our civilisation.

Music is an integral part of most films, adding emotion and nuance while often remaining invisible to audiences. Matt Schrader shines a spotlight on the overlooked craft of film composing, gathering many of the art form’s most influential practitioners, from Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman to Quincy Jones and Randy Newman, to uncover their creative process. Tracing key developments in the evolution of music in film, and exploring some of cinema’s most iconic soundtracks, ‘Score’ is an aural valentine for film lovers.

The comedy pioneer behind the Goon Show, Dr Strangelove and the Pink Panther series is explored in depth in this film, surveying his meteoric rise to fame and troubled personal life.

A look at the rise of crack cocaine in urban America in the 1980s and it’s influence on popular culture, especially in hip-hop music.

A Dutch couple, Martin and Margo Verfondern, move to a remote Spanish village of Santoalla to start a new life. There is conflict with the Spanish residents resulting in the disappearance of Martin.

In 1976 a book was published titled “The Creature” that swept over Bigfoot enthusiasts and researchers all over the state of Pennsylvania. Since then, it has been the most quoted work on the subject of Bigfoot. But, who was the author and was there any truth in the story? The mystery behind the author and the fascinating story known as “The Creature” has never been solved. Was it an elaborate hoax or could the remains of a Bigfoot be buried in the foothills of Pennsylvania.

Whoever came up with the term ‘bird brain’ never met these feathered thinkers, who use their claws and beaks to solve puzzles, make tools and more.

The origin story behind one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, Fiddler on The Roof, and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when “tradition” was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were evolving.