In a universe where cool kids are nerds, the orchestra is world class and being Asian American is the norm, seniors at Lowell High School compete for the top prize: admission to the college of their dreams.

In a tale of double agents and decoys, this documentary reveals, for the first time, the story of King George VI’s elaborate ruse to divert German attention away from the Normandy landings in 1944.

Ronnie Coleman is known as “The King” and for good reason. He is the 8x Mr. Olympia champion in the world of bodybuilding – sharing the world record for most Olympia wins. Now retired, he has undergone over 6 surgeries leaving him unable to walk without crutches but his desire to train like a pro bodybuilder has not dissipated. Exploring the history of his career as a bodybuilding legend and following his journey to recovery; for the first time ever discover the true man behind The King.

What makes Agatha Christie such a successful writer? On the 75th anniversary of the creation of her immortal character Miss Marple, this documentary introduces viewers to new fields of scientific inquiry using sophisticated computer analyses of Christie’s every written word, her sentence structure, story arcs, poisons used, red herrings, clues and more. From British Pathé TV’s Arts Collection.

MATTHEWS tells the incredible true story of the life and career of a man considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time, Sir Stanley Matthews.

Vancouver-based filmmaker and TV news veteran Fred Peabody explores the life and legacy of the maverick American journalist I.F. Stone, whose long one-man crusade against government deception lives on in the work of such contemporary filmmakers and journalists as Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald, David Corn, and Matt Taibbi.

JACO tells the story of Jaco Pastorius, a self-taught, larger-than-life musician who single-handedly changed the course of modern music by redefining the sound and the role of the electric bass guitar. Never-before-seen 8mm film, photographs, and audio recordings unveil the true story behind the legend of Jaco’s life, his music, and his heartbreaking end. Featuring Joni Mitchell, Sting, Flea, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Santana, Wayne Shorter and more, JACO will leave you longing for a time when “musicians owned the music industry.” Produced by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo with Passion Pictures (Searching for Sugar Man) and directed by Mr. Paul Marchand & Stephen Kijak.

American: The Bill Hicks Story is a biographical documentary film on the life of comedian Bill Hicks. The film was produced by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, and features archival footage and interviews with family and friends, including Kevin Booth. The filmmakers used a cut-and-paste animation technique to add movement to a large collection of still pictures used to document events in Hicks’ life. The film made its North American premiere at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival. The film was nominated for a 2010 Grierson British Documentary Award for the “Most Entertaining Documentary” category. It was also nominated for Best Graphics and Animation category in the 2011 Cinema Eye Awards. Awards won include The Dallas Film Festivals Texas Filmmaker Award, at Little Rock The Oxford American’s Best Southern Film Award, and Best Documentary at the Downtown LA Film Festival. On Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of the first 47 reviews counted were rated positive.

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)

Hasan Minhaj delivers an unapologetic stand-up set about midlife identity struggles, race relations, political divides — and that fact-checking scandal.

Through years of never-before-seen footage, director Karam Gill follows Lil Baby’s transformational journey from local Atlanta hustler to becoming one of hip-hop’s biggest stars and pop culture’s most important voices for change.

On April 26, 1986, a 1,000 feet high flame rises into the sky of the Ukraine. The fourth reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant just exploded. A battle begins in which 500,000 men are engaged throughout the Soviet Union to “liquidate” the radioactivity, build the “sarcophagus” of the damaged reactor and save the world from a second explosion that would have destroyed half of Europe. Become a reference film, this documentary combines testimonials and unseen footage, tells for the first time the Battle of Chernobyl.