Featuring a mix of specially curated live conversations and on-demand sessions, this year’s Hot Docs Podcast Festival will dive into the creative process of today’s chart-topping podcasters, revealing how they use the medium to tell the complex and layered stories impacting us today.
Thursday, January 28
1PM:Reclaiming True Crime with Gimlet Media’s Connie Walker
Moderated by award-winning Anishinaabe author and journalist Tanya Talaga.
Connie Walker, host of the hit series Missing & Murdered, discusses her new investigative show for Gimlet Media, and using podcasts to tell the stories of the women of colour who are often erased from the true crime genre.
3PM: Internet Explorers: Up Close with Reply All
Moderated by B.A. Parker, producer of New York Magazine’s The Cut podcast.
Reply All’s new co-host Emmanuel Dzotsi and producer Anna Foley discuss the creative process behind their hugely influential, Gimlet Media mega-hit Reply All, and what it takes to tell captivating stories about life in the digital age.
6PM: The Post-Trump World: What’s Next for Political Podcasts with Crooked Media’s Tommy Vietor and Tanya Somanader
Moderated by Sarah Larson, staff writer and podcast columnist, The New Yorker.
Former Obama administration officials Tommy Vietor and Tanya Somanader discuss the future of politics and the media in the post-Trump era and the rise of Crooked Media, the wildly popular podcast studio behind Pod Save America and Pod Save the World.
8:30PM Stories for Beautiful Nerds: Roman Mars on The 99% Invisible City
Moderated by Nahlah Ayed, host of CBC Radio’s Ideas.
The host of 99% Invisible discusses his legendary design podcast and The 99% Invisible City, his new New York Times bestselling book based on the beloved series.
Friday, January 29
11AM: Funny Takes on the Daily News with The Daily Zeitgeist
With Jack O’Brien (Host, The Daily Zeitgeist); Miles Gray (Host, The Daily Zeitgeist); J.M. McNab (Writer, The Daily Zeitgeist).
A candid behind-the-scenes discussion with the comedians and writers of comedy news podcast The Daily Zeitgeist, who will talk about how they consistently find the funny in the often-daunting events of the day.
1PM: Big Stories, Big Ideas with Nishat Kurwa (Vox Media)
Moderated by Vicky Mochama
The VP and Executive Producer for Audio at Vox Media discusses the creative process that goes into building successful shows like New York Magazine’s The Cut and Today, Explained.
3PM: Listening Party #2
Guests to be announced
Plug in a pair of headphones and join other festival passholders for a listening party featuring exclusive, surprise sneak peeks of some of the hottest new shows of 2021 introduced by their hosts and creators.
6PM: Nostalgia Trip: Pop Chat meets You’re Wrong About
With Pop Chat host Elamin Abdelmahmoud and You’re Wrong About co-host Sarah Marshall.
CBC’s flagship pop culture podcast Pop Chat joins forces with the cult favourite You’re Wrong About to make sense of the cultural drama blowing up the internet and explore the rise of pop culture nostalgia.
8:30PM Stories That Slay: Roxane Gay in Conversation with New York Magazine’s The Cut
Bestselling author and Hear to Slay host Roxane Gay joins Avery Trufelman, host of New York Magazine’s The Cut, to discuss her latest cultural and political obsessions—and building the black feminist podcast of our collective dreams.
ON DEMAND | 20 Questions: Inside the Mind of…
What was the first podcast that inspired you? What is the worst show idea you ever had? What is your favorite snack while you are working? Get inside the minds of podcast makers, producers and execs in this on-demand library of recorded talks inspired by the game 20 Questions.
Featuring creators and hosts from:
Adult-ish, The Allusionist, The Big Story, California Love, Commons, Ear Hustle, The Hopeful, Lost Notes, The Memory Palace, Mike on Much, CBC’s Seat at the Table, CBC’s The Secret Life of Canada, Snap Judgment, CBC’s This is not a Drake podcast, and CBC’s Tony Ho.
Accessible through one easy pass, with a select number of events available for single purchase, the Hot Docs Podcast Festival is fully underway, and is now available to stream on the Hot Docs website.
