Sona Mohapatra's documentary to premiere at 2020 Hot Docs Fest

MUMBAI: Singer Sona Mohapatra's docu-film "Shut Up Sona" will be premiered at the 2020 Hot Docs Festival.

In light of COVID-19 pandemic, organisers of Hot Docs, a documentary film festival in Toronto, have decided to celebrate the spirit of moviemaking and filmmakers by showcasing a multi-platform ‘festival-at-home' experience to its audience.

The festival kickstarts on May 5. Mohapatra's documentary will premiere on May 7.

"With the world locked down and in anxious times, music, storytelling, cinema and art play an even more important role in helping us get back on our feet as a society. I am grateful that 'Shut Up Sona' will find an entirely new audience in another part of the world through the Hot Docs Festival," Sona said.

Directed by Deepti Gupta, this a film about music, art, social change and a clash of the ancient and the modern. It is a story told via the journey of Sona Mohapatra and her relentless fight for a voice.

"I couldn't have imagined that our film would be selected in these top festivals of the world when we were making it. That it is a universal story that is finding resonance across the globe validates my journey as an artiste who has never felt restricted to being just a singer. I carry my country, its art, its present and its history within me," she said.

Sona added that she hopes to connect the disparate dots "within my culture to build a narrative that portrays a more nuanced view of hopes and aspirations of India"

The festival is offering more than just a movie-viewing experience with interactive, livestreamed question-answer sessions with filmmakers and creators, as well as industry experts, producers, TV and film studio executives and distributions.