Colten Boushie documentary makes history as Hot Docs opener

Hot Docs kicks off its latest edition in Toronto on Thursday by shining a light on inequity and systemic racism in the Canadian legal system and efforts of Colten Boushie's family to push for change.

Tasha Hubbard's npawistamsowin: We Will Stand Up is opening North America's largest documentary film festival, the first time an Indigenousdirector has landed the high-profile slot.

Making its world premiere, npawistamsowin: We Will Stand Up paints a stark portrait of the landscape surrounding the 2016 death of Boushie, a young Saskatchewan man from Red Pheasant First Nation, and the acquittal of Gerald Stanley, thewhite farmer who fatally shot him. The case sparked a massive outcry and capturedinternational attention.

In the doc, which Hubbardalso narrates, the filmmaker weaves her own personal history into a larger examination of colonialism and racism in the Prairie provinces along with how Boushie's family continues to pursue landmark changes in our justice system.npawistamsowin: We Will Stand Up isslated for theatrical release later this year.

Members of Boushie's family, their legal advisers and other supporters will join Hubbardin Toronto Thursday night to help unveil the film.

"We hope thatnpawistamsowin: We Will Stand Upshines a light on the significant barriers the Canadian legal system presents to Indigenous peoples and families seeking justice for their loved ones. What Indigenous peoples experience within this system is unacceptable," the family said Thursday morning ina statement.

"We will continue to press provincial, federal and international leaders to make real and lasting change," the family added, while also sharingthanks to First Nation, Mtis and Inuit peoples across Canada, Indigenous people worldwide and non-Indigenous allies for their support.

Over the next 10 days, Hot Docs will showcase more than 230 filmsfrom 56 countries, plus virtual reality and interactive experiences.According to organizers, 54 per cent of this year's films are directed by women.

Prey, about a Canadian sexual abuse survivor's legal battle against the Catholic Church, the devastating Your Last Walk in the Mosque, which gives voice to survivors of the Quebec City mosque shooting, cosmetics industry expos ToxicBeautyand climate change doc The Hottest August are just a few examples of the wide-ranging, topical films screening at this year's edition.

This year's Hot Docs also includes films exploring fascinating personalities such as singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, sex therapist Dr. RuthWestheimer,pioneeringNHLer Willie O'Ree,activist journalist and author Stieg Larsson andGatan Dugas, the Canadian man demonized as"patient zero" in the early years of the AIDS epidemic.