ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

jamcgrane On its face, Hot to Trot (HTT) is an engaging story paying homage to the beauty and grace of ballroom dance while following the journeys of same sex couples driven to compete at the pinnacle of their "sport". However, while the story itself is powerful and compelling, HTT's true impact is far greater than a story well told. For me, it is the interweaving of each individual's humanity with that of the viewer using the thread of the dance that raises the film to a different level. With keen insight, deep compassion and ultimate clarity, Director Gail Freedman quietly makes an imprint on both the heart and mind of the viewer that lasts long after the last credit is run. By presenting in both soft and sharp focus the elements of life that we all share irrespective of our sexual orientation - hopes, dreams and vulnerabilities - Ms. Freedman reminds us that we are all indeed connected and similar in more ways that we are not. That to me is art at its finest.I hope that others who have the power to promote and spread the word about this powerful work will see the critical importance of sharing this at this time

bsttrach I first got a peek at Hot to Trot over four years ago when Gail Freedman's trailer began circulating on the web. I was hooked, and have been waiting impatiently ever since. The payoff was worth the wait.What a glorious film that shines a brilliantly bright light on the little known world of same sex ballroom dancing and the wonderful people who fill that world with their energy, enthusiasm and passion.I was fortunate to have had the chance to interview Freedman several years ago for a blog post about the film, which was then still in production. At the time, she said she wanted people to take away from "Hot to Trot" the idea that by "transforming yourself you can rock the world." She went on to say: "We're at a real inflection point as a society. It's a time of unprecedented change. I think this film can be part of that."Fast forward to 2017, and the world needs this film more than ever to help keep the hope alive that positive change--change that will make us all better people--is still possible. Borrowing the race horse analogy that the name "Hot To Trot" brings to mind, I'm betting on this film to help get us far down the track.

ninafelshin Hot to Trot, a wonderfully engaging, visually seductive, and upbeat documentary, is ostensibly 'about' same-sex ballroom dancing. By following the lives of its four protagonists on—and, just as importantly, off—the dance floor for about four years, director Gail Freedman nudges the subtext into the foreground, thus bringing to mind the old feminist rallying cry, "the personal is political."  More than anything, Hot to Trot is about empowerment. Therefore, it is a film not simply for the LGBTQI community, but for all of us, including those who do not self-identify as members of a historically marginalized community. Among other things, the film suggests that our identities are multi-faceted, that they don't just hinge on gender, race, religion, etc. Who hasn't struggled with, or known someone who's struggled with, a relationship, an illness, a parent who disapproves of our choices, and a myriad of other issues and obstacles—on view in Hot to Trot!  For those among us who are uncomfortable with difference, Hot to Trot reminds us that ultimately—corny though it might sound—we're all human beings. A trenchant message for treacherous times.

Irie212 Some documentaries are so surprising, and so much fun, that even if you know little or nothing about the subject-- even if you don't care about the subject-- you can't help but be seduced. Such is "Hot to Trot," a documentary about same-sex ballroom dancing that was an official selection at a film festival in San Francisco in June. In the words of a fellow interviewed in the film, it's a world of Freds with Freds and Gingers with Gingers. Who leads? Good question.Director Gail Freedman focuses on one female pair and one male pair, though it adds up to more than four people because, of course, life intervenes. Now and then, the time comes to change partners. One Fred becomes ill, is replaced by another. A Ginger can't manage both her demanding job and the demanding world of competitive dance, so her partner's girlfriend foxtrots in. We meet dancers' families, from a mother who helps sew her daughter's glittering costumes to a father who struggles to accept a homosexual son who is not just out of the closet but on stage with another Fred. We meet their domestic partners, too, all of them supportive, but not all lifelong. That, too, is life, and this movie embraces all of it.But two things dominate the movie. First, the dancing. In rehearsal halls and at competitions, we see the dedication and precision and sheer time devoted to dancing, and finally we see the dazzling result at the 2014 Gay Games, held in, and warmly welcomed by, the people of Cleveland, Ohio. It's an international event (the 2018 games will be in Paris), and the competition is strong. The French Canadians were fearfully good. Uh-oh.Second, the disappearance of stereotypes. Not only did I see the dancers as dancers (rather than gay dancers), I also saw the global scope of people involved. The American competitors were born, variously, in the U.S., New Zealand, Costa Rica, Russia, and Hungary.So do the Americans, the Freds or the Gingers, win any of the competitions-- waltz, swing, foxtrot, tango, rumba, jive, paso doble...? See for yourself, and enjoy.