This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino
Stratford, ON…The Stratford Festival is delighted to announce that This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino, a film by Melbar Entertainment Group, will make its world premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival this month.
Directed by Barry Avrich and produced by Mark Selby, the documentary follows Antoni Cimolino as he prepares for his final season as Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival after nearly four decades with the organization.
With candid access and reflections from artists and collaborators across the Canadian theatre community, This Above All offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of one of the country’s most celebrated cultural institutions – and of the man whose life has become deeply intertwined with it.
At once an intimate portrait, a backstage chronicle and a celebration of Canadian artistry, the film traces Cimolino’s journey from young actor to acclaimed director and Artistic Director, capturing the passion, pressure, ambition and heart that have shaped his remarkable career.
“Antoni Cimolino is an unequalled master class in how to lead an extraordinary, globally renowned theatre company while ensuring its Canadian identity remains protected,” says Avrich.
“When you spend your life in theatre storytelling, you never imagine being the story yourself,” says Cimolino. “I am both humbled by the notion of having my life documented and, at the same time, deeply proud to have contributed to a richly talented landscape of Canadian artists that became my world, my life and my work.”
The documentary will premiere at Hot Docs on Monday, April 27, at 7:45pm at the TIFF Lightbox, with a repeat screening Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 11:15am.
Following the premiere, This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino will air on The Documentary Channel on Sunday, August 30 at 9pm ET/PT with a CBC Gem release to follow on Friday, September 18.
Produced by Melbar Entertainment Group, the film was made with the participation of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, Ontario Creates and Rogers Documentary Fund, and in association with The Documentary Channel.
For stills, clip and additional press materials, visit: This Above All Publicity Assets
About Melbar Entertainment Group
Founded in 1997 by veteran producer and award-winning director Barry Avrich, Melbar Entertainment Group has become one of North America’s leading producers of non-scripted content. Avrich and partner Mark Selby have created more than 70 documentaries and filmed productions, including the internationally acclaimed Made You Look, Born Hungry, The Last Mogul, Prosecuting Evil, David Foster: Off The Record, Oscar Peterson: Black + White and The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue winner of the People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. The company has also produced 25 award-winning stage-to-screen adaptations of Broadway and Shakespeare productions including The Tempest with Oscar-winner Christopher Plummer and King Lear with Colm Feore.
