Hot Docs 2008

And you thought getting into college was hard! In post-9/11 New York City, a baby boom has turned the preschool admissions process into a blood sport. With more than 20 applicants for every available spot, $4,000 consultants are hired and teams are recruited just to acquire application forms. Cue the tears, hysterics and breakdowns - and that's just the parents! Meet this year's contestants: from the well-heeled Manhattan corner, Tony and Cynthia, and Heidi and Roddy are used to getting what they want, while Harlem-based Kris and Kim, and Greenwich's Wyatt and Sneha have to be more realistic. Meanwhile, single mom Aleta has double the problem with her twins. What starts as a race to get their children into the right Ivy League "feeder" schools turns into a reality check when unexpected hiccups arrive with the response envelopes. Enjoy the insanity in this sweeter look at the social issues and the little darlings at the centre of all the fuss.
-Myrocia Watamaniuk