Kenny Hotz

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Kenneth Joel "Kenny" Hotz (born in Toronto, Canada) is a Canadian filmaker, actor, producer, director, journalist, photographer and co-star of the Canadian television show Kenny vs. Spenny

At the age of seven years old, Kenny was sent to a film camp where he made his first film. Hotz began making documentaries in 1989, and had the idea to develop a television show in which he and a friend competed in a series of challenges to prove who was the best, which eventually evolved into Kenny vs. Spenny.

Upon graduation from Ryerson University's media arts program, Hotz became an accomplished filmmaker and photographer, and he traveled around the world in 1991. In that year he went to cover the Gulf War, -- the only registered Canadian artist to do so. Hotz worked as a photographer since 1986, photographing numerous countries and historic world events. The subjects of his photo essays include Auschwitz, Dachau, Needle Park (Zurich, Switzerland), David Keresh, Mount Carmel, Waco, and New Years' in Times Square 2000.

After returning to Canada, Hotz worked on a comedic short about the life and death of a homeless dwarf in Toronto named Shorty Gordy with Rice. He also worked as a writer for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1997. Also in that year he starred (with his sidekick Spencer Rice) in the documentary Pitch. Hotz then moved to Los Angeles to develop television programming. Eventually, Hotz started development on Kenny vs. Spenny.

Kenny vs. Spenny was nominated for a Gemini award in 2004. Hotz is currently preparing the 5th season of the series for Showcase, and was recently a guest with Spenny on Conan O'Brien in New York. He notes that “I sat next to Conan.” He recently finished his second award-winning feature film titled The Papal Chase, a documentary about Hotz (who is Jewish) trying to meet the Pope John Paul II. The film is directed by and stars Hotz, and features cameos by The Rolling Stones and Pope John Paul II. Hotz was given an unprecedented $10,000 prize by a jury when the film won the acclaimed Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature Film in 2004 at the Whistler Film Festival, and the People’s Choice Award for Best Canadian Feature at the Canadian Filmmakers Festival in 2005. The Papal Chase also won the Audience Award for best documentary at the Brooklyn International Film Festival. He also created the concept for the 3D video game "Versusville" for the Kenny vs. Spenny series and was nominated for the Canadian New Media Awards for "Excellence in Gaming."

Kenny is writing his third feature film in association with Films Transit International as well as a new reality show for GSN-Sony network. He recently wrote/consulted on the animated Emmy award-winning series South Park .

Kenny is Jewish, as evidenced in one episode of Kenny vs. Spenny (Who can eat the most meat?). As he blends up a "meat smoothie," to which he adds bacon, he notes that his "rabbi is going to be so pissed." Also, he pretends to sing in his local synagogue choir in "First to Stop Singing Loses" (against the rules of that particular competition) and he mentions it in the "Who Do Old People Like More" episode, where he believes it will help him win.


Kenny is said to be a diabolical genius and a god.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Kenny vs. Spenny
Competitors
Kenny Hotz · Spencer Rice
Producers
Networks
Original: CBC · Showcase
Other: Comedy Central
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