Official Trailer for ‘The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop’ Nerdy Doc
by Alex Billington
June 16, 2025
Source: YouTube
“People think of Monopoly – and it’s definitely not that anymore…” Brainstorm Media has debuted the full trailer for a documentary film titled The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop, directed by Canadian doc filmmaker Simon Ennis. This is a “film for the trained, the casual gamer and beginners alike.” If you like to throw a dice and shuffle the cards, this is the winning film! Board games are more than just games in this affectionate, character-driven portrait of a diverse culture. The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop doc is a look at the board game culture, following various tabletop gamers in the community. The film explores the passionate world of modern board gaming, meeting enthusiasts who find community and meaning through games. There’s all kinds – competitive gamers, creators, casual gamers, and so on. It’s a super nerdy, entirely entertaining, uniquely fascinating look at this world. Focusing on how interest in board games has taken off, with a whole new industry growing where people get to create & sell their own games. This doc is delightful.
Official trailer (+ poster) for Simon Ennis’s doc The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop, from YouTube:
Via CPH:DOX: “What can happen when you roll two dice? Everything, apparently. Because dice, checkers and board can be portals to something much bigger than just a game. It’s about community, emotion and participation – but it’s also about winning! This doc takes us from the World Board Game Championships in Las Vegas to dating and all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia, because board games and the desire to play have deep roots. Through personal narratives, players around the world share fascinating stories of competition, passion, creativity and imagination, and about how a single game can bridge people and cultures. A character-driven, affectionate portrait of board game culture, this is a documentary film that inventively and charmingly ponders the importance of ‘meaningless’ activities in life.” The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop is a doc directed by Canadian doc filmmaker Simon Ennis, director of the films You Might as Well Live, Lunarcy!, and Man vs. Machine previously, plus a number of other shorts and series. Produced by Justin Rebelo, Tina Pehme, and Kim C. Roberts. This initially premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival down in Austin, TX. Brainstorm Media will debut The Hobby: Tales From The Tabletop doc in Canadian theaters starting June 20th, 2025. And coming soon to VOD later this summer. Want to watch?