Sheffield DocFest 2023 Festival Guide

WELC ME

Welcome from the Chair

Welcome to the 30th Sheffield International Documentary Festival. This is an exciting moment, as we celebrate 30 festivals showcasing the best and most innovative documentaries from around the world.

In 1990, as an influential documentary producer at the BBC, Peter Symes sparked the curiosity of the documentary community by asking, ‘what could a forum to celebrate documentary in the UK look like?’ He galvanised a small group of founders to make the idea a reality. By 1994, that first small festival was held here in Sheffield. I was lucky enough to be there and that event, along with the films I saw, changed the course of my life. So, a very special thank you to Peter Symes – we wouldn’t be here without him.

2023 offers us a moment to look ahead, with renewed determination and urgency, to inspire the next generation of filmmakers, both from the UK and internationally. We invite you to come on that journey with us.

Sheffield DocFest is more than an opportunity to see great films and artworks. It is a gathering of artists, filmmakers, activists and enthusiasts dedicated to exploring the power and potential of non-fiction storytelling. Over the years, with humble means but very large ambitions, Sheffield DocFest has not only become a world-leading documentary festival, but also a hub for critical reflection, a place that does not shy away from urgent debate, and a platform to advance the form. Lasting careers have been forged, emerging talent has had a chance to shine, and new work has been born here, and funded, produced and exhibited globally. We are excited to share some of those works ‘made in Sheffield’, that now return fully formed.

Perhaps just as important, lifelong friendships have been made, and an inclusive, diverse and dynamic community created.

Thank you to the filmmakers and artists who are trusting us with their work this year. And thank you to all our sponsors and partners, old and new; your unwavering loyalty and support is deeply appreciated. Thank you to all the Trustees who have given their precious time to the festival year-round, and to the extended family of industry advisors and consultants who continued to produce great talks and sessions. And, of course, enormous thanks to Annabel Grundy, Raul Niño Zambrano and all the festival staff, international programmers, freelancers and volunteers who work so hard to bring this event to you.

Beyond the films and artworks, we know this year’s market will again create opportunities for future work, supporting stories yet to be told. And we are delighted to launch some new initiatives and strands. As ever, we hope to be a forum for debates that matter.

We believe that documentaries have the power to help change our world and our world views. We hope this year’s festival will enrich you, move you to act, to create, and be part of that change. We hope your curiosity will be sparked, and most of all we hope you have a lot of fun.

Alex Cooke Chair of The Board of Trustees

Welcome from the Festival Directors

Sparking Curiosity…

Welcome to Sheffield DocFest, our proudly Yorkshire, and proudly international, celebration of non-fiction narratives in all their forms. This year we invite you to get curious about documentary, whether it’s across our regular strands and competitions, or diving into programmes across audio, immersive and emerging technology, verbatim theatre and TV series.

From our earliest conversations, we knew our 30th edition needed to be a forward-facing look at what we can be and the future we want to build. We set about challenging ourselves to consider what the next 30 years of docs will be, across multiple media and from many different perspectives. We have cemented our commitment to ensuring an intersectional and democratic approach to curation across all festival strands, expanding our teams of programme consultants, advisers and selection panels across the full public programme. We are grateful to the 41 experts in curation, emerging media, audio, talks and industry development who have lent their expertise and passion for storytelling to the Festival.

All told, their efforts add up to: 122 films from 52 countries, including 37 world premieres and 20 international premieres; 15 Alternate Realities projects from 12 countries; four pitching events and 48 projects (including six rough cut screenings) from 37 countries in the MeetMarket, including works from Palestine, Ukraine and Venezuela.

In a world of increasing polarisation, we remain committed to an international perspective. We felt it urgent and important to bring our focus to Perspectives on Iran and to use our position to spotlight and celebrate filmmakers facing challenges in reaching an international stage. In this manner, we are delighted to have Rakhshan Banietemad as our Guest of Honour. Banietemad’s body of work, which mostly focuses on female protagonists addressing topical social issues in Iranian society, has become an essential reference for Iranian and global cinema. At a time when the world is following current developments in Iran, we are proud to give audiences the opportunity to rediscover Rakhshan’s films and her powerful storytelling.

We recognise the continuing challenges experienced by documentary colleagues around the world. After attempts in 2022 to welcome them in person, we find ourselves again postponing collaboration with Sudanese filmmakers, whose indefatigable spirit in the face of increasing challenges is remarkable. Within our wide and diverse programme, we are proud to present the features In the Rearview and 20 Days in Mariupol from Ukraine, as well as Up in the Air, Four Architects, In Ukraine and A Poem for Little People in our Marketplace. We celebrate these makers’ resilience and all those fighting to have their voice heard in 2023.

Closer to home, we open the festival with Tish, Paul Sng’s remarkable portrait of documentary photographer Tish Murtha. The film urgently questions whose voices are valued, supported, nurtured and heard, while documenting the life of an extraordinary artist and activist. We continue these conversations in our industry programme, via support schemes for new talent across AR & TV production, the return of our Filmmaker Challenge, and sessions spanning access, class and AI, exploring who gets to own their story.

In talks and sessions, we present three pitches for UK documentary practitioners: The Whickers Film & TV Award Pitch, Channel Four First Cut Pitch and, new to 2023 – BBC Storyville Development Pitch. We’re also thrilled to offer a new Podcast Pitch, supported by Whickers, for audio projects.

Thanks to our fantastically committed and creative team, our trustees and supporters – in particular those who have contributed to our ‘30 more years of DocFest’ appeal – and all those who bring their energy, ideas and dancing shoes to Sheffield each June.

Annabel Grundy Managing Director Raul Niño Zambrano Creative Director

Funders, Partners & Sponsors

Funders, Partners & Sponsors

Principal Funders

Major Funders, Partners & Sponsors

Funders, Partners & Sponsors

Cinema Partners

THE GRIERSON TRUST

THANKS

The Sheffield DocDest team would like to thank the following for their support –

Fatma Hassan Al Remaihi Doha Film Institute

Jay Arnold British Council

Sylvia Bednarz Grierson Trust

Lee Bentham

Hugo Blackburn Warner Chappell Production Music

Zdeněk Blaha East Doc Platform

Kate Brindley South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

Diana Buckley Sheffield City Council

Hannah Campbell

Rinella Cere Sheffield Hallam University

Harjeet Chokkar Prime

Emma Cooper Innovate UK

Caroline Cooper Charles Screen Yorkshire

Michele Devlin Docs Ireland

Aleks Dimitrijevic British Film Institute

Lindsey Dryden Little by Little Films

Cherie Federico Aesthetica

James Fenwick Sheffield Hallam University

Ryan Finnigan Showroom Cinema

Nigel Fischer University of Sheffield

Cassie Fletcher

Fiona Fletcher Doc Society

Emma France Marketing Sheffield

Michael Garrad Curzon Cinemas

Anna Giralt Gris +RAIN Film Fest

Gugi Gumilang In-Docs

Jazia Hammoudi ONX Studio

Bryony Hanson British Council

Liz Harkman Live Cinema UK

Sophie Hughes The Furnace

Vallejo Gantner ONX Studio

Rupert Goodwin Premier PR

Sarah Georgeson Royal Court Theatre

Judith Harry Site Gallery

Fiona Hewlett Screen Yorkshire

Jenny Horwell Bertha DocHouse

Olivia Howe British Film Institute

Patrick Hurley Sandbox Films

Adrian Kawaley-Lathan Bertha Foundation

Naomi Kay Channel 4

Nahrein Kemp ITV

Leena Khobragade NFDC Film Bazaar

Samantha Kingston Virtual Umbrella

Julie La’Bassiere Apple Original Films

Simon Lee Channel 4

Delphine Lievens

James Lock Opus

Ben Luxford British Film Institute

Rebecca Maddox Sheffield City Council

Hugh Mann-Adamson The Kurious

Kristy Matheson British Film Institute

Dr. Emmie McFadden Sheffield Hallam University

Bertie Millis Virtual Umbrella

Mark Mobbs Marketing Sheffield

Agnieszka Moody British Film Institute

Emma Mørup CPH Forum

Victoria Musguin-Rowe BBC

Beatrice Neumann Screen Yorkshire

Judith Nichol BBC

Jasper Nijsmans Flanders Image

Lena Nitsch Nordisk Panorama

John O’Shea National Videogame Museum

Francesca Panetta Ako Storytelling Institute

Katie Parslow Warner Bros. Discovery

Colin Pons Sheffield Hallam University

Charlotte Procter Cinenova

Vicky Pullinger The Light Cinemas

Anna Richards Sheffield Hallam University

Ben Roberts British Film Institute

Valentín Romero MiradasDoc

Marion Schmidt Documentary Association of Europe

Ulrich Schrauth VRHam

Clare Stewart

Sophie Swoffer Sheffield Hallam University

Tony Tabatznik Bertha Foundation

Janine Thomas Channel 4

Jane Tompkins Marketing Sheffield

Professor Vanessa Toulmin University of Sheffield

Kate Wellham Live Cinema UK

Ian Wild Showroom Cinema

Jason Wood British Film Institute

Elizabeth Wood Bertha DocHouse

We would also like to thank all at the following organisations –Cinema For All

Cinebox

Creative UK

CVC

Doc Society

Eventive

Ferrio

Fiona Festival

The Furnace

Hampton by Hilton Hotel

Hawsons Chartered Accounts

Ibis Hotel

INDY Cinema

Joi Polloi

The Kurious

Leonardos Hotel

Matchbox Cine

Mercure Hotel

Molinare

OYO Hotel

Reclaim the Frame

Sensoria

Sheffield Central Library

Sheffeld City Council

Licensing Service

Sheffield Culture Consortium

Showroom Workstation

SignWorks

Site Gallery

Sound of Music

UK Global Screen Fund

Virtual Umbrella

Sheffield DocFest would also like to thank:

All those who have made a donation.

All of the filmmakers, artists and producers who each contributed to an official selection we are proud to present

All of the volunteers whose contributions of time, energy, and enthusiasm have helped make the festival a success.

Our Venue Coordinators.

Our Local Advisory group.

FESTIVAL INF RMATI N

Booking Information

Tickets are available online at sheffdocfest.com or in person at our box office locations. For enquiries email boxoffice@sheffdocfest.com or call +44 (0)330 122 8870.

Single Tickets

Film screenings at the Showroom, Curzon, and The Light cinemas

Standard: £10 / Concession: £6.50

DocsForAll Tickets

£6.50 – applies to cinema screenings starting before 2pm on weekdays and all day on Mon 19 June

Screenings and events at The Crucible Theatre

Standard: £12 / Concession: £8

Opening Night at Sheffield City Hall

Standard: £18 plus booking and transaction fees

Concession: £12 plus booking and transaction fees

Tickets for Opening Night are available exclusively from sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/box-office

Alternate Realities Summit at Sheffield Town Hall

Standard: £45 / Concession: £30

DocLover Ticket Packages

Buy a DocLover package and get discounted tickets for film screenings at the Showroom, Curzon and The Light cinemas. Select up to four tickets per screening. Standard price DocLover packages also include a £2 discount for events at The Crucible Theatre. Available to buy online at sheffdocfest.com/attend/doc-lover

DocLover 5

Standard: £40 / Concession: £30

DocLover 10

Standard: £75 / Concession: £55

Online Screenings

From Mon 19 – Sun 25 June a selection of films from our programme will be available to stream online. The online programme will be announced by 1 June – please visit sheffdocfest.com/online for more information

Online Single tickets: £5

Online DocLover package: £50 (all available films)

Online films are only available to watch from within the UK, unless you have an Industry Pass.

Affordability

Concession tickets are available to claimants, full-time students, over 60s and anyone who cannot afford a fullprice ticket, via the DocsForAll concession – no proof of status is required and we operate concessions on a trust basis.

Complimentary tickets are available for Personal Assistants, Carers or sign language interpreters who are assisting someone attending the event, and must be booked in advance. To book, please email boxoffice@ sheffdocfest.com with proof of DLA or a valid CEA card or international equivalent.

Free and open to all, our Alternate Realities Exhibition at Site Gallery runs from 11am–8pm during the festival and will continue after the festival with a reduced selection of works, and following normal gallery opening times, until Sunday 16 July. Please note that the project Within Touching Distance requires advance booking.

Accessibility

All festival venues are wheelchair accessible. Please note that wheelchair spaces in events are subject to availability. Visit sheffdocfest.com/attend/venues for detailed information on all our festival locations. To view up-to-date details of our access services, including BSL interpretation, relaxed screenings, subtitled and captioned films, visit sheffdocfest.com/attend/accessibility. For all access enquiries please email access@sheffdocfest.com or call +44 (0)330 122 8870

Box Office Information

Tickets are available at the following locations from 10 May and during the festival:

Showroom Cinema

Paternoster Row, S1 2BX

Mon–Sun 11:30–21:00 showroomworkstation.org.uk/contact-us

Crucible Theatre (Crucible event tickets only)

55 Norfolk Street, S1 1DA

Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00

sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/about/contact-us

Sheffield City Hall (Opening Night tickets only) Barkers Pool, S1 2JA

Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00

sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/box-office

Tickets are available at the following locations during festival dates only:

Festival Box Office on Tudor Square Tudor Square, S1 2LA

Wed–Sun 09:00–21:00

The Light Cinema

The Moor, S1 4PF

Thu–Sun 09:30–21:00

Card payment only

Curzon Cinema

16 George Street, S1 2PF

Thu–Sun 09:30–21:00

Card payment only

We encourage card and contactless payments. For enquiries email boxoffice@sheffdocfest.com or call +44 (0)330 122 8870

General Information

Ticket Reallocation

Due to high demand, if you have a ticket and are not in your seat five minutes before the event start time, your ticket may be reallocated to a standby queue. Films play without trailers and start promptly at the advertised time.

Age Ratings

Films are screened at the festival before their general release so are not yet classified by the BBFC. The festival works closely with Sheffield City Council to agree appropriate age ratings for as many films as possible, but some may be listed as Unclassified/18+. Please check sheffdocfest.com for the most up-todate information.

Content Guidance

All information regarding content guidance can be found on individual film and event pages on sheffdocfest.com

Audience Award

Every feature film in the programme is eligible for this award and you, our audience, are the judges! In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, this year audiences will receive an email after each screening with a link to vote.

Code of Conduct

We aim to create a safer festival, where we care and look out for each other.

We are committed to providing an environment that is welcoming, accessible and inclusive for all festival guests and attendees, and for all team members and volunteers, both in person and online. Harassment or harmful behaviour has no place at our festival or on any of our online platforms.

By participating in Sheffield DocFest events, in person and online, you agree to abide by and embrace our shared code of conduct. Anyone violating these principles will be asked to stop and is expected to comply immediately and, at the discretion of the organisers, may be expelled from the activity, event or viewing (without refund).

If you observe or experience a violation of our code of conduct, please contact a member of staff or security personnel, or email saferfestival@sheffdocfest.com

For our full code of conduct please visit sheffdocfest.com/safer-festival

Industry Pass Information

Industry Passes are available to filmmakers, artists, freelancers and members of the film, digital art and related communities, in the UK and internationally. The Industry Pass gives you full access to the festival, including film screenings, exhibitions, live events, talks, panels, industry sessions and live pitches, networking events and parties.

Industry Passes can be purchased at sheffdocfest.com or in person during the festival at the Industry Delegate Centre. Day Passes are also available.

You will need your Industry Pass to access all events at the festival. Please wear it at all times.

Industry Passholder Tickets for Films and Talks

Industry tickets are available for film screenings and talks and will be released 48 hours before each event start time. Ticket availability is subject to capacity on a first come, first served basis. If tickets are no longer available, Industry Pass holders can join standby queues at the venue.

Films start promptly at the advertised time and do not have ads and trailers. Due to high demand, if you have a ticket and are not in your seat five minutes before the event start time, your ticket may be reallocated to the standby queue.

We encourage Industry Pass holders to cancel any tickets they may not use to help reduce standby queues.

To select tickets, login to the MyTickets area on the website then click the Book Tickets button on the event you want to attend. If tickets are available they will be added to your account – simply present your festival pass for scanning at the door of the event to gain entry. If you have not received an email with information about your MyTickets account please contact boxoffice@sheffdocfest.com

Opening Night

Industry Pass holders will receive an email invitation to our Opening Night film and will need to RSVP to reserve a ticket. If you have not yet received an email, please check your spam, or email our team at events@sheffdocfest.com

Industry Sessions

Tickets are not available or required for Industry Sessions and Social events; simply show your pass at the door to gain entry. Access to Industry Sessions and Social events is subject to capacity on a first come, first served basis. Some sessions do require you to sign up before attending to secure a place – if this is the case, a link to sign up will be on the event page.

Online Industry Screenings

Industry Pass holders can access many films from the festival programme via DocPlayer, our online video-ondemand library, from anywhere in the world. Films will be available to watch online the day after their premiere in the cinema until 23:59 Sun 2 July.

For more information please visit sheffdocfest.com/online

Industry Delegate Centre

The Industry Delegate Centre is the place to collect or buy your Industry Pass when you arrive at the festival. It also hosts our Press Desk, Hospitality Services and lost property.

The Workstation

15 Paternoster Row, S1 2BX

Tue 13 Jun 17:00–21:00

Thu 14–Mon 19 Jun, 09:00 – 21:00

Fine Print

All information is correct at the time of publication. Sheffield DocFest reserves the right to add and remove content and make changes and updates. For the most up-to-date information visit sheffdocfest. com , sign up to our enews, and follow us on on our social media channels:

Facebook: sheffdocfest

Twitter and Instagram: @sheffdocfest #SheffDocFest2023

Contact Information

Sheffield DocFest office hours are 09:30–17:30 BST

T: +44 (0)114 276 5141

E: info@sheffdocfest.com

International Documentary Festival Sheffield is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) with registered charity number: 1184849

PENING NIGHT FILM

Wed 14 June, 18:15 (Doors at 17:15)

Sheffield City Hall –Oval Hall

Tish

Paul Sng’s riveting portrait of Tish Murtha captures the passion and commitment of a trailblazing photographer who dedicated her life to recording the hopes, dreams and struggles of working-class communities in the industrial North East.

A young boy and girl share a quiet moment while friends play behind them on a terraced street. Four youths lie against a wall while one of them aims his air rifle at a nearby target. A young woman looks reflectively into the distance, as dusk falls on the council estate behind her. Tish Murtha’s images amplified the often unspoken concerns of the people she photographed, who ranged from children and adolescents to unemployed adults, sex workers and families struggling to live in modern-day Britain.

Born in the northern coastal town of South Shields, Tish began her extraordinary career in the late 1970s. She was driven by a fierce conviction to record the impact of Thatcher era de-industrialisation upon local communities and her striking black and white images convey a tenderness and intimacy that set her apart from her peers.

In Tish, Paul Sng celebrates the vision and profound humanism of this gifted artist. As the film questions the value placed on art and artists from working class roots, we follow Tish’s daughter Ella as she fights to preserve her mother’s legacy. No less striking than the work of its subject, Tish is a powerful tribute to a vital artist, activist and social chronicler, and a rallying call to all whose engagement with art questions who gets seen and heard, who doesn’t, and why.

Director: Paul Sng

Producer: Jennifer Corcoran / Freya Films

Executive Producer: Ella Murtha, John Archer

Sales Agent: Jennifer Corcoran / Freya Films

United Kingdom / 2023 / 90 mins

World Premiere English

Image Credit: Ella Murtha

C MPETITI NS

International Competition

Honouring films that best display strong artistic vision and courageous storytelling.

This award is Academy Award® accredited.

Nominees

Bringing the Voice

Hotel Metalurg

If only night wouldn’t fall

In the Rearview

The Price of Truth

Richland

STEPHEN

Stone Town

Tish

International First Feature Competition

This competition honours the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising talent.

Nominees

Between the Rains

The Body Politic

Handle with Extreme Care

In the Shadow of Light

Lonely Oaks

No Winter Holidays

Not a Bedtime Story

Q

A Year in a Field

Supported by NETFLIX

International Short Film Competition

This Academy Award®, BAFTA and BIFA-accredited award honours the best creative approach to documentary under 40 minutes.

Nominees

Can I Hug You?

Cold and Dark

Flower Chasers

Following Valeria

A Maiden Sings

Metabolism

The Mineral Dreams

The Takeover

Valerija

Y arquitectura un sueño de palmera

International Alternate Realities Competition

This programme combines advances in technology with creativity and imagination to find new ways of exploring non-fiction. The Alternate Realities Award honours the best innovative non-fiction work.

Nominees

A Colônia Luxemburguesa

Antipsychotic

Behind the Dish

Dancing with Dead Animals

Galup VR Experience

The Great Pyramids

Kiss Crash

Missing Pictures

Mrs Benz

No Place But Here

A South Asian Queer Pamphlet

Surfacing

The Man Who Couldn’t Leave

Wilderness

Within Touching Distance

AWARDS

Tim Hetherington Award

This award recognises a film and filmmaker that best reflects the legacy of photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was committed to humanitarian and social concerns throughout the world.

Nominees

20 Days in Mariupol

Bad Press

Total Trust

Transition

While We Watched

Presented in association with Dogwoof

Youth Jury Award

This award is selected by some of the UK’s most passionate young documentary lovers.

Nominees

1001 Days

Anhell69

The Castle

The Hearing

Is Anybody Out There?

Song of Souls

Twice Colonized

Audience Award

Every feature film in the programme is eligible for this award and you, our audience, are the judges. In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, this year audiences will receive an email after each screening with a link to vote.

DocFest Awards Ceremony

Sunday 18 June,18:30 – 19:30, Crucible Playhouse

Join us as we unveil the winning films across festival live pitches, our official competitions, as well as the esteemed Doc Audience Award, voted for by you

Supported by Adobe

GUEST F H N UR RAKHSHAN BANIETEMAD

The Iranian Women’s Movement and Female Filmmakers

Documentary is a much respected and vital way of recording the realities of Iranian society. It captures the obvious – yet often concealed or withheld –social, economic and cultural rights of different strata throughout society, as well as the absence of freedom of expression within the language of art.

The demand-oriented movement of Iranian women who seek equal rights, and have faced so many challenges since the 1979 Revolution, has been the most important and broadest challenge to Iran’s ruling powers. Opposition comes from the domestic environment as well as the State. What makes this movement of women so momentous is the sheer range of voices; a multi-faceted group, speaking as one, from every corner of the country – a variety of economic, social and cultural backgrounds – all joined together. Some are radicals, others more traditional in their perspective. In 2009, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood for a second term as President, all these women gathered together in one mass civil movement to demand their rights. Unfortunately this union fell apart with the suppression of the Green Movement protests, and some women were subject to imprisonment and deportation. My film We Are Half of Iran’s Population is a record of the myriad of views expressed by women’s rights activists during this era.

A significant number of Iranian social documentaries are focused on the women’s role in society. Many have been made by female filmmakers. Around the globe, television is often the easiest platform to communicate stories and ideas. But state control in Iran limits the representation of so many lives and realities. State censorship is particularly harsh towards female-driven topics. The only way such films can be seen by people is through private screenings. However, female filmmakers continue with their work, engaging with the world around them, overcoming the obstacles they face and finding ways to make films that reflect and reinforce the aspirations of activists who continue to fight for women’s rights. Their efforts, and their work, is vital to the movement. It keeps the flame of activism burning. The ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, which has attracted so much international attention, is the direct result of women’s anger that their voices, their rights, have not been listened to and acknowledged over the years. The documentary films that have been and continue to be made, which record and celebrate the women’s struggle, are an essential part of this struggle.

Rakhshan Banietemad

Banietemad

Our 2023 Guest of Honour is the renowned and pioneering Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Banietemad. Sheffield DocFest will celebrate her career with a retrospective of her documentaries, including the World Premiere of her latest short Narratives ad hominem.

She will also take part in a conversation about her work and activism. Banietemad’s oeuvre has primarily focused on female lives in Iran, addressing topical issues and engaging with a movement that has long demanded equal rights. As the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement has increasingly gained currency internationally, this director’s voice and singular vision have become more vital than ever. We are proud to welcome her and to give audiences the opportunity to witness the power of her work for themselves.

Rakhshan Banietemad in Conversation

Fri 16 June, 13:30, Crucible Playhouse

Rakhshan Banietemad will discuss her career to date, reflecting on her critically acclaimed and awardwinning body of work, as well as premiering a short film she created during the pandemic. As a key figure on the landscape of Iranian documentary filmmaking, her work has undoubtedly shaped and influenced the industry and its creatives in the region. She will be joined on stage by host Elhum Shakerifar, and other Iranian documentary filmmakers.

Rakhshan

Angels of the House of Sun

Hayat Khalvate Khaneh Khorshid

Angels of the House of Sun remains one of Rakhshan Banietemad’s most articulate critiques of the treatment of women in contemporary Iranian society.

Male-on-female violence is an all-too-common occurrence in Iran. It is also part of a wider exploration of gender imbalance that permeates so much of Banietemad’s work. Here, the filmmaker journeys into the backstreets of one of the poorer districts of Tehran, to a shelter where women can find safety, community and a sense of belonging with others who understand their situation – whose lives have been marked by suffering and humiliation.

Screening

Sat 17 Jun, 10:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Hey, Humans

Āy Ādamha

A compassionate portrait of the Chain of Hope charity organisation, which treats underprivileged children from all over Iran.

Rakhshan Banietemad’s profoundly humane film documents the work of volunteer Iranian and French doctors, specialising in the branches of cardiac, orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment for underprivileged infants and children. Capturing the medics at work and witnessing their impact on the children’s lives, which would have been dramatically different had the charity not existed, Hey, Humans subtly questions the role any society plays in the wellbeing of its citizens.

Screening

Wed 14 Jun, 13:45, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Director/Producer: Rakhshan Banietemad

Sales Agent: Katayoon Shahabi

Iran / 2009 / 53 mins

Persian

Director/Producer: Rakhshan Banietemad

Sales Agent: Katayoon Shahabi

Iran / 2016 / 66 mins

Persian, French

Narratives ad Hominem

Ravayate Shakhsi

We are honoured to screen the world premiere of Rakhshān Banietemad’s latest film.

The emergence of the Coronavirus disease in late 2019 and its rapid spread throughout the world in 2020 made an indelible impact upon countless lives, transforming so many in a multitude of ways. This profoundly personal narrative details the efforts of a documentary filmmaker to portray the lives of six characters in quarantine and how it affects them. There is also the filmmaker’s own personal situation – he cannot go to his wife because of the curfew imposed by the government. Through this, he finds common ground with his subjects.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 15:45, The Light – Screen 6

Screening with We are Half of Iran’s Population (p24)

Our Times

Ruzegar-e Ma

After a seven-year hiatus from documentary filmmaking, Rakhshan Banietemad set out to capture the hopes of a generation during the 2001 Iranian Presidential election.

A wave of hope swept through Iran in 2001, as the reform-minded Mohammad Khatami stood for President. He embodied the dreams of the younger generation, including the filmmaker’s daughter. But as she documented the campaign, Banietemad found herself increasingly drawn to another election candidate, 25-year-old widow Arezoo Bayat. As well as wanting to represent her country, Bayat struggles to better her own circumstances, coping with her nine-year-old daughter and blind mother, and desperately searching for an apartment they can live in. As Our Times progresses, Banietemad’s compassion for Bayat shines a light on the role women play in Iranian society and the way the system often works against them, creating a two-tier system that represents everything Bayat’s candidacy stands in opposition to.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 10:30, Curzon – Screen 1

Director/Producer: Rakhshan Banietemad

Sales Agent: Katayoon Shahabi

Iran / 2023 / 22 mins

World Premiere

Persian

Director: Rakhshan Banietemad

Producers: Jahangir Kosari, Rakhshan Banietemad

Sales Agent: Katayoon Shahabi

Iran / 2002 / 75 mins

Persian

See You Tomorrow Elina

Farda Mibinamet, Elina

Stories of Iran’s past and present intersect in Rakhshan Banietemad’s reflective, absorbing and personal portrait of how political life shapes infant’s lives.

Banietemad’s daughter Baran was a young child in the 1980s when Iran and Iraq were engaged in a long and bloody war. Tehran was one of the many Iranian cities bombarded by Iraqi munitions. Taking her to school each day, often after a night interrupted by explosions, Banietemad wondered what Baran made of the conflict. And how did the school’s compassionate principal, Mahnaz, deal with questions from children who have no concept of the violence unfolding at their country’s border? Over two decades later, as demonstrations against the 2011 Presidential election results and dissatisfaction with the Ahmadinejad government was transforming into a pro-democracy movement, the filmmaker returned to the school to speak with Mahnaz.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 16:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

We Are Half of Iran’s Population

Ma Nimi az Jamiat Iranim

Rakhshan Banietemad gives voice to a multitude of Iranian women as they continue to fight for their rights and freedoms in the run up to the 2009 Presidential election.

Following the election that saw Mahmoud Ahmadinejad returned to power, which led to the emergence of the pro-democracy Green Movement, Banietemad focuses her gaze on the continued repression of women across the country. From its draconian marriage laws, male-on-female violence and rules that restrict movement and behaviour, Iran’s government has created a two-tier society that unfairly divides its male and female population. Very much a follow-up to her 2002 film Our Times…, We Are Half of Iran’s Population features interviews with members of the Women Rights Activists of Iran, whose wide-ranging opinions were shown to three of the four candidates standing in the election for comment. Ahmadinejad declined to be involved.

Screenings

Fri 16 June, 15:45, The Light – Screen 6

Screening with Narratives ad Hominem (p23)

Sales Agent:

Iran / 2011 / 52 mins

Persian

ExecutiveProducer:

Sales Agent: Katayoon Shahabi

Iran / 2009 / 47 mins

World Premiere

Persian

Director/Producer: Rakhshan Banietemad

Katayoon Shahabi

Director/Producer: Rakhshan Banietemad

Mahnaz Mohammadi

PERSPECTIVES N IRAN

Complementing the retrospective of our Guest of Honour, Rakhshan Banietemad, Sheffield DocFest has curated a selection of new and vital documentaries that offer different perspectives on Iran. They range from female filmmakers surveying the limitations placed on their lives and work and a reassessment of the male gaze in cinema to an account of the insidiousness of censorship, a dark portrait of political interrogation, and a celebration of friendship across two continents. Together, these films explore the challenges of everyday life in Iran, but also hope for change and a brighter future.

Profession: Documentarist

Herfeh: Mostanad

Seven independent female filmmakers voice their concerns about their political, creative and personal lives in the context of the society they live in.

In the context of recent political, economic and cultural upheavals in Iran, the filmmakers who collaborated on this film create a diaristic account of nationhood and the notion of identity through the prism of their own experiences, all set to a soundtrack of music banned by the state. Shirin discusses a ‘silent’ war in Tehran that goes unreported. Firouzeh articulates her fear of creative censorship; Farahnaz laments how music has disappeared from public life since women were forbidden to sing; Mina regrets the loss of friends who have moved abroad; Sepideh highlights the correlation between personal loss and the inception of the Iranian Revolution; Sahar reflects on life from a prison cell, and Nahid shares her hopes for the future.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 15:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Directors: Shirin Barghnavard, Firouzeh Khosrovani, Farahnaz Sharifi, Mina Keshavarz, Sepideh Abtahi, Sahar Salahshoor, Nahid Rezaei

Producers: Nahid Rezaei, Shirin Barghnavard

Sales Agent: centre audiovisuel simone de beavoir

Iran / 2014 / 80 mins

Persian

And, Towards Happy Alleys

Be kucheye khoshbakht

Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh’s journey to Iran interweaves the censorship imposed upon filmmakers with the restrictions women face in their daily lives.

Initially inspired by her doctoral thesis and the poetry of Forogh Farrokhzad, Sreemoyee Singh’s film uses frank and moving interviews with filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Shirvani to explore the lives of women in Iran, under a regime that has dismissed the idea of femininity by erasing a woman’s body, forbidding women to sing, and forbidding desire. Shot over six years, Singh’s film successfully interweaves a celebration of Iran’s cinema and culture with perceptive portraits of activists such as human rights campaigner Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has continually fought for women’s freedoms and rights. And just as Farrokhzad brought a poetry and lyricism to the one film she made, 1963’s The House Is Black, so Singh’s performance of a traditional Persian song stands as a moment of profound beauty and solidarity.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 16:00, Curzon – Screen 1

Sat 17 Jun, 18:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Between Revolutions

Între Revoluții

Letters between two former medical students contextualise the revolutions that transformed their respective homelands in Iran and Romania.

‘Zahra’ and ‘Maria’ studied together at Bucharest University. Just prior to the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Zahra returned home. She would recount the events she witnessed in letters to her friend. In return, Maria would talk about life in her own regime across a decade that eventually led to the downfall of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship. Vlad Petri’s epistolary record of two countries’ recent past employs a rich trove of archive footage – much of it previously unseen – that fleshes out the text, which was written by acclaimed Romanian novelist Lavinia Braniste. In creating such a unique hybrid documentary, Petri finds fascinating parallels between the seismic changes unfolding in two countries. Bringing the footage thrillingly to life, he captures the hopes and dreams of two people through their correspondences.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 18:30, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 13:45, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Mon 19 Jun, 10:00, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Director/Producer: Sreemoyee Singh

Executive Producer: Hussain Currimbhoy, Noopur Sinha, Orly Navid

Sales Agent: Hussain Currimbhoy / Master Mechanic Films

India / 2023 / 71 mins

UK Premiere English, Farsi

Direrctor: Vlad Petri

Producer: Monica Lazurean-Gorgan

Sales Agent: Maëlle Guenegues / Cat&Docs

Romania, Croatia, Qatar, Iran / 2023 / 71 mins

UK Premiere

Romanian

How Dare You Have Such a Rubbish Wish

Employing a wealth of vintage film footage, Mania Akbari highlights the role of the male gaze in Iranian cinema and in doing so reclaims the female body from it.

Akbari’s film challenges the cinematic tradition of men telling stories through the representation of women. Employing extracts from dozens of films now banned in Iran, alongside documentary footage of the 1979 uprising and excerpts from her own work, this poetic film essay explores the complexity of women’s roles in Iranian society after the Second World War and the apparent ‘freedom’ that they experienced. Made just prior to the recent Women, Life, Freedom protests, this timely, articulate and provocative film questions how women are presented on the screen and consumed by the viewer, both on the Iranian screen and, ultimately, across the wider landscape of world cinema. ‘I’m not making a film,’ Akbari tells us, ‘I’m gazing into your gaze’.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 18:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Sun 18 Jun, 13:15, Curzon – Screen 1

My Worst Enemy

Mon Pire Ennemi

Mehran Tamadon explores what it was like being interrogated by the Iranian regime by asking prisoners to reconstruct their experiences.

Alongside his companion film Where God Is Not, My Worst Enemy finds Tamadon shifting focus from the interrogated to the interrogator. The filmmaker sought an individual who had been interrogated by Iranian authorities in order to draw on their experiences to play an interrogator. The role finally fell to the Canneswinning lead actor of Holy Spider, Zar Amir Ebrahimi. Together in an anonymous room, with Tamadon stripped to his underwear, they reconstruct the interrogation process, which gradually becomes an examination of the nature of power and coercion. The resulting film is intense and, at times, uncomfortable. And as it progresses, My Worst Enemy becomes an exploration of cinema’s relationship with its audience, questioning whether there is a limit to what it can show.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 15:30, Curzon – Screen 1

Sun 18 Jun, 11:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Director/Producer: Mania Akbari

Sales Agent: Mania Akbari

Iran / 2022 / 72 mins

UK Premiere Persian

Director: Mehran Tamadon

Producer: Raphaël Pillosio

Sales Agent: Stephan Riguet / Andana Films

France / 2023 / 81 mins

UK Premiere Persian

Where God Is Not

Là

où Dieu n’est pas

Three former political prisoners of the Iranian regime re-enact their experiences of interrogation, torture and isolation in Mehran Tamadon’s visceral and confrontational film.

Alongside his companion film My Worst Enemy (also featured in this festival), Where God Is Not iis a powerful portrait of the abuse of power. Taghi, Homa and Mazyar, now living in Paris, spent years inside Iran’s infamous Evin and Ghezel Hesar prisons. Together with Tamadon, they rebuild the physical spaces of their incarceration as they remember it –from prison cell to torture room – in an exercise of embodied reconstruction. Their quietly stoic retelling brings into sharp focus the extent of their trauma, but also the limits of their ability to fully convey their experiences. The result is an unflinching account of being pushed to the extremes of one’s own humanity –what it means to be broken and to resist.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 10:45, The Light – Screen 6

Fri 16 Jun, 18:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Content Guidance:

Contains description of torture and description of sexual violence.

Director: Mehran Tamadon

Producer: Raphaël Pillosio

Sales Agent: Stephan Riguet / Andana Films

France / 2023 / 112 mins

UK Premiere Persian

3 TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITI N

To coincide with the 30th Edition of Sheffield DocFest, and based on the ongoing research of Sheffield Hallam University researchers, this exhibition opens up the DocFest archive to take visitors on a history of the festival and to consider where it all started and where it goes next.

11:00–17:00 Every Day Hallam Pop-up Shop

In 2023, Sheffield DocFest will stage the 30th Edition of the festival. Founded in 1993 and hosting the first festival in Sheffield in 1994 at the Workstation and the Odeon Cinema, DocFest has grown to become one of the most important international documentary film festivals in the world. It has also become central to the cultural, social, and even economic life of its host city, Sheffield. This exhibition, based on the research of Anna Richards, James Fenwick, and Rinella Cere (Sheffield Hallam University), opens up the DocFest archive to take visitors on a historical journey of the festival and the city’s evolution over the last 30 years, revealing how both are deeply intertwined. So, step into the past to relive memories of the festival and to consider where it all started and where it goes next.

SH RTS IRAN: A SENSE F PLACE

Screenings

Sun 18 Jun, 12:45, Showroom –Bertha DocHouse Screen 3 (+ Conversation)

Mon 19 Jun, 15:00, Showroom –Channel 5 Screen 2

Runtime: 78 mins

Great are the Eyes of a Dead Father

چشم‌های بیدار پدر مرده

Afsaneh Salari / Germany, Iran, France / 2023 / 31 mins / UK Premiere

In a picturesque French village, a poet dreams of his father’s homeland. Listening to recordings of his father’s voice, he longs for a place he never really knew.

Inspired by Wim Wenders’ book A Sense of Place, this anthology project sees a group of Iranian filmmakers develop new work inspired by a connection to place. Collectively, it offers a diverse portrait of contemporary Iran, from filmmakers living inside the country and beyond its borders. The films transport us from a Troglodyte village in the south and a seaside town on the Persian Gulf to rapid and uneven urban development in Tehran, to a medieval French village where a poet reflects on his father’s homeland. Beyond its artistic expression, this collective programme also evinces a militant character – inviting us into a multipleperspective reflection on a country eager for change.

In this special programme we will present four of the Iran – Sense of Place films, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and project curator Afsun Moshiry. The programme was developed by Afsun Moshiry in partnership with The Wim Wenders Foundation and is co-produced by Pejman Foundation and La Onda Productions.

Hollow (Top Left)

Pouk

Mohammadreza Farzad / Germany, Iran, France / 2023 / 15 mins / UK Premiere

Capturing the claustrophobic feeling of living in a system with no clear way out, this essayistic observation on life and death is framed by the concept of the panopticon.

Density of Emptiness

Shirin Barghnavard / Germany, Iran, France / 2023 / 20 mins / UK Premiere

Contrasting images of a women’s shelter with the vast complexes of empty new-build flats, this film questions the density and division of space in Tehran.

Phobos (Top Right)

Mina Keshavarz / Germany, Iran, France / 2023 / 15 mins / UK Premiere

With place as the main character, this film builds an ominous picture of a city constantly threatened by war, caught in a never-ending nightmare.

‘Places – we owe them respect; they have a deeper meaning for us than just being there. They accompany us in silence. They shape our lives and our history. They are our stage.’ – Wim Wenders

CRUCIBLE THEATRE

They range from talks with acclaimed media figures (David Harewood, Rose Ayling-Ellis, David Olusoga, Munya Chawawa and Laura Whitmore) and premieres of much-anticipated music documentaries (Wham!, TLC Forever and Let the Canary Sing) to first episodes of forthcoming serial documentaries (Evacuation and The Good Fight Club) and essential portraits of individuals at the cutting edge of conversations about identity, press freedom and representation (Your Fat Friend, The Price of Truth, Dalton’s Dream, Long Distance Swimmer and Is There Anybody Out There?).

BBC Interview: David Harewood in Conversation

Thu 15 June / 15:00 / Crucible Theatre

Actor, director, author and activist David Harewood will discuss his documentary work, from his raw and deeply personal Psychosis and Me, to his exploration of systemic racism and health, Why is Covid Killing People of Colour? and his more recent celebration of African American culture and creativity, Get On Up: The Triumph of Black America. He will reflect on his experiences in presenting and producing these films, what he learned from them, and the powerful impact they have had on his life.

Supported by the BBC

Sheffield DocFest is delighted to be back at the Crucible Theatre and has curated an exceptional line-up of special events.

Your Fat Friend + Conversation

Thu 15 June / 17:15 / Crucible Theatre

Jeanie Finlay’s portrait of writer, blogger and activist Aubrey Gordon is a celebratory account of an individual who embraced their identity and challenged lazy stereotypes.

It began with a letter to a friend, prompted by a disagreement over fat and thin people’s relationships with their bodies, which was eventually published online and transformed Aubrey Gordon’s life. A significant but initially anonymous online presence, as Gordon’s readership grew, so did her influence. But for all the individuals who benefitted from her sage and frank discussions about every aspect of her life – from her body shape to her perspective on the world as an active member of the LGBTQIA+ community – there were the naysayers, critics and, on occasion, abusers. Jeannie Finlay’s film, which was shot over the course of six years, charts Gordon’s rise, which saw her become a beacon of hope for many and an outspoken voice against an industry that only sees profit in the discussions around ‘body positivity’.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with director Jeanie Finlay and writer Aubrey Gordon.

Dalton’s Dream + Conversation

Thu 15 June / 20:30 / Crucible Theatre

A moving portrait of Dalton Harris, the final winner of X-Factor UK, as he navigates harassment over his sexuality and representing his home country.

In 2018, Jamaican national Dalton Harris became the first non-British and Black man to win X-Factor UK. Shot over four years, Kim Longinotto and Franky Murray Brown’s film charts a tumultuous period in Dalton’s life. It deals with his traumatic upbringing and journey to the X-Factor final, as well as the subsequent challenge to build on his success. However, in contrast to other portraits of pop singers’ lives, Dalton’s Dream celebrates the way Harris emerged, embracing his identity, often in the face of prejudice – both at home and in his adopted country – and forged a life defined by his own desires and ambitions.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with directors Kim Longinotto and Franky Murray Brown and artist Dalton Harris.

David Olusoga: Union

Fri 16 June / 12:30 / Crucible Theatre

Following the success of last year’s interactive StoryTrails events at Sheffield DocFest, David Olusoga returns to discuss his new BBC series, which looks at the state of the Union. By examining our country’s long history of union and disunion, David seeks to bring a timely understanding of the history that lies behind the fault lines that run through British society. Alongside the series’ commissioner and production team, David will discuss the challenges they faced while making the series.

Supported by the BBC

Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change

Fri 16 June / 15:00 / Crucible Theatre

We are delighted to welcome actor and Strictly Come Dancing 2021 winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, and the Rogan Productions documentary team, to Sheffield DocFest to discuss Rose’s upcoming BBC documentary Signs For Change. Making a documentary using British Sign Language requires creative solutions. As we shift towards a more inclusive industry, we’ll be unpacking the process and discuss with Rose what she and the team have learnt over the course of the production.

Supported by the BBC

The Good Fight Club + Conversation

Fri 16 June / 17:30 / Crucible Theatre

This series charts the fortunes of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes fighting to make it from their South London gym to Las Vegas and the world championship. Over the last three decades, Mixed Martial Arts has gone from being a marginal full-body contact sport to one that has rapidly grown in popularity. Official competitions now attract worldwide audiences in the millions. The Good Fight Club follows a team of young fighters from a club in south London. Each has a different reason for coming to the cage. Thomas dreams of being a role model for the deaf community. Shanelle hopes to create a better life for her five siblings. For Aidan, fighting has helped him recover from anorexia. Team Underground has given them a sense of community, and in their head coach Steve they have a leader who inspires. Episode one follows Thomas’ journey. Will he be able to hold on to the title?

This event is an exclusive preview of the first episode of an upcoming SKY series, followed by a conversation with the creators and special guests.

Munya Chawawa: Satire in Documentary

Fri 16 June / 20:30 / Crucible Theatre

BAFTA nominated for his Channel 4 documentary How to Survive a Dictator, Munya Chawawa continues to be one of the biggest and brightest talents in UK television. Munya will be joining us at Sheffield DocFest to discuss his unique approach to integrating satire in documentary, keeping viewers engaged and cleverly informed.

In association with Migration Matters Festival. Supported by Channel 4.

Evacuation + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 12:00 / Crucible Theatre

With unparalleled access and using previously unseen footage, this searing three-part series charts the 2021 evacuation of Kabul.

The campaign to evacuate Kabul airport is one of the largest British military undertakings in recent times. An incredibly complex and perilous operation, in which some 15,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans were flown out in a matter of days, it is recounted through first-hand interviews, and on-the-ground footage shot by combat camera teams and individuals closely involved in the operation. A unique insight into a devastating situation, which goes far beyond the headlines and parliamentary debates of the time, Evacuation details the impact and emotional toll of the events on all those involved.

This event is an exclusive preview of the first episode of this upcoming new Channel 4 series, followed by a conversation with the creators and special guests.

Is There Anybody Out There? + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 14:45 / Crucible Theatre

In this deeply personal and disarmingly honest documentary, filmmaker Ella Glendining searches for individuals with the same rare disability as herself. Born with no hip joints and short femurs, a condition so rare that there is little reliable information about it, Ella Glendining decides to go in search of people who can share their experience and feelings about having a body like hers. In doing so, she challenges lazy ableist assumptions, experiences a number of unexpected surprises and encounters people who look like her. With great warmth and an infectious joy for her body and life as it is, Glendining challenges us to question the way we see others, like and unlike ourselves. Is Anybody Out There? is a revelatory film that gently tugs at the viewer’s biases and looks to a day when inclusivity is no longer an ‘issue’.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with director Ella Glendining and special guests.

The Price of Truth + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 18:00 / Crucible Theatre

How far would you go to defend the idea of a free press? Russia’s only independent newspaper and its editor fight for democracy.

In 2021, Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Three months later, Russia invaded Ukraine and Muratov announced he would auction his Nobel medal and donate the proceeds to Ukrainian refugees. Days later, a masked attacker poured paint laced with acetone over him, permanently damaging Muratov’s sight. The auction went ahead regardless, raising $103 million. Even though six Novaya Gazeta journalists, including Anna Politkovskaya, were previously murdered, Muratov has continued to use his position to attack the Putin regime. Patrick Forbes’ searching documentary is a powerful and often suspenseful portrait of an extraordinary individual whose life and work embodies the importance of free speech and how essential the fourth estate is to the foundations of democracy.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with director Patrick Forbes and special guests.

Wham! + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 21:00 / Crucible

Theatre

An intimate celebration of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s enduring friendship, from childhood and through their years together as one of the UK’s biggest bands.

Michael and Ridgeley met at school in Bushey, near the town of Watford. They first formed the ska band The Executive before going on to release their first single as Wham!, Wham Rap! in June 1982. Success wasn’t immediate, but when it finally came, the pair crested a wave of success that continued until their farewell concert, The Final, at Wembley Stadium in June 1986. Chris Smith’s hugely entertaining film offers full and unprecedented access to the band’s archive, including unseen footage and interviews with the duo. The result is a nuanced portrait of an enduring friendship and a joyous musical travelogue.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with director Chris Smith and special guests.

Long Distance Swimmer: Sara Mardini + Conversation

Sun 18 June / 10:30 / Crucible Theatre

The Syrian swimmer who pulled the boat that carried her and another 18 refugees to Greece now copes with the consequences of becoming a famous activist. After their act of heroism at sea, Sara and her sister Yusra were transformed into international celebrities. Sara became an activist and Yusra an Olympic swimmer. After their passage to Europe was guaranteed, Sara kept helping her fellow migrants and refugees, volunteering as a lifeguard with Emergency Response Center International. Because of this she was arrested by Greek authorities on various counts, including people trafficking. Long Distance Swimmer details Sara’s daily life in Berlin, as she awaits the outcome of charges that could send her to jail for years. A hero to many, she is also the victim of a system – which has come to represent so many across the continent – increasingly influenced by xenophobia.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with director Charly Wai Feldman and activist Sara Mardini. In association with Migration Matters Festival.

Let the Canary Sing + Conversation

Sun 18 June / 13:45 / Crucible Theatre

Award-winning director Alison Ellwood explores the personal and public life of Cyndi Lauper in this probing yet hugely entertaining documentary portrait.

‘If you don’t know where you came from, you don’t know where you’re going’, muses multiple Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Billboard and American Music Awardwinner Cyndi Lauper. Fluidly combining archival footage, home movies, still photographs and interviews, Ellwood´s film traces the New Yorker’s career, from humble beginnings in a cold-water walk-up in Queens to worldwide fame. It captures her boundless enthusiasm on stage, but also hones in on her personal relationships and lifelong work in feminist and LGBTQI+ spheres. The latter culminated in a 2015 speech to Congress in support of extending protections for queer, homeless youth. There’s also footage from a march where she revels in the repurposing of her 1983 hit into the protest slogan: ‘Girls Just Want to have FunDamental Human Rights’.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with director Alison Elwood and special guests.

ITV Interview: Laura Whitmore

Sun 18 June / 17:15 / Crucible Theatre

In this session, Laura Whitmore talks about her television career to date. In particular, she will discuss her upcoming move into documentaries with the new ITV series Laura Whitmore Investigates. Having presented a wide range of TV shows, Laura will interrogate how and why, with her journalism degree in her back pocket, she is now taking a deep dive into some very serious subject matter.

Supported by ITV

TLC Forever + Conversation

Sun 18 June / 20:30 / Crucible Theatre

In the run-up to their forthcoming tour, TLC look back at their groundbreaking yet tumultuous career as the biggest-selling American girl group of all time.

Formed in 1990, R&B group TLC were rock ‘n roll from the start. Kicking off their careers in baggy jeans with accompanying condoms attached, their songs and videos promoted safe sex, woman’s pleasure, being yourself and the importance of loyal friendships. They were pioneers in the industry – breaking boundaries and questioning how women, specifically Black women, were seen and portrayed in music. Behind the hits and Grammys, however, lay chronic illness, abusive relationships, bankruptcy and grief. With exclusive access to the band in the run-up to their 2023 tour, Matt Kay’s film captures the essence of a band that influenced a generation.

The film screening will be followed by a conversation with director Matt Kay and special guests.

CRUCIBLE PLAYH USE

Jews. In Their Own Words

Thu 15 June / 19:30 / Crucible Playhouse

Created by Guardian journalist Jonathan Freedland, Jews. In Their Own Words is a special, one-hour abridged version of the 2022 verbatim play produced by the Royal Court Theatre. An incisive, provocative and necessary work, it is based on interviews conducted by Freedland with 12 British Jews, which combine to expose the roots and damning legacy of antisemitism throughout our society, often in places where we least expect it.

The performance will be followed by a discussion with Jonathan Freedland. The original stage production was produced by The Royal Court. Jews. In Their Own Words was written by Jonathan Freedland. From an idea by Tracy-Ann Oberman.

Guest of Honour: Rakhshan Banietemad in Conversation

Fri 16 June, 13:30 / Crucible Playhouse

Joined by a panel of Iranian filmmakers, our Guest of Honour, Rakhshan Banietemad, will discuss her career to date, sharing a retrospective of her work as well as premiering a short film she created during the COVID-19 pandemic. A key figure in Iranian documentary filmmaking, Rakhshan’s work has undoubtedly shaped and influenced the industry and creatives in the region.

Chair: Elhum Shakerifar

P DCAST ST RIES

Reflecting the significant growth in podcast production and listenership over the last decade, Sheffield DocFest launches Podcast Stories, a publicfacing programme that explores current documentary audio initiatives, discussing ethical and moral issues and creating a connection to the industry market. Our first edition encompasses two live events and the screening of a film that reaches into the very heart of one the most popular arenas of podcast production: true crime stories. Alongside these public events, we will host an industry programme (p123), which includes a Podcast Pitch session and discussion that offers a route-map to developing a podcast to a documentary feature project.

Podcast Live: Soul Music

Fri 16 June, 19:00 / Crucible Playhouse

The multi-award-winning Soul Music is one of BBC’s longest-running documentary audio series. Sheffield DocFest is proud to host its first live event, giving an audience the chance to meet the creators behind the podcast and enjoy an exclusive preview of an upcoming episode, which features some special guests. Prepare to be moved in your soul, like the show so often does, but with the added thrill of a live event.

Supported by the BBC

Podcast Live: Witch

Sat 17 June, 20:00 / Crucible Playhouse

Witch is the ambitious new series from India Rakusen, the creator and host of BBC Radio 4’s 28ish Days Later. It seeks to answer the question, ‘What does it mean to be a witch’? From there, we journey deep into compelling stories of covens, spells, magic and misogyny, ranging from the historical to the contemporary. Join the creators at this magical live event, as they discuss some of the tangled tales that lurk behind the notion of ‘witch’.

Supported by the BBC Citizen Sleuth

Sat 17 June, 15:15, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4 (+ Conversation)

Sun 18 Jun, 21:00, The Light – Screen 9

Chris Kasick’s looks at the creation of a true crime podcast and the controversy that surrounded it. The screening on 17 June will be followed by a conversation on the ethics of true crime podcasting with director Chris Kasick and special guests. (For the full synopsis, see p63.)

FIRST IMPRESSI NS

In the spirit of celebrating some outstanding cinematic documentary series that will premiere on television later in the year, Sheffield DocFest offers audiences the opportunity to see the first episodes of three major new series. Each screening will be followed by a discussion with the creative team behind each series, along with some of the exceptional individuals who appear in them.

Evacuation

With unparalleled access and using previously unseen footage, this searing three-part series charts the 2021 evacuation of Kabul.

The campaign to evacuate Kabul airport is one of the largest British military undertakings in recent times. An incredibly complex and perilous operation, in which some 15,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans were flown out in a matter of days, it is recounted through first-hand interviews, and on-the-ground footage shot by combat camera teams and individuals closely involved in the operation. A unique insight into a devastating situation, which goes far beyond the headlines and parliamentary debates of the time, Evacuation details the impact and emotional toll of the events on all those involved.

This event is an exclusive preview of the first episode of this upcoming Channel 4 series, followed by a conversation with the creators and special guests.

Screenings

Sat 17 June / 12:00 / Crucible Theatre (+ Conversation)

Director: James W. Newton

Producers: Yasmine Permaul, Jecca Powell

Executive Producers: Katharine Patrick, Samantha Anstiss

Sales Agents: Wonderhood Studios

United Kingdom / 2023 / 60 mins

World Premiere

English, Farsi

The Good Fight Club

This series charts the fortunes of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes fighting to make it from their South London gym to Las Vegas and the world championship.

Over the last three decades, Mixed Martial Arts has gone from being a marginal full-body contact sport to one that has rapidly grown in popularity. The Good Fight Club follows a team of young fighters from a club in south London. Each has a different reason for coming to the cage. Thomas dreams of being a role model for the deaf community. Shanelle hopes to create a better life for her five siblings. For Aidan, fighting has helped him recover from anorexia. Team Underground has given them a sense of community, and in their head coach Steve they have a leader who inspires. Episode one follows Thomas’ journey. Will he be able to hold on to the title?

This event is an exclusive preview of the first episode of an upcoming SKY series, followed by a conversation with the creators and special guests.

Screenings

Fri 16 June / 17:30 / Crucible Theatre (+ Conversation)

The Greatest Show Never Made

In 2002 one man set out to change reality TV forever. For 30 people, his dream became a nightmare.

In the early 2000s, Reality TV as we know it was born. Set against the backdrop of a new millennium, this series follows six young people attempting to find fame and fortune by being part of the greatest reality TV show ever made. They left jobs, homes and partners, and in June 2002 - after a gruelling audition process and months of waiting - travelled to south-east London to start their adventure. But the show didn’t exist. 20 years after their dreams were shattered, the people caught up in this misadventure are still searching for answers; trying to understand how the fallout from ‘Project MS-2’ – and the disappearance of the man who orchestrated it all –changed their lives forever.

This event is an exclusive preview of the first episode of an upcoming Prime series, followed by a conversation with the creators and special guests.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun / 12:45 Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4 (+ Conversation)

Directors: Jack Retallack, Liz Biggs

Producers: Liz Biggs, Jack Retallack

Executive Producer: Brian Hill / Century Films

Sales Agent: Brian Hill / Century Films

United Kingdom / 2023 / 60 mins

World Premiere

English

Director: Ashley Francis-Roy

Producers: Nina Elmatzioglou, Liam Coutts, Sian Guerra

Executive Producers: Emily Dalton / Factual Fiction, Jon Smith, Tom Dalton / Factual Fiction

Sales Agent: Emily Dalton / Factual Fiction

United Kingdom / 2023 / 60 mins

World Premiere

English

W MEN LIKE Y U

Three Films from the Sheffield Film Co-op

In the early-1970s, frustrated by the mainstream media’s failure to address issues important to them, a group of women came together in Sheffield to form one of the UK’s most important film collectives. Emerging from the second wave feminist movement, the Sheffield Film Co-op (1975–90) blazed a trail through the male-dominated UK film industry. Starting life in local television before seeking complete independence, it become one of the most active filmmaking workshops of the period.

Led by ‘ordinary housewives’ and working mothers, the Co-op pioneered collaborative and consensual ways of working, sharing skills, responsibilities and resources to produce compelling films that grappled, from intersectional perspectives, with the reality of their day-to-day lives. Their groundbreaking documentaries tackled provocative, continually relevant topics, such as abortion access, domestic abuse, worker’s rights and social inequality. This programme brings together three films spanning the Co-op’s history, from their early DIY activist work to innovative hybrid experiments and compelling investigative documentaries.

Screening

Thu 15 Jun, 18:00, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the Sheffield Film Co-op.

That’s No Lady

Sheffield Film Co-op / UK / 1977 / 14mins

An early work by the Co-op, this hard-hitting short unpicks the links between a casually misogynist culture and the lived reality of women experiencing domestic abuse.

A Question of Choice

Jenny Woodley, Christine Bellamy / UK / 1982 / 18 mins

A group of working class women discuss the struggles they face juggling childcare and employment in this nuanced and beautifully made exploration of the double shift.

Bringing It All Back Home

Chrissie Stansfield / UK / 1987 / 48 mins

This powerful study of the human cost of globalisation connects declining industry and growing social inequality in the UK to the exploitation of labour in the Global South.

Curated by Invisible Women.

C MMUNITY & UTREACH

We are incredibly proud of our South Yorkshire heritage. And we welcome delegates from all around the world this June.

For the 30th edition of the Festival, we committed to making sure we connect with, and reflect, community as well as celebrate it on screen. We have made a pledge to work with a minimum of 30 charities and community groups throughout the six days of the Festival, and to continue to deepen our relationship with local audiences through our year-round screening and outreach programmes.

During this year’s festival, local audiences can explore a range of special events, discussions, school tours, workshops and extended film screenings.

To find out more and to connect with us, visit: sheffdocfest.com/community-outreach

Dalton’s Dream Workshop

A closed workshop for QTIPOC individuals, reflecting on themes raised in Dalton’s Dream. It explores surveillance and social control for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the diaspora and how it affects us.

Alternate Realities Private View

This private view for local communities offered a selection of works from our Alternate Realities exhibition. We invited local non-arts focused community groups to view and critically respond to the pieces in a safe space.

The Alternate Realities exhibition runs throughout the Festival at Site Gallery (11:00 – 20:00). It is free and open to all.

Local Advisory Group

As part of our ongoing mission to make our festival welcoming, accessible and enjoyable to all, we have launched a new scheme that invites people from across the South Yorkshire region to attend the festival. Our six local advisers will provide feedback for this year and the next, to ensure we stay relevant and open to public audiences.

Sheffield DocFest has always been about making connections and bringing people together.

FILMS

Creative Director

It takes a simple scene like watching kids in an elevator, engaging with their surroundings, to realise how easy it is for us to lose a sense of curiosity about the world around us.

At this year’s edition of Sheffield DocFest, we want to encourage audiences’ curiosity through a diverse array of documentaries. Whether it’s discovering the world of deep diving off the coast of Egypt, following the work of democracy activists in China, or enjoying an immersive moment in an Estonian sauna, all the films in this programme invite you to step into a different environment, perhaps even have a new perspective on the world. Playful, engaging, questioning and curious, these films ask us to be the same as we meet these fascinating characters and embark on their journeys with them.

From the almost 2500 entries we received this year, the film team selected a total of 122 films (86 features and 36 shorts), including 37 World Premieres, 20 International Premieres, 10 European Premieres, 47 UK Premieres and eight retrospective films, from 52 countries of production with 43 languages represented. Encompassing the spectrum of documentary storytelling, from direct documentation of events to poetic experimental art works – and everything in between – the 2023 film programme is full of stories that will spark audiences’ curiosity. The team of programmers have selected the most thought-provoking, cinematic and relevant films, and will proudly present them in the Festival with the context and attention they deserve.

INTERNATI NAL C MPETITI N

Honouring films that best display strong artistic vision and courageous storytelling. The Grand Jury Award for the International Competition is Academy Award® accredited.

Bringing the Voice

Traer la voz

Visual artist Klaudia Kemper tries to reconnect with her ageing, aphasic father, a psychoanalyst who remained in Brazil after she left for Chile when she was young.

During her youth, Klaudia became distanced from her father, who never visited her in Chile. However, for 21 years he wrote letters to her, until this was no longer possible. On deciding to reconnect with him, she finds an old man who has lost the ability to speak or write. This communication impasse notwithstanding, Klaudia explores ways to deal with her many emotions; from anger and pain, to love and longing, all encompassed by the Portuguese word ‘saudade’. Examining the complexity and limitations of language as a form of communication – its ability to both connect and disconnect people – the filmmaker finds a touching, cinematic voice to express her feelings towards her father. And in his many letters, Klaudia and her film return her father’s voice to him.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 18:15, The Light – Screen 6 Sun 18 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Director: Klaudia Kemper

Producer: Mitzy Saldivia

Executive Producer: Klaudia Kemper

Sales Agent: Klaudia Kemper, Mitzy Saldivia

Chile, Brazil / 2023 / 95 mins

World Premiere

Spanish, Portuguese, English

Hotel Metalurg

Survivors of the Abkhaz-Georgian war find themselves under pressure to leave the disused luxury hotel where they have lived for more than 30 years.

The little-known conflict between Georgians and the Abkhaz people in Abkhazia, a partially recognised republic, began following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Many civilians were forced to flee the region, with thousands relocating to Tskaltubo, an abandoned tourist resort known for its Soviet-era luxury sanatoriums. Over the last three decades, most of the community’s men have gone, leaving behind a large population of women and children. The buildings they live in have fallen into a state of disrepair, but these residents remain, living with the hope of one day returning to Abkhazia. George Varsimashvili and Jeanne Nouchi’s timely film poetically captures life in this world, giving voice to previously unheard stories, just as the war in Ukraine raises spectres of the past for so many.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 21:00, Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sun 18 Jun, 13:00, Curzon – Screen 2

If only night wouldn’t fall

Als de nacht maar niet valt

A unique perspective on three Western countries’ attempts to grapple with anxiety, depression and psychosis.

What links Norwegian primary school children, a meditation facilitator in a Florida town and a Dutch man struggling to avoid relapse into psychosis?

Marc Schmidt’s film follows case studies across three countries in order to explore the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. The key lies in prevention rather than cure, with practitioners seeking workable solutions to anxiety, depression and psychosis. Through a combination of interviews and the detailing of a variety of experiments, accompanied by a rich and immersive sound design, Schmidt’s cleverly constructed film presents an empathetic portrait of a universal problem, allowing us to reflect on how much we understand what goes on in our minds, and to witness the development of technology and practices aimed at helping us.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 15:30, The Light – Screen 6

Director: George Varsimashvili, Jeanne Nouchi

Producer: George Varsimashvili, Jeanne Nouchi, Pierre Jestaz / Kepler22 Productions

Sales Agent: Pierre Jestaz / Kepler22 Productions

France, Georgia / 2023 / 80 mins

World Premiere Georgian

Director: Marc Schmidt

Producer: Simone van den Broek, Eline van Wees / Basalt Film

Sales Agent: Stephan Riguet / Andana Films

Netherlands, Norway, USA / 2023 / 84 mins

World Premiere

Dutch, English, Norwegian

In the Rearview

Skąd dokąd

One country. One minibus. Many journeys. This fly-onthe-wall film captures Ukrainians as they are forced to leave their homes and drive into the unknown.

What does it look like to flee from a war? This gentle, yet painful film explores the raw, human cost of conflict. Each new passenger, whether they’re women or men, young or old, individuals or families, has first-hand experience of the Russian invasion, and a spectrum of emotions surfaces in the car transporting them to safety. Children quietly read books, a woman weeps for the cow she’s left behind, others are lost for words… Amidst this tragedy, the chaos of conflict and upended lives, there are fleeting moments of humour and hope. And beyond the confines of the minibus, we witness the expanse of rural Ukraine – a vast landscape of natural beauty littered with the carnage of war, and the desolation and destruction of once populated communities.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 21:00, The Light – Screen 9

Fri 16 Jun, 13:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2 Sat 17 Jun, 15:30, Curzon – Screen 3

The Price of Truth

How far would you go to defend the idea of a free press? Russia’s only independent newspaper and its editor fight against an ever-present threat to democracy.

In 2021, Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Three months later, Russia invaded Ukraine and Muratov announced he would auction his Nobel medal and donate the proceeds to Ukrainian refugees. Days later, a masked attacker poured paint laced with acetone over him, permanently damaging Muratov’s sight. The auction went ahead regardless, raising $103 million. Muratov has continued to use his position to attack the Putin regime. Patrick Forbes’ searching documentary is a powerful and often suspenseful portrait of an extraordinary individual whose life and work embodies the importance of free speech and how essential the fourth estate is to the foundations of democracy.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 18:00, Crucible Theatre (+ Conversation)

Sun 18 Jun, 13:15, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Director: Maciek Hamela

Producer: Maciek Hamela, Piotr Grawender / Affinity Cine

Sales Agent: Karolina Sienkiewicz

France, Ukraine, Poland / 2023 / 84 mins

International Premiere

Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, French, English

Director: Patrick Forbes

Producer: Vanessa Tuson, Yelena Zagrevskaya / Oxford Films

Executive Producer: Nicolas Kent / Oxford Films

Sales Agent: Jonathan Ford / Abacus Media

United Kingdom / 2023 / 84 mins

World Premiere

Russian, English

Richland

The residents of a town built to house workers who produced the material used for the Nagasaki atomic bomb reflect on its troubled past.

In 1943, the US government took over a rural area in Washington state to build the nuclear facility that would produce the plutonium used in the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Richland was the town that accommodated many of the plant’s workers. Today, the local population is divided by pride and ambivalence when it comes to Richland’s past. While some strive for reconciliation with those directly affected, others are proud of the town’s history, the jobs created by the project and the symbol of strength that it projected to the world. At a time when the nuclear threat remains a clear and present danger, Irene Lusztig’s film is a sobering yet lyrical reminder for us to learn from the violence of the past.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 20:30, Curzon – Screen 1

Sat 17 Jun, 10:00, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sun 18 Jun, 12:45, Curzon – Screen 3

STEPHEN

Stephen is auditioning to play himself in an inventive, cinematic and moving exploration of addiction and mental health.

Visual artist Melanie Manchot works with a recovery group in Liverpool, who take up roles in a semifictional film-within-a-film that explores addiction and mental health from multiple perspectives. It is centred around Stephen, a character recovering from gambling and alcohol addictions. References to the first police crime reconstruction, filmed in Liverpool in 1901, are a reminder that addiction has long existed within the fabric of our culture. It’s a tough process and emotionally charged scenes reveal inner truths, which gain additional power when the people playing the roles are, in some sense, playing themselves. Visually striking, STEPHEN is a startling record of this form of treatment and a reminder of how dextrous the documentary form can be.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 21:15, The Light – Screen 9

Sun 18 Jun, 16:00, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Director: Irene Lusztig

Producer: Sara Archambault, Irene Lusztig

Executive Producer: Dawn Bonder, Daniel J. Chalfen, Marci Wiseman

Sales Agent: Sara Archambault

USA / 2023 / 93 mins

International Premiere English

Director: Melanie Manchot

Producer: Elena Hill

Executive Producer: Sol Papadopoulos

Sales Agent: Melanie Manchot, Elena Hill / STEPHEN FILM Ltd

United Kingdom / 2023 / 78 mins

World Premiere English

Stone Town

Shi Tang Zhen

The easternmost fishing town in China sits on the cusp of radical change, as this quietly devastating film details.

Once a major hub for the Chinese fishing industry, Stone Town is facing seismic change. With its economic bedrock at risk, the small, secluded town is turning towards tourism as a way to support its local population. Jing Guo and Dingding Ke’s film balances intimate portraits of the townsfolk, whose lives are impacted by the coming change, with a wider perspective on the modernisation project driven by Xi Jinping’s government. The filmmakers capture the anxiety, sorrow and confusion of the people, in tandem with a perspective on a burgeoning environmental crisis, the ramifications of political turbulence and injustice at the way rapid modernisation impacts everyday lives. Stone Town is a compelling portrait of a world where feelings of despair and frustration are drowned by latenight drinks and non-stop karaoke singing in dingy bars.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 16:15, The Light – Screen 6 Fri 16 Jun, 14:15, Curzon – Screen 2

Tish

A moving portrait of social documentary photographer and trailblazer Tish Murtha, who dedicated her life to documenting the lives of working class communities in North East England.

Paul Sng’s powerful film celebrates the work of Murtha and her commitment to fighting for the communities like the one she grew up in. Born in the northern coastal town of South Shields, she was driven by a fierce conviction to record the impact of Thatcher era de-industrialisation upon local communities. Her striking black and white photos convey a tenderness and intimacy that set her apart from her peers and her work would become a powerful record of a world decimated by a new and ruthless form of capitalism. The film follows Tish’s daughter Ella as she revisits key moments from her mother’s life and work. She’s accompanied by people who remained close to Tish throughout her life, and who are committed to ensuring her remarkable legacy is recognised.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 18:15, Sheffield City Hall – Oval Hall Sat 17 Jun, 10:00, The Light – Screen 9

Director: Jing Guo, Dingding KE

Producer: Jing Guo, Dingding KE

Sales Agent: Jing Guo

China / 2023 / 181 mins

World Premiere

Chinese

Director: Paul Sng

Producer: Jennifer Corcoran / Freya Films

Executive Producer: Ella Murtha, John Archer

Sales Agent: Jennifer Corcoran / Freya Films

United Kingdom / 2023 / 90 mins

World Premiere

English

Image Credit: Ella Murtha

INTERNATI NAL FIRST FEATURE C MPETITI N

Between the Rains

This revealing, visually captivating film, shot over the course of a four-year drought in northern Kenya, offers an original take on the conventional comingof-age narrative.

‘The elders say that nature wasn’t always this angry at us.’ Between the Rains tells the story of Kolei, a young shepherd whose name translates as ‘living among the goats’. Unfolding over the course of a prolonged drought, we witness the boy’s inner conflict as he not only questions his own identity as a warrior –a path that was chosen for him – but the erosion of the culture that has shaped every aspect of his life. Filmed during record-low period of annual precipitation, Moses Thuranira and Andrew H. Brown’s feature collaboration with the Turkana-Ngaremara community seeks to understand the experience of a childhood within a traditional culture that is directly affected by climate change.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 15:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Sun 18 Jun,18:30, Curzon – Screen 1

Mon 19 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Director: Moses Thuranira, Andrew H Brown

Producer: Moses Thuranira, Samuel Ekomol, Andrew H Brown

Executive Producer: Ngaihike Napuu, Lorot Loter, Lekha Singh

Sales Agent: Emma Simpson / Journeyman Pictures

Kenya / 2023 / 82 mins

International Premiere Swahili

This competition honours the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising new talent.

Supported by Netflix

The Body Politic

A portrait of Brandon Scott, Baltimore’s youngest Black Mayor, during his mayoral campaign and first year presiding over a city plagued by homicide. What happens following an electoral victory? When does change begin? The Body Politic explores these themes through its portrait of Scott, during his leadership campaign and first year as Mayor of Baltimore, a city plagued by funding shortages and escalating crime. Director Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough captures Scott in action, whether he’s tackling press conferences, dealing with a variety of political opponents, watching the trial of George Floyd’s killer, or spending time with Baltimore’s residents and groups with a vested interest in saving their city. Scott is viewed by some as a contender for the national stage – those who have the audacity to dream that his commitment to healing a fractured yet resilient city is a hope they can believe in.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 18:15, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Fri 16 Jun, 12:45, Curzon – Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 10:15, The Light – Screen 9

Handle with Extreme Care

A frank and often morbidly funny account of daily life for a New York mortuary struggling to provide a resting place for the dead at the height of the Covid crisis.

A divorced funeral director swipes his way through diminishing prospects on Tinder. An employee prepares his father for a final goodbye. And a business dealing in the dead faces escalating demand as a result of the pandemic. Patrick Ginnetty and Bowie Alexander’s darkly humorous film offers a different perspective on what life was like as the Covid crisis reached a critical point. Like so many other mortuaries in New York, the subject of Ginnetty and Alexander’s documentary is stretched to its limit, with all who work there challenged by the physical and emotional burden of their job. What makes Handle with Extreme Care stand out from other portraits of Covid-era films is the frankness by which it juxtaposes seismic events with people’s attempts to carry on with their lives.

Director: Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough

Producer: Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough, Dawne Langford

Executive Producer: Marilyn Ness, Rudy Valdez,

Sales Agent:

USA / 2023 / 80 mins

World Premiere

English

Director: Patrick Ginnetty, Bowie Alexander

Producer: Bowie Alexander, Michael LaPointe

Executive Producer: Kelsey Falter

Sales Agent: Bowie Alexander

USA / 2023 / 80 mins

World Premiere

English, Spanish

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 18:15, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 21:00, Curzon – Screen 1

Katy Chevigny

Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough

In the Shadow of Light A la Sombra de la Luz

A small Chilean town, neighbour to one of the country´s largest electrical power plants, has been plagued by frequent blackouts and a constant, static hum.

Isabel Reyes and Ignacia Merino’s feature debut captures life in the isolated town of Charrúa, which is dominated by the presence of a large power plant that distributes energy to most of Chile. A little boy hunts rabbits, residents demand better electrical coverage at a town meeting, a woman waters the plants outside her house and a local radio station relays the day´s happenings. At night, wildlife is captured on camera, along with strange bursts of light that momentarily illuminate a countryside criss-crossed with pylons and cables. And ever present is the insidious hum of electricity. The power the plant generates is a threat to the local community, but the poor residents have no voice against those who control it.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 13:45, The Light – Screen 6 Sat 17 Jun, 17:15, Curzon – Screen 2

Lonely Oaks

Vergiss Meyn Nicht

Compiled from footage collected over two years by film student-turned-activist Steffan Meyn, Lonely Oaks documents the troubled occupation of Germany´s Hambach Forest.

Over the last decade, environmental activists have occupied a dense forest in West Germany. Meyn’s film, immersive and at times intentionally disorientating – it was mostly shot with a 360° camera mounted on his bicycle helmet, allowing the filmmaker to move freely across treetops – features interviews with activists, captures brutal police evictions, and interrogates intentions of the occupation alongside the wider landscape of climate activism. It was during a 2018 police operation, when they attempted to clear a site, that Meyn fell to his death. It’s a shocking moment that suffuses the film with pathos and tension, as well as driving its urgent search. Posthumously completed by a group of Meyn’s friends and fellow students, Lonely Oaks is a timely and moving documentary about the climate crisis and the nuances of protest.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 13:00, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 15:45, The Light – Screen 9

Mon 19 Jun, 17:45, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Director: Isabel Reyes, Ignacia Merino

Producer: María José Díaz, Francisca Barraza

Sales Agent: Galgo Storytelling, Paulina Portela / Compania de Cine

Chile / 2023 / 66 mins

World Premiere Spanish

Director: Fabiana Fragale, Kilian Kuhlendahl, Jens Muehlhoff

Producer: Melanie Andernach / Made in Germany Filmproduktion

Sales Agent: Elina Kewitz / NEW DOCS

Germany / 2023 / 102 mins

International Premiere

German, English

No Winter Holidays

ढोरपाटन (Dhorpatan )

A poetic and intimate portrait of two lifelong rivals, who are forced to share an empty village during the dead of winter.

What would you do if your entire village abandoned you for a whole, freezing winter, with no companionship save for the presence of the other wife to your dead husband? Set amidst the high altitude of the Nepalese Himalayas, No Winter Holidays records life for Ratima and Kalima as they work to look after their village during a harsh and unforgiving season. Both in their seventies, they gradually come to accept each other’s presence, aware that surviving in this climate depends on their relying on each other. Stunningly shot, capturing the full magnificence of the mountain landscape while never losing focus on its subjects, Rajan Kathet and Sunir Pandey’s film is a fascinating portrait of rivalry, loneliness, old age and womanhood.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 15:30, The Light – Screen 6 Sun 18 Jun, 18:30, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Not a Bedtime Story

Cuentos para no dormir

Lila Penagos has fond childhood memories of her father telling her bedtime stories. She now asks him to tell her real stories about his past as a guerrilla fighter.

Carlos is the Colombian father of Ecuadorian filmmaker Penagos. The stories he told her as a child were more innocent variations on his real-life experiences as a member of a guerrilla army. Filming him during a long car journey, Penagos encourages her father to tell the real versions of the stories. What he reveals offers an insight to the other side of his life, away from home, fighting Colombian state forces. Divided into chapters and interspersed with shadow puppet plays and stage performances that re-enact Carlos’ tales, Not a Bedtime Story is a fascinating exploration of Latin American identity, which has often combined harsh reality with magical realism, and an acknowledgement of how little we often know about those closest to us.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 18:00, The Light – Screen 6 Sun 18 Jun, 21:15, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Director: Rajan Kathet, Sunir Pandey

Producer: Rajan Kathet, Sunir Pandey, Gary Kam Byung-Seok / Mirror & Story

Sales Agent: Tijana Djukic / Stranger Films

Nepal, South Korea, Romania / 2023 / 79 mins

World Premiere Nepali

Director: Lila Penagos

Producer: Tomás M Astudillo / Lunar Pictures

Sales Agent: Paulina Portela / Compañía de Cine

Ecuador / 2023 / 80 mins

World Premiere

Spanish

Jude Chehab’s debut feature untangles her family’s connection to a Syrian religious order, making for a nuanced and tense exploration of matrilineal trauma. Al-Qubaysiat, a women’s religious order born of Syria’s Islamic revivalist movement, has long attracted controversy over its ideology, practices and allegiances. For Jude Chehab’s family, it is a wedge that has divided loyalties and caused antagonism between those wedded to the faith and everyone else. In particular, it created an irrevocable distance between the filmmaker, her mother and her grandmother. Weaving together the memories of these three generations, Chehab’s impressive feature-length debut is a heartwrenching portrait of a domestic environment pushed to breaking point. Told through a mix of interviews, first-hand observational footage and archival material, Q melds dreamlike visuals with intimate slices of life, made all the more striking by former cinematographer Chehab’s eye for captivating details

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 20:30, The Light – Screen 6 Fri 16 Jun, 12:45, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

A Year in a Field

BAFTA-winning documentarian Christopher Morris reflects upon human existence, its relationship to the environment, and the urgent need for compassion and transformation.

Weathering the elements in the centre of a field in West Cornwall is the Longstone, a natural relic that has quietly witnessed 4,000 years of tumultuous history. Morris’ elegiac, meditative, yet profoundly important film is the record of a year in the life of the monolith, starting on Winter Solstice 2020, as the order of the natural world began unravelling around the globe and the threat of extreme climate change became a reality. Beautifully shot, with a richly layered sound design, the film meditates on the passage of time through its appreciation of nature, highlighting the subtle changes of the seasons, but also the need to act in order to battle man-made changes that will forever change our planet.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 18:30, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sat 17 Jun, 10:00, Showroom –Splice Post Screen 1 (Relaxed Screening)

Sun 18 Jun, 10:30, The Light – Screen 6

Content Guidance: Contains themes of familial and religious abuse.

Director: Jude Chehab

Producer: Jude Chehab

Sales Agent: Jude Chehab

USA, Lebanon / 2023 / 92 mins

International Premiere Arabic, English

Director: Christopher Morris

Producer: Denzil Monk

Sales Agent: Denzil Monk / Bosena

United Kingdom / 2023 / 86 mins

World Premiere

English, Cornish

DEBATES

After the Bridge

An intimate portrait of Valeria Collina, the mother of Youssef, one of the jihadists who took part in the 2017 London Bridge attack.

For 20 years, Valeria Collina, an Italian woman who converted to Islam, had lived in Morocco. She moved to Bologna in 2015, residing in a small house on the outskirts of the city. Two years later, she found herself besieged by television crews and the global media as a result of her son’s action. Her opposition to what Youssef did was unequivocal. She even refused to attend his funeral. Davide Rizzo and Marzia Toscano’s film reflects on Valeria’s life since; her feelings of grief as a mother, but also her thoughts as a feminist and one-time theatre actress who chose to follow a religious path. Combining archive footage with extensive interviews, After the Bridge is a poetic reflection on Valeria’s questions about the passage of time, faith, spirituality and, ultimately, loss.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 16:00, Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sun 18 Jun, 21:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Producer:

Sales Agent:

Italy / 2023 / 65 mins

European Premiere

Italian, Arabic

Director: Davide Rizzo, Marzia Toscano

Adam Selo, Olga Torrico / Sayonara Film

Adam Selo / Sayonara Film

Films about the things we need to discuss. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, each of the entries in this strand grapples with pressing and all-too-relevant issues, inviting us to be part of the conversation.

All the Flowers

Todas Las Flores

A tender portrait of Tabaco y Ron, a small brothel in a Bogotá neighbourhood that’s home to many of the city’s trans sex workers.

Since 2001, the 20-block quadrant of Santa Fe, known as the ‘tolerance zone’, has been designated for legal sex. Many of its inhabitants are from the trans community and continue to face violence and discrimination in a region that accounts for three quarters of the world’s trans-related murders. Like the area it is located in, the family-run brothel Tabaco y Ron offers refuge to trans sex workers. Both young and old, the workers open up to filmmaker Carmen OquendoVillar, who weaves their stories into a fascinating and often moving tapestry of life. All the Flowers also looks at trans activist Diana Navarro’s work with the community, former Mayor Antanas Mockus’ radical policies, and highlights the continuing importance of Tobaco y Ron as both a refuge and home.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 21:00, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Fri 16 Jun, 13:00, Curzon – Screen 1

Citizen Sleuth

A revealing profile of the rise, fall and redemption of a podcaster seeking to make their voice heard across an ever-changing media landscape.

Citizen Sleuth is an entertaining and insightful exploration of the true crime genre and the impact a powerful story can have on communities. In 2011, 20-year-old Jaleayah Davis died in an incident that was ruled accidental, yet featured some bizarre circumstances. Emily Nestor created the podcast Mile Marker 181 – the resting place of Davis’ car – to investigate the case. As her series progressed, Nestor attracted millions of listeners, captivated by stories of potential police corruption and contradictory accounts by the victim’s friends. But as Chris Kasick’s film highlights, Davis’ own investigation was less than watertight. And as facts emerged that sat uneasily next to Davis’ assumptions, the role of the truth appeared to become less essential to her.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 15:15, Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4 (+ Conversation)

Sun 18 Jun, 21:00, The Light – Screen 9

Director: Carmen Oquendo-Villar

Producer: Alejandro Angel, Annabelle Mullen-Pacheco, Carmen Oquendo-Villar

Executive Producer: Julie Mehretu, Mark Canavera, Miguel Villafañe, Dominique Levy, Enrique Rossy

Sales Agent: Alejandro Angel

Colombia, Puerto Rico / 2023 / 75 mins

World Premiere Spanish

Director: Chris Kasick

Producer: Chris Kasick, Tyler Davidson, Fabiola Washburn, Drew Sykes, Jared Washburn

Executive Producer: Mike Mannino, Kimberley Hassett, Jason Kohn, Kevin Flanigan, Dexter Braff

Sales Agent: Eric Sloss / Cinetic Media

USA / 2023 / 82 mins

European Premiere English

Confessions of a Good Samaritan

Filmmaker Penny Lane’s decision to donate one of her kidneys to a complete stranger leads her on a journey to understand the nature of altruism.

Can one give too much? It’s a question that lies at the heart of Our Nixon and Hail Satan? director Penny Lane’s most personal documentary. After deciding to donate a kidney to an unknown recipient, she sets out to understand the way we approach the issue of giving. Narrating in the first person, Lane is forthright in discussing her reasons for putting herself through such a profound and life-altering act, and the emotional impact it has had upon her. Erasing the line between filmmaker and subject, Lane is disarmingly honest in dealing with the emotional fallout of her actions, but also determined to grapple with the idea of giving and the limits that we place on it.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 12:30, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Thu 15 Jun, 14:45, Showroom –Splice Post Screen 1 (Relaxed Screening)

Mon 19 Jun, 10:00, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Every Body

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julie Cohen turns her focus towards the lives of three intersex people, in this heartfelt and urgent call for equality.

In the US, intersex people are still subject to invasive and premature surgeries, performed without consent upon children of a very young age. Born with sex characteristics that do not fit the typical binary notions of ‘male’ and ‘female’, three intersex adults are now calling for a ban on these harmful surgeries. River, Alicia and Sean all ignored the medical advice to keep their sex a secret, instead sharing their profound individual journeys in embracing their true intersex lives. Now leaders in a global movement for intersex rights, they embark on a journey to the White House where they hope to make history by changing the law. RGB director Cohen’s impassioned and compelling film is a tribute to the power of living life as our authentic selves.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 15:45, The Light – Screen 9

Sun 18 Jun, 18:45, Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Director: Penny Lane

Producer: Gabriel Sedgwick

Executive Producer: Greg Boustead, Jess Harrop, Michael Cho, Mimi Rode, Tim Lee

Sales Agent: Ben Schwartz / Submarine

USA / 2023 / 105 mins

European Premiere English

Director: Julie Cohen

Producer: Tommy Nguyen, Molly O’Brien, Shana Knizhnik

Executive Producer: Elizabeth Fischer, Liz Cole, Noah Oppenheim, Andy Berg

Sales Agent: Charlotte Pressland / Universal Pictures International

USA, Germany / 2022 / 91 mins

International Premiere English, Spanish, German

The Invention of the Other A Invenção do Outro

A record of an attempt to contact the Korubo, a remote indigenous tribe that occupies territory deep inside the Amazonian rainforest.

Director Bruno Jorge (Piripkura) accompanies an expedition that will try to contact the Korubo, an isolated indigenous group that lives near the border of Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Extending far beyond the conventions of pure ethnographic cinema, Jorge records officials making real, human connection with the group. The mission is an acknowledgement that the jungle no longer presents the greatest danger to the people. Poaching, illicit logging and oil smuggling have become so all-pervasive in the region that coercion, murder and forced disappearances will likely be a very real threat to the Korubo. Jorge’s film is both a wondrous record of contact with a society that has lived far from the reaches of modern life, and a bleak reminder of the voraciousness of our world.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 11:15, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Sun 18 Jun, 15:15, Curzon – Screen 2

Praying for Armageddon

Tonje Hessen Schei’s film highlights the alarming political influence of American Evangelical Christians and their quest to bring on the Apocalypse.

The world can sometimes feel like it’s imploding. For some fundamentalist Christians, it’s a situation that brings on a particular kind of ecstasy, happy in the belief that Judgement Day is just around the corner. Utilising the investigative journalism of Lee Fang, Praying for Armageddon journeys among church pastors, congressmen and crusading bikers, who all believe we are on the precipice of a holy war. The film also hears from Frank Schaeffer, the expelled son of the pro-life movement, Palestinian journalist Mohamed El Kurd and a Jewish Rabbi taking a stand against radical Christian Zionism. Praying for Armageddon also details how the Evangelical vote and a billion-dollar lobby not only impacts US laws regarding abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and gun ownership, but also American foreign policy.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 12:45, The Light – Screen 9

Sun 18 Jun, 15:45, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Director: Bruno Jorge

Producer: Bruno Jorge

Sales Agent: Renato Manganello / Utopia Docs

Brazil / 2022 / 144 mins

UK Premiere Portuguese, Guarani

Director: Tonje Hessen Schei

Producer: Christian Aune Falch / UpNorth Film, Torstein Paurelius, Ingrid Aune Falch

Executive Producer: Hussain Currimbhoy, Sue Turley, Jan Rofekamp

Sales Agent: Nanna Lykke / DR Sales

Norway / 2023 / 97 mins

UK Premiere English

Razing Liberty Square

As rising sea-levels threaten the city of Miami, one local black community fights to save their neighbourhood from property developers and climate gentrification.

Liberty Square was one of the first public housing projects in America’s South. It also happens to sit on the highest — and driest — ground in Miami. Now considered to be real estate gold, the whole area is slated for a government-backed $300 million ‘regeneration’ project. Shot over the course of five years, Oscar-nominated director Katja Esson captures the plight of one community forced into mobilisation to save their homes. When developers begin to offer residents financial incentives to leave the site, tensions reach boiling point. With the future of this historic neighbourhood up for sale, Razing Liberty Square presents a powerful study of the overlapping crises of climate change, systemic racism and the lack of affordable housing.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 18:30, Curzon – Screen 2

Sun 18 Jun, 10:00, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Mon 19 Jun, 12:45, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

White Nanny Black Child

A group of adults find solace in sharing their experiences of growing up as children of Black Nigerian immigrants who were fostered by white British families.

Between 1955 and 1995, over 70,000 West African children were fostered by white Britons, in a practice known as ‘farming’. Many individuals then had to live, often in silence, with the long-lasting impact of this controversial official policy. Nine of those raised this way were invited to a workshop retreat, under professional guidance, to discuss their experiences. Each take turns delving into their past, revealing the confusion and trauma of dealing with such change at a young age. For many, this marks the first time they have had the opportunity to connect with people who have shared a similar childhood. White Nanny Black Child presents a personal, moving and sometimes unsettling meditation on identity, belonging and the nature of family.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Sat 17 Jun, 14:45, Curzon – Screen 2

Mon 19 Jun, 13:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Director: Katja Esson

Producer: Ann Bennett, Katja Esson, Corinna Sager, Ronald Baez

Executive Producer: Sumalee Montano, Grace Lay, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen

Sales Agent: Ann Bennett, Katja Esson / RLS Films, LLC

USA / 2023 / 85 mins

European Premiere

English

Content Guidance: Contains description of racism.

Director: Andy Mundy-Castle

Producer: Natasha Dack Ojumu, Rochelle Newman

Executive Producer: Andy Mundy-Castle, Shanida Scotland

Sales Agent: Natasha Dack Ojumu

United Kingdom / 2023 / 80 mins

UK Premiere

English

J URNEYS

Against the Tide

A portrait of two Indian fishermen, friends from different backgrounds, whose livelihoods are impacted by changes beyond their control.

Ganesh and Rakesh, two friends from the Koli fishing community in Bombay, live very different lives. Ganesh, with his foreign education, access to money and network of contacts, embraces modernity with the latest fishing technology. Rakesh, by contrast, struggles to make ends meet and is forced to continue with the family’s traditional shallow-water fishing methods. However, both are impacted by the challenges of a declining profession, climate change and the demands of their young families. Director Sarvnik Kaur offers a fascinating and contemplative portrait of these two men, while the film’s gentle rhythms capture the ebb and flow of the sea – an everchanging constant in Rakesh and Ganesh’s lives.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 12:45, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sat 17 Jun, 21:00, The Light – Screen 9

Director: Sarvnik Kaur

Producer: Koval Bhatia / A Little Anarky Films, Sarvnik Kaur / Snooker Club Films, Quentin Laurent

Executive Producer: Russell Long

Sales Agent: Liselot Verbrugge / Deckert Distribution

India, France / 2023 / 97 mins

UK Premiere

Marathi, Hindi

From venturing out the front door to exploring a new world – whether it’s physical, emotional, internal or imagined – we take a front seat on a journey of discovery.

Anhell69

A self-defined trans film, Anhell69 is a genre-busting, transgressive and kaleidoscopic musing on the lives and deaths of a group of queer Colombian twentysomethings. Neither documentary nor fiction, but somehow of both worlds, Theo Montoya’s feature directorial debut occupies a series of underground, liminal spaces as it follows their attempt to make a sci-fi vampire movie set in a decrepit city where ghosts coexist with the living. Montoya’s intention was to cast their friends and to have the action unfold within Medellin´s underground club and party scene. However, the reality of life for this makeshift cast – from drug use, disease, poverty and an air of hopelessness, to violence and homo/trans-phobia – ruptures the filmmaker’s intentions. Instead, Anhell69 stands as a powerful and emotionally devastating elegy to many of its protagonists, and an allegory of the precarity of life for Colombia´s marginalised.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 21:00, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2 Sat 17 Jun, 18:15, Curzon – Screen 3

The Deepest Breath

Breathtaking in more ways than one, Laura McGann’s ravishingly beautiful film chronicles a fascinating partnership at the heart of a dangerous extreme sport.

Italian freediving champion Alessia Zecchini is determined to set a new record for the sport –descending to the greatest depth without the aid of scuba diving equipment. Stephen Keenan fell in love with the sport while traveling in Egypt, eventually becoming a safety diver. His working relationship with Zecchini depends on trust and mutual understanding. Together, they train for an attempt on the legendary Blue Hole, a submarine sinkhole on the southwest Sinai. A treacherous location that has claimed the lives of hundreds of divers, it is the ultimate challenge for Zecchini. With a combination of archive material and interviews, alongside stunning underwater footage, MaGann’s film captures the shredded nerves and suspense of the pair’s preparations as they ready themselves for the dive.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 18:00, The Light – Screen 9 Fri 16 Jun, 10:15, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Content Guidance:

Contains scenes of explicit an explicit sexual nature, violence and references to drug-use and suicide.

Director: Theo Montoya

Producer: Bianca Oana / Monogram Film, David Hurst / Dublin Films, Maximilian Haslberger / Amerikafilm GmbH

Sales Agent: Wouter Jansen / Square Eyes

Colombia, Romania, France, Germany / 2022 / 72 mins

UK Premiere Spanish

Director: Laura McGann

Producer:

United Kingdom, Ireland / 2023 / 108 mins

UK Premiere English

John Battsek, Jamie D’Alton, Anne McLoughlin, Sarah Thomson

Youth Jury Award Nominee

The Hearing Die Anhörung

This thought-provoking and innovative film challenges immigration processes through the accounts of four people whose lives were impacted by it.

A Nigerian woman, a man from Cameroon, a transgender woman from Sri Lanka and a young Afghan man all had their applications for asylum rejected by Swiss authorities. In a drab, anonymous room, they were forced to account for their lives, with every word and gesture recorded and used in judgement against them. But how can we prove our life story, without a physical record beyond our own experience, to those who have not lived it? Lisa Gerig’s subversive film re-enacts these interviews as a way to explore the dynamics of power, then shifts focus towards the officials whose job it is to interrogate the validity of those seeking asylum. In doing so, the film highlights the disparity between subjective and objective perspectives, and the need to find a common ground between the two.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 13:00, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Fri 16 Jun, 10:15, Curzon – Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 15:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Is There Anybody Out There?

In this deeply personal and disarmingly honest documentary, filmmaker Ella Glendining searches for individuals with the same rare disability as herself.

Born with no hip joints and short femurs, a condition so rare that there is little reliable information about it, Ella Glendining decides to go in search of people who can share their experience and feelings about having a body like hers. In doing so, she challenges lazy ableist assumptions, experiences a number of unexpected surprises and encounters people who look like her. With great warmth and an infectious joy for her body and life as it is, Glendining challenges us to question the way we see others, like and unlike ourselves. Is Anybody Out There? is a revelatory film that gently tugs at the viewer’s biases and looks to a day when inclusivity is no longer an ‘issue’.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 14:45, Crucible Theatre (+ Conversation)

Sun 18 Jun, 18:00, The Light – Screen 6

Director: Lisa Gerig

Producer: Eva Vitija, Maurizius Staerkle Drux

Sales Agent: Anja Dziersk / Rise & Shine

Switzerland / 2023 / 81 mins

UK Premiere

Dari, Tamil, French, English, German

Director: Ella Glendining

Producer: Janine Marmot

Executive Producer: Lisa Marie Russo

Sales Agent: Imogene Sutton / Autlook Filmsales

United Kingdom, USA, Scotland / 2023 / 87 mins

UK Premiere English

Youth Jury Award Nominee

Youth Jury Award Nominee

Long Distance Swimmer –Sara Mardini

Gegen den Strom – Sara Mardini

The Syrian swimmer who pulled the boat that carried her and another 18 refugees to Greece now copes with the consequences of becoming a famous activist.

After their act of heroism at sea, Sara and her sister Yusra were transformed into international celebrities. Sara became an activist and Yusra an Olympic swimmer. After their passage to Europe was guaranteed, Sara kept helping her fellow migrants and refugees, volunteering as a lifeguard with Emergency Response Center International. Because of her actions, she was arrested by Greek authorities on a variety of counts, including people trafficking. Long Distance Swimmer details Sara’s daily life in Berlin, as she awaits the outcome of charges that could send her to jail for years. A hero to many, she has become a voice for those who are subject to a growing tide of antiimmigration policies.

Screenings

Sun 18 Jun, 10:30, Crucible Theatre (+Conversation)

Mon 19 Jun, 18:00, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

My Friend Lanre

Acclaimed filmmaker Leo Regan draws on decades of footage to create a portrait of the complex life of friend and photographer Lanre Fehintola.

Regan first documented his friend’s life in the 1998 film Don’t Get High on Your Own Supply. Fehintola became hooked on heroin while working on a book about a group of drug addicts. Regan caught up with him again in the 2001 film Cold Turkey, as Fehintola attempted to break his addiction by locking himself in his flat without medication. My Friend Lanre jumps two decades, to a moment when Fehintola has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Regan never set out to document someone dying, but this is what his film becomes. Drawing from over 25 years of footage, the filmmaker presents an intensely intimate portrayal of his friendship and collaboration with Fehintola. It is charming, funny, devastating and, by its close, a bravely personal, living testament to one person’s life and work.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 13:00, The Light – Screen 6

Director: Charly Wai Feldman

Producer: Antje Böhmert, Anna von Dziembowska, Daniel Druhora

Sales Agent: Elina Kewitz

Germany, United Kingdom / 2023 / 88 mins

UK Premiere

German, English, Arabic, Greek

In association with Migration Matters Festival

Director: Leo Regan

Producer: Michael Elliott, Mary Carson

Sales Agent: Laia Senserrich / EMU FILMS

United Kingdom / 2023 / 85 mins

World Premiere

English

Strand: Journeys

Tokyo Uber Blues

Tokyo jitensha bushi

Director Taku Aoyagi underwent a career change during the pandemic, becoming an Uber Eats rider. Will he survive?

As the pandemic hit in 2020, many saw their employment opportunities dramatically diminished. Filmmaker Taku Aoyagi found himself out of work and so, to earn a living, he moved to Tokyo to become an Uber Eats rider – one of the few booming businesses as society closed its doors. Shot mostly on mobile phones and GoPros, Tokyo Uber Blues journeys through a 21st century megalopolis, with Aoyagi guiding us as he goes about his work. At the same time, his film grapples with what it is to be a twentysomething in present-day Japan, issues around the gig economy and the way a city was transformed by a world-changing event. By turns high-spirited, comical and despairing, Tokyo Uber Blues is an essential, intimate portrait of recent times.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 20:30, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Fri 16 Jun, 10:15, The Light – Screen 6 Sat 17 Jun, 20:45, Curzon – Screen 3

Transition

Having covered the conflict in Afghanistan for years, genderqueer filmmaker Jordan Bryon finds himself at a moral crossroads when he is offered access to the Taliban.

Jordan has been filming from the epicentre of the Afghan conflict for over five years, during which time the Taliban retook control of the country. Transition follows the Australian as he navigates life and work as a trans man in the country, alongside Afghan filmmaker Teddy and Iranian photojournalist Kiana. A new job grants Jordan and Teddy unbridled access to a Taliban stronghold, but Jordan must negotiate the ethics and risks of developing genuine relationships with men who are responsible for restricting the freedoms of so many, while also keeping a part of his own identity a secret. It’s a fraught and compelling account of what it takes to maintain one’s own sense of being while also having to protect one’s life.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 17:45, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Fri 16 Jun, 21:00, Curzon – Screen 2

Director: Taku Aoyagi

Producer: Kazuo Osawa

Sales Agent: Asako Fujioka / Documentary Dream Center

Japan / 2022 / 93 mins

UK Premiere

Japanese

Director: Jordan Bryon, Monica Villamizar

Producer: Monica Villamizar

Executive Producer: Matthew Heineman / Our Time Projects, Stuart Ford / AGC Studios, BJ Levin / AGC Studios, Lourdes Diaz / AGC Studios, Joel Zimmer / AGC Studios, Sebastian Hernandez / Ruvrika, Juan Manuel Betancourt / Ruvrika, Joedan Okun / Our Time Projects

Sales Agent: BJ Levin / AGC Studios

USA / 2023 / 90 mins

International Premiere

English, Dari, Farsi

Tim Hetherington Award Nominee

MEM RIES

Donyale Luna: Supermodel

A moving exploration of the revolutionary life of the pioneering Black supermodel Donyale Luna.

Donyale Luna: Supermodel explores the remarkable life and career of Donyale Luna, one of the first Black supermodels who graced the covers of both Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar in Europe. Today, most people have never heard of her. Born Peggy Anne Freeman in Detroit, Donyale Luna went on to revolutionise the fashion industry in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming the muse to some of the foremost photographers of the 20th century, until her untimely death at the age of 33 in 1979. A regular presence at Andy Warhol’s Factory, she appeared in his 1964 film Camp, as well as films by Federico Fellini, Otto Preminger and William Klein. Luna’s life is chronicled through a rich trove of archive footage and interviews with family and friends, who detail the obstacles she overcame to achieve worldwide fame.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 18:15, The Light – Screen 9

Sun 18 Jun, 13:00, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Director: Nailah Jefferson

Producer: Melissa Kramer, Isoul Harris, Melanie Sharee

Executive Producer: Simon Chinn / Lightbox, Jonathan Chinn / Lightbox, Jeff Friday, Dream Cazzaniga, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Ed Perkins

Sales Agent: HBO

USA, United Kingdom / 2023 / 93 mins

International Premiere English

Image Credit: ALAMY

Exploring how the past informs the present – and the future – these films bring new light to all forms of artefacts, questioning their influence and celebrating their essence.

Great Photo, Lovely Life

Photojournalist Amanda Mustard returns to her hometown to investigate the decades of sexual abuse her family and community experienced at the hands of her grandfather.

Filmed over the course of eight years and told from the unique perspective of both survivors and perpetrator, Great Photo, Lovely Life is a powerful portrait of intergenerational trauma, redemption and the corrosiveness of family secrets. A unique documentary for the unexpectedly direct and unflinching way it explores family tragedy and sexual assault, it places Mustard (who co-directed the film with cinematographer Rachel Beth Anderson) at its heart as she takes on the role of filmmaker, journalist, mediator, sister, daughter and healer. As a result, the film is less concerned with what took place than on the dangers of unexpressed anger and the devastating impact of remaining silent.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 11:30, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Fri 16 Jun, 17:45, Curzon – Screen 3

Sat 17 Jun, 15:15, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

The Gullspång Miracle

Miraklet i Gullspång

A series of coincidences lead sisters Kari and May to Olaug, the spitting image of an older sibling who was believed to have committed suicide decades ago.

When May is injured in a freak accident on a rollercoaster ride, she and her sister Kari decide to buy a home in the small Swedish town of Gullspång. Meeting the property’s seller, Olaug, they become convinced that she is their older sibling, Lita, who allegedly committed suicide some 30 years earlier. It’s at this point that documentary filmmaker Maria Fredriksson, at the behest of the sisters, begins to investigate this strange history. Gradually, she pieces together a domestic jigsaw puzzle, resulting in a blackly-comic family drama that journeys down a series of surprising – and sometimes downright unbelievable –paths. Combining dramatic re-enactments with archival footage, The Gullspång Miracle weaves a true-crime narrative into a unique tale of a family struggling with loss and deception.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 20:45, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Fri 16 Jun, 10:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Mon 19 Jun, 12:00, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2 (Kino Bambino)

Director: Amanda Mustard, Rachel Beth Anderson

Producer: Amanda Mustard, Luke Malone, Rachel Beth Anderson

Executive Producer: Rachel Dretzin / ARK Media , Sara Rodriguez / HBO, Nancy Abraham / HBO, Lisa Heller / HBO

Sales Agent: Sarah Eshaghian / HBO

USA / 2023 / 112 mins

UK Premiere

English

Director: Maria Fredriksson

Producer: Ina Holmqvist / Ballad Film

Sales Agent: Mitch Clare / MetFilm Sales

Sweden / 2023 / 109 mins

European Premiere

Norwegian, Swedish

Milisuthando

Artist-turned-filmmaker Milisuthando Bongela offers up a personal and visually striking selfportrait of a life that grapples with the legacy of South Africa’s past.

In her poetic debut feature documentary, Bongela takes us on a sensory journey, opening up a memory chest that explores the far-reaching consequences of Apartheid. Narrated in chapters by the filmmaker, she moves beyond the grand symbolic gestures of a ‘rainbow nation’ to convey what it actually means to be born Black in South Africa, and to explore the thorny blanket of freedom that was laid at the feet of its citizens. Powered by Bongela’s memories of a youth spent in the all-Black Xhosa homeland of Transkei, this skilfully edited film charts South Africa’s recent past, less as a history lesson, and more as poetic reflection on a nation borne out of a violent system.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 14:30, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2 Sat 17 Jun, 19:30, Curzon – Screen 2

Money, Freedom, A Story of CFA Franc

L’argent, la liberté, une histoire du Franc CFA

A searing account of a contentious currency, inherited from the French colonial system, which exposes the complex realities of economic imperialism in Africa.

When introduced, the CFA franc – shorthand for ’Colonies françaises d’Afrique’ (French colonies of Africa) – was linked directly to the French franc and controlled centrally from Paris. Despite countries in West and Central Africa gaining independence in the 1960s, the currency remained in circulation in over a dozen of them, rebranded as ’Communauté Financière Africaine’ (African Financial Community). 60 years on, the currency remains centralised – now linked to the Euro – which continues to play a significant role in the destabilisation and stagnation of domestic economies in the region. Katy Léna N’diaye combines interviews with African economists, historians and intellectuals, alongside extensive archive, to deliver an urgent, yet personal, meditation on the significance of monetary sovereignty.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 21:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Sat 17 Jun, 12:45, Curzon – Screen 3

Director: Milisuthando Bongela

Producer: Marion Isaacs

Executive Producer: Jessica Devaney / Multitude Films, Anya Rous / Multitude Films

Sales Agent: Jason Ishikawa / Cinetic Media

South Africa, Colombia / 2023 / 128 mins

UK Premiere

English, Xhosa

Director: Katy Lena Ndiaye

Producer: Oualid Baha / Tact Production

Sales Agent: Oualid Baha / Tact Production

France, Senegal, Belgium, Germany / 2022 / 104 mins

UK Premiere

French

The Mountains Bjergene

Two decades after the tragedy that dramatically disrupted his family’s life, Christian Einshøj records their attempts at reconciliation.

When Einshøj’s father, an overworked CEO, is laid off, he decides to sell the family home. Equipped with a camera, some 75,000 family photos, 30 years of home movie footage, a vast stamp collection and three tight-fitting superhero outfits, Einshøj decides it’s time to look into his family’s past and deal with a tragedy that transformed the way they related to each other. Over 25 years ago, Einshøj’s brother died. Feelings were stifled and, over time, emotions festered. The Mountains looks back in an attempt to seek some reconciliation. It grapples with the family’s response to the tragedy and in doing so explores the nature of father-son relationships. It’s a wry, moving and often revealing portrait of interpersonal dynamics.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 13:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Thu 15 Jun, 10:30, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Right to Fight

The story of three pioneering US sportswomen who, in the 1970s, attempted to break into the most macho sport of all: competitive boxing.

Marian ‘Lady Tyger’ Trimiar, Cathy ‘Cat’ Davis and Pat ‘Liberation’ Pineda come together to tell the incredible story of the birth of female competitive boxing. Before they could fight each other, the women had to battle for acceptance in a sport in which they were legally barred from competing. Individual battles against sexism, racism and homophobia came to the fore, which are regaled through incredible – and frequently hilarious –first-person testimony and extensive archive material. Controlling managers, abusive boyfriends and a patriarchal society are overcome, but at what cost? Refusing to pull any punches, Right to Fight highlights the determination and the sacrifices these boxers made – both inside and outside the ring.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 20:45, The Light – Screen 6

Sun 18 Jun, 10:30, Curzon – Screen 1

Director: Christian Einshøj

Producer: Mathilde Hvid Lippmann

Executive Producer: Helle Faber

Sales Agent: Mathilde Hvid Lippmann / made in copenhagen

Denmark / 2023 / 88 mins

UK Premiere Danish, Norwegian

Director: Georgina Cammalleri

Producer: Tim Wardle, Cassandra Thornton

Sales Agent: Tim Wardle / Raw TV, Lasharna Ross / Sky

United Kingdom / 2023 / 89 mins

World Premiere English

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

Anna Hints’ Sundance-winning documentary celebrates female solidarity and community through a group of Estonian women who continue an age-old tradition.

The sauna-based rituals carried out by women of the Voro community of Estonia is so unique they appear on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Anna Hints’ captivating film places us at the heart of this world. As the women unwind and talk, there is humour borne of their familiarity with each other and of shared experiences, but there are also tales of pain and suffering. With few key exceptions, Hints’ camera focuses on the women listening rather than those doing the talking, further enveloping us in this world. There is a frankness to the way she films her subjects – the close-ups on bodies are matter of fact and never salacious. And the subtle sound design, combined with Edvard Egilsson’s atmospheric choral score, adds to the uniqueness of this intimate environment.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 12:30, The Light – Screen 9

Fri 16 Jun, 13:00, The Light – Screen 6

Sun 18 Jun, 20:45, Curzon – Screen 3

Time Bomb Y2K

An all-archival deep dive into the ‘millennium bug’, the widespread cultural hysteria in the lead-up to the year 2000 that redefined our relationship to technology.

The prospect of the millennium bug – aka the Y2K bug – was no joke in the late 1990s. When it was discovered that computers were not programmed to effectively interpret the two digits 00, many believed that our entering a new millennium would precipitate a catastrophic global technological collapse. As computer programmers worked tirelessly to solve the potential glitch, doomsday preppers began stockpiling arms and supplies, while state politicians and pop culture icons stepped onto TV to address the nation and debate the pandemonium. Through newsreels, press briefings and home videos, co-directors Marley McDonald and Brian Becker craft a thrilling time capsule of a society grappling with the rise of computers, at a pivotal moment in contemporary history.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 21:00, The Light – Screen 6

Sun 18 Jun, 16:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Producer:

Sales Agent:

Estonia, France, Iceland / 2023 / 89 mins

UK Premiere Estonian

Producer:

Executive Producer:

Sales Agent:

USA / 2023 / 80 mins

European Premiere

English

Director: Marley McDonald, Brian Becker

Brian Becker

Penny Lane, Gabriel Sedgwick, Tina Nguyen

Sarah Eshaghian / HBO

Director: Anna Hints

Marianne Ostrat / Alexandra Film, Juliette Cazanave / Kepler22 Productions, Hlín Jóhannesdóttir / URSUS PARVUS

Salma Abdalla / Autlook Filmsales

PE PLE & C MMUNITY

Celebrating togetherness through family, friendship, communities and togetherness, these films explore the threads that bind us together, the rituals that sustain community and the individuals who open their hearts, minds and homes to the camera.

1001 Days

Kethiwe Ngcobo and Chloe White’s immersive account of the first 1001 days of a child’s life is seen from the perspective of three South African healthcare workers.

Ngcobo and White’s film unfolds in Alexandra, a township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, and charts the work of a group of women – mothers and survivors of abuse – who take on the role of health workers in their local neighbourhood. Thandiwe, Khosi and Zanele help women who have recently given birth, all too aware that the first three years of a child’s life are critical in every way. Combining intimate footage of the women at work, alongside frank and moving testimonies, 1001 Days offers an insight into the joys, challenges and disturbing reality of everyday life for these brave individuals and many women they help. It’s an intimate, challenging and unflinching portrait of motherhood and change-making in modern-day South Africa.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 15:15, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Fri 16 Jun, 20:45, Curzon – Screen 3

Sat 17 Jun, 15:45, Curzon – Screen 1

Director: Kethiwe Ngcobo, Chloe White

Producer: Rose Palmer

Executive Producer: Katharine Round

Sales Agent: Chloe White / Whalebone Films

United Kingdom, South Africa / 2023 / 97 mins

International Premiere English, Zulu

Youth Jury Award Nominee

The Castle El Castillo

Martin Benchimol’s fascinating film is a singular portrait of a domestic worker who lives with her daughter in a ramshackle castle.

In the rural and sparsely populated Argentinian province of La Pampa lies a castle in a state of disrepair. Justina has lived there since she was five, spending her entire working life as a servant to its owner. When they died, the property was left to her to continue living in, on the condition that she did not sell it. But it’s proving too difficult to look after and is rapidly being overrun by all manner of plants and wildlife. Meanwhile, Justina’s daughter wants to leave and pursue her dream of becoming a Formula 4 driver. With echoes of the Maysles’ classic Grey Gardens and Luis Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angels, The Castle blurs the line between documentary and drama as it captures daily life for the women in the otherworldly place they inhabit.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 15:45, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Thu 15 Jun, 13:45, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Choose Me

Amchilini

Chadian director Allamine Kader Kora visits his mother’s village, where a marriage proposal ceremony becomes the centre of an intergenerational debate about tradition and the freedom to choose.

In Boutelfil, on the edge of the Chadian desert, a community gather to discuss the recent drought. For the first time in 30 years, they decide to organise ‘Amchilini’, a tradition that obliges unmarried women in the community to choose husbands in the belief that it will ward off misfortunes. Allamine’s camera reticently looks on as the ceremony unfolds, sparking animated discussion among different members of the community about their participation. A complex picture emerges – one that reveals the frequently conflicting desires and aspirations of women and men across generations. Leavening tension with warm, observational humour, Choose Me is a tender and nuanced portrait of a community in transition, as it negotiates new challenges to authority and faces demands for autonomy.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 18:30, Curzon – Screen 1

Fri 16 Jun, 10:30, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Mon 19 Jun, 20:30, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Producers:

Sales

Argentina, France / 2023 / 78 mins

UK Premiere Spanish

Producer:

Sales

Chad

European Premiere Arabic

Director: Allamine Kader Kora

Moussa Tidjani Ousman / Toumai Productions Films, Baptiste Brunner, Laurent Bitty

Agent: Moussa Tidjani Ousman / Toumai Productions Films

/ 2023 / 69 mins

Director: Martin Benchimol

Marya Bottero, Gema Jaárez Allen, Clarisa Oliveri

Agent: Natacha Kaganski

Youth Jury Award Nominee

Hummingbirds

In the border town of Laredo, Texas, two MexicanAmericans spend a long, aimless summer together, as they wait on an uncertain future.

Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía ‘Beba’ Contreras’ documentary debut was shot over a few months in 2019, shortly after Castaños’ graduation from high school. Over the course of a hot, seemingly endless summer, the best friends record their lives as they hang out in bingo halls, abandoned buildings, drive-thrus and supermarkets, waiting hopefully on the resolution to Beba´s immigration and right to work status, and also for something to happen. Implicitly, yet sensitively, grappling with issues around sexuality and gender identity, immigrant experiences, belonging, reproductive rights, community and activism, Hummingbirds is a refreshing and frequently moving testament to the redeeming, healing power of friendship and the precarity of youth.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 13:15, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Thu 15 Jun, 10:00, Curzon – Screen 3

Much Ado About Dying

When filmmaker Simon Chambers cuts short a shoot in India to tend to his dying uncle, he has no idea of the journey they’re about to embark on together.

It begins with a voicemail: ‘I think I may be dying’. Chambers’ octogenarian uncle, long-retired actor David Newlyn Gale, isn’t quite at death’s door. Nevertheless, his health has deteriorated in recent years. He lives in an unsuitable flat, sustaining himself on cans of soup, keeping himself warm with a small army of electric heaters and battling a mice infestation with toothpaste. It soon becomes clear that his greatest sources of nourishment are literature and theatre. And he sees in his nephew, who is also gay, a like-minded creative soul. Between the Shakespearean monologues, Much Ado About Dying presents an intimate, occasionally funny and ultimately moving portrait of a solitary life and a quietly critical assessment of the inadequate resources available in the UK for a rapidly ageing population.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 15:45, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sun 18 Jun, 18:30, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Content Guidance: Contains references to abortion.

Director:

Producer:

Sales

USA / 2023 / 78 mins

UK Premiere English, Spanish

Director: Simon Chambers

Producer: David Rane

Sales Agent: David Rane / Soilsiú Films

United Kingdom, Ireland / 2022 / 85 mins

UK Premiere

English

Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras

Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Leslie Benavides, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Diane Ng, Rivkah Beth Medow

Agent: Hummingbirds Sales

Otto Baxter: Not A F***ing Horror Story

We follow Otto Baxter, a 35-year-old man with Down Syndrome, over six years, as he writes and directs a foul-mouthed, autobiographical comedy-horrormusical set in Victorian London.

Otto, who has always struggled to explain how he feels, uses his film The Puppet Asylum to explore his birth, adoption and his epic battle with ‘The Master’ – an evil magician hell-bent on controlling his life. During the filmmaking process Otto’s birth mother dies and he finds himself confronting life in the real world, including his future. Otto’s filmmaker friends Bruce Fletcher and Peter Beard help him to bring his vision to life, but also learn more about his unique perspective on the world and how they can play a role in his future.

The film will be followed by a screening of The Puppet Asylum.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 18:00, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sun 18 Jun, 12:45, The Light – Screen 9

Phantom Parrot

When a human rights activist, returning to the UK, has his electronic devices confiscated by border authorities, it highlights an unsettling programme of state surveillance.

Muhammad Rabbani is the Director of CAGE, a human rights organisation that fights discrimination in the so-called ‘War On Terror’. He travels around the world and is trusted with highly sensitive personal information by people in vulnerable situations. On one occasion, while returning to the UK from an overseas trip, he was stopped at the border and threatened with imprisonment if he didn’t hand over the passwords to his electronic devices. He refused. Phantom Parrot reveals a covert form of surveillance involving collaboration between the tech industry, police and security services. With insight provided by people who work with these technologies, this film is a must-see for anyone who cares about civil liberties in the digital age.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 15:15, The Light – Screen 9

Sat 17 Jun, 21:00, Curzon – Screen 1

Director: Peter Beard, Bruce Fletcher, Otto Baxter

Producer: Daisy Allsop / Archface Films, Story Films / Story films

Executive Producer: David Nath / Story Films, Poppy Dixon / Sky, Hayley Reynolds / Sky

Sales Agent: Lasharna Ross / Sky Studios / NBCU

United Kingdom / 2023 / 116 mins

World Premiere

English

Director: Kate Stonehill

Producer: Steven Lake

Executive Producers: Alex Lieberman, Sandra Whipham, Gary Lieberman

Sales Agent: Amanda Lebow / CAA

United Kingdom, USA / 2023 / 80 mins

UK Premiere

English, German

Red Herring

Diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, director Kit Vincent enlists his family for an intimate and darkly humorous journey to help them come to terms with his illness.

Kit’s family had already experienced its fair share of tumult when the 24-year-old was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Kit’s mum, a community nurse who spends much of her time caring for dying patients, was traumatised by the thought that her son will be one of them. Meanwhile his dad, Lawrence, threw himself into a series of obscure diversion tactics – from growing cannabis in his spare room, to relinquishing his lifelong atheism and secretly attending a local synagogue. What Kit captures with his camera traverses the fine line between humour and grief, detailing his family’s acceptance of his fate, and celebrating the relationships that keep us going, particularly in life’s darker moments.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 15:15, The Light – Screen 9 Sun 18 Jun, 18:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Your Fat Friend

Jeanie Finlay’s portrait of writer, blogger and activist Aubrey Gordon is a celebratory account of an individual who embraced their identity and challenged lazy stereotypes.

It began with a letter to a friend, prompted by a disagreement over fat and thin people’s relationships with their bodies, which was eventually published online and transformed Aubrey Gordon’s life. A significant but initially anonymous online presence, as Gordon’s readership grew, so did her influence. But for all the individuals who benefitted from her sage and frank discussions about every aspect of her life – from her body shape to her perspective on the world as an active member of the LGBTQIA+ community – there were the naysayers, critics and, on occasion, abusers. Jeannie Finlay’s film, which was shot over the course of six years, charts Gordon’s rise, which saw her become a beacon of hope for many and an outspoken voice against an industry that only sees profit in the discussions around ‘body positivity’.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 17:15, Crucible Theatre (+ conversation)

Sun 18 Jun, 18:30, The Light – Screen 9

Director: Kit Vincent

Producer: Edward Owles

Executive Producer: Hannah Bush Bailey, Alex Lieberman, Bungalow Town

Sales Agent: Olivier Tournaud / Cinephil

United Kingdom / 2023 / 94 mins

UK Premiere English

Director: Jeanie Finlay

Producer: Jeanie Finlay

Executive Producer: Charlotte Cook, / Field Of Vision, Sandra Whipham / Doc Society, Shanida Scotland / Doc Society

Sales Agent: Jason Ishikawa / Cinetic

USA, United Kingdom / 2023 / 90 mins

International Premiere English

REBELLI NS

20 Days in Mariupol

Ukrainian filmmaker and journalist Mstyslav Chernov presents an unsparing portrait of Mariupol under siege and the bravery of those struggling to survive in it.

On the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a team of Ukrainian journalists enter the strategic eastern port city of Mariupol. During the subsequent siege and assault, as bombs fall, inhabitants flee, and access to electricity, food, water and medicine is cut off, the team – the only journalists left in the city – struggles to cover the atrocities and send their footage out to the world. Eventually surrounded by Russian soldiers, they shelter in a hospital, unsure of how they’ll escape. Seeing so much death, Chernov and his colleagues wonder whether the reporting will make a difference. But the city’s surviving residents implore them to ensure the world bears witness to what is taking place.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 15:30, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Thu 15 Jun, 12:30, Curzon – Screen 3

Fri 16 Jun, 10:00, The Light – Screen 9

Ukraine / 2023 / 94 mins

UK Premiere

Ukrainian, English, Russian

Director: Mstyslav Chernov

Producer: Michelle Mizner, Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden Sales Agent: Cleo Veger

Stories of people striving for social change and fighting for what matters. From politics, gender equality and issues around identity to human rights and the climate crisis, these films highlight cinema’s role as both witness and a tool in the fight for change.

Tim Hetherington Award Nominee

Supported by Bertha Foundation

Strand: Rebellions

Bad Press

A defiant journalist confronts corruption and the curtailing of press freedoms in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

In 2018, the National Council of Muscogee (Creek) Nation repealed its own Free Press Act, limiting the ability of journalists and activists to investigate the ruling body and ensure good and fair governance. Reporter Angel Ellis and other Native American journalists seek to to overturn the act, fight censorship, and protect democracy. It is the start of a long battle, involving stories of corruption, harassment and embezzlement within the local tribal hierarchy. As a pivotal election approaches, the conflict between journalistic independence and government control magnifies to become an issue over the right of the people to know the truth about the illicit practices that will likely impact them.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 15:30, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sat 17 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Sun 18 Jun, 10:00, Curzon – Screen 3

Beyond Utopia

An account of the hazardous journey that North Korean dissidents – and those who help them – take to flee one of the world’s most repressive regimes.

Madeleine Gavin’s chilling film focuses on North Korean activists and defectors who describe the difficulties of fleeing a dictatorship that has ruled over their country since the 1940s. Combining interviews with secretly shot footage, the film explores a nation whose authorities have rarely granted access to the outside world. With landmines littering the demilitarised zone between South and North Korea, those wishing to escape Kim Jong-il’s regime must flee to China. But there they face the possibility of arrest or even being repatriated, where they would likely face imprisonment, torture and death. Beyond Utopia is a compelling, sobering and necessary portrait of this world.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 18:00, The Light – Screen 9

Sat 17 Jun, 10:00, Curzon – Screen 1

Director: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler

Producer: Tyler Graim, Garrett F Baker, Conrad Beilharz

Sales Agent: Ben Schwartz / Submarine, Josh Braun / Submarine

USA / 2023 / 98 mins

UK Premiere English

Director: Madeleine Gavin

Producer: Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Sue Mi Terry

Executive Producer: Sharon Chang, Hyeonseo Lee, Hannah Song

Sales Agent: Cleo Veger

USA / 2023 / 115 mins

UK Premiere English, Korean

Tim Hetherington Award Nominee

Breaking Social

The director of affordable housing exposé Push tackles another urgent topic, as he reflects on the concept of the social contract as a tool for abusive capitalism.

The social contract has long been accepted as a norm in Western societies. However, those who contribute the most, relative to what they earn, often receive the least. Encompassing three countries – Malta, the US and Chile – as well as gatherings for the world’s elite such as the Davos summit, Breaking Social exposes corruption and political assassinations as increasingly common, and a kleptocracy that has comprehensively undermined the notion of political democracy as it caters to the super-rich. Frederik Gertten’s meticulous analysis of this complex world is all the more powerful for the clarity with which he deconstructs it. Featuring interviews with experts, activists and those affected by an increasing state of economic, legal and cultural inequality, Breaking Social is a discomforting account of this voracious form of capitalism.

Screening

Thu 15 Jun, 11:00, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sat 17 Jun, 18:30, Curzon – Screen 1

On the Line: The Richard Williams Story

A compelling story of determination and resilience against oppression, focussing on the man who raised Venus and Serena to change the course of tennis history.

In the 1980s, Richard Williams discovered on TV that a young woman had earned $40,000 for winning a tennis tournament. At that time, the sport was seen as elitist and predominantly white. Richard made it his life’s project to raise not one but two tennis champions, whose success would radically transform the sport. From Compton to Wimbledon, struggling against racism and prejudice, he became a prominent –and controversial – tennis parent with an unapologetic personality. Stuart McClave’s captivating film is told through previously unreleased video footage and indepth interviews, highlighting Richard’s charisma and the determination it took to protect his daughters and bolster their confidence so that they would eventually break the tennis glass ceiling.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 15:45, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Sun 18 Jun, 20:45, The Light – Screen 6

Mon 19 Jun, 15:15, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Director: Fredrik Gertten

Producer: Margarete Jangård

Executive Producer: Fredrik Gertten

Sales Agent: Margarete Jangård / WG Film

Sweden / 2023 / 93 mins

UK Premiere English, Spanish

Director: Stuart McClave

Producer: Chavoita LeSane, Duncan Montgomery, Gary Ousdahl, Stuart McClave, Jack Selby

Executive Producer: Brit Marling, Brenda Robinson, Charlie McDowell, Alex Orlovsky, Alex Lieberman, Gary Lieberman, Ashley Coleman, Mathilde Jourdan

Sales Agent: Kyle Harris / Fremantle

USA / 2022 / 93 mins

UK Premiere English

Total Trust

Surveillance reaches new levels of invasiveness in China, where advances in technology allow the state increasing control over public, private and political life.

A woman seeks the release of her husband, who was jailed on charges of subverting state power. A couple seek to expose human rights abuses, while a journalist writes about them. In all three cases, these activists are victims as a result of physical intimidation and the violation of their privacy. Combining hidden camera footage with interviews, Jialing Zhang’s film highlights how these cases represent a wider and worrying increase of state intervention in citizens’ lives through the development of increasingly complex technology. Its aim is to reduce peoples’ rights and freedoms – surveillance and propaganda are employed to eliminate individual thought, to misinform and, ultimately, to enslave. Total Trust is a disturbing portrait of one country today that plays out like a dystopian vision of a future world.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 10:30, Curzon – Screen 1

Fri 16 Jun, 13:15, Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sun 18 Jun, 18:15, Curzon – Screen 3

Twice Colonized

In the face of personal loss, a lawyer seeks to redress the injustice of colonialisation through the establishment of an Indigenous forum at the European Union.

As a child, Aaju Peter was sent by her parents from Greenland to Denmark, where she quickly lost the traditions and language of her culture. On growing up, she travelled to Canada, only to witness the colonisation of the Inuit. Seeking a better world for future generations, Peter sets about bringing Denmark and Canada to justice. Filmmaker Lin Alluna charts

Peter’s campaign, but also gives a platform for the activist lawyer to tell her own story, from the history of her culture to that of her own family, including the unexpected death of her youngest son. Revisiting locations where the trauma of forced assimilation remain an open wound, Twice Colonized is a compassionate portrait of a brave individual and a catalyst for future discussions around colonialism.

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 21:00, Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Thu 15 Jun, 10:00, The Light – Screen 9

Mon 19 Jun, 10:15, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Director: Jialing Zhang

Producer: Saskia Kress / Filmtank, Thomas Tielsch, Michael Grotenhoff / Filmtank, Knut Jäger / Filmtank, Iris Lammertsma / Witfilm, Jialing Zhang

Sales Agent: Shoshi Korman / Cinephil

Germany, Netherlands / 2023 / 97 mins

UK Premiere Chinese

Director: Lin Alluna

Producer: Emile Hertling Péronard, Bob Moore, Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

Sales Agent: Salma Abdalla / Autlook Filmsales

Denmark, Canada, Greenland / 2023 / 92 mins

UK Premiere

English, Danish, Inuktitut

Tim Hetherington Award Nominee Youth Jury Award Nominee

Under the Sky of Damascus

A group of young Syrian women create a play that highlights the violence of patriarchy within their society.

Farah, Eliana, Inana, Souhir and Grace live in war-torn Damascus. Together, they have decided to devise a play that explores the corrosiveness of patriarchal violence – gathering anonymous testimonies from Syrian women across a variety of social groups and generations. Taking over an abandoned building, which they transform into a creative hub and safe space, the women piece together a picture of widespread misogyny and gender violence. But they face resistance and obstacles from all fronts, including from within. Directed from their exile in Berlin by Heba Khaled and Talai Derki, along with Ali Wajeeh, Under the Sky of Damascus explores the deep legacy of patriarchy that women are all too frequently forced to accept, and raises questions regarding the power dynamics within the filmmaking environment.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 13:00, The Light – Screen 6

Sun 18 Jun, 21:00, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

While We Watched

Hindi-language journalist Ravish Kumar and filmmaker Vinay Shukla examine the rapidly deteriorating state of television reporting in India. Kumar is one of India’s leading Hindi news journalists. During his time at NDTV, a leading national news channel, he has witnessed first-hand a changing media landscape. Resources and funds are depleted, colleagues have left for better paid jobs and ratings continue to dip. Amidst all this, he also has to deal with personal threats, hate emails, the decimation of ethics through competition with other channels, and a rise in nationalism that is radically transforming political, social and cultural life. Shukla presents this story like a thriller, capturing with urgency the threat that these changes pose. As Kumar continues to fight for a fair and balanced news media, While We Watched reflects an unsettling trend sweeping across the world.

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 20:45, Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Sat 17 Jun, 13:00, Curzon – Screen 1

Sun 18 Jun, 15:30, Curzon – Screen 3

Producer:

Sales Agent:

Denmark, Syria, Germany, USA / 2023 / 88 mins

UK Premiere Arabic

Director:

Producers:

Executive Producer:

Sales Agent: Wayne D’Cruz / Metfilm Distribution UK

India / 2022 / 95 mins

UK Premiere Hindi

Vinay Shukla

Luke W. Moody, Vinay Shukla, Khushboo Ranka

Maxyne Franklin, Jess Search, Beadie Finzi

Director: Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh

Sigrid Dyekjær, Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Beth Earl

Submarine Deluxe / Submarine Entertainment

Tim Hetherington Award Nominee

RHYTHMS

A dazzling collection of documentaries in which movement, bodies and music take centre stage. From tango, folk and punk rock to rap battles, modern dance and popular music contests, tune in and become inspired.

Dalton’s Dream

A moving portrait of Dalton Harris, the final winner of X-Factor UK, as he navigates harassment over his sexuality and representing his home country.

In 2018, Jamaican national Dalton Harris became the first non-British and Black man to win X-Factor UK. Shot over four years, Kim Longinotto and Franky Murray Brown’s film charts a tumultuous period in Dalton’s life. It deals with his traumatic upbringing and journey to the X-Factor final, as well as the subsequent challenge to build on his success. However, in contrast to other portraits of pop singers’ lives, Dalton’s Dream celebrates the way Harris emerged, embracing his identity, often in the face of prejudice – both at home and in his adopted country – and forged a life defined by his own desires and ambitions.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 20:30, Crucible Theatre (+ Conversation)

Sat 17 Jun, 18:30, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Director: Kim Longinotto, Franky Murray Brown

Producer: Lorine Plagnol

Executive Producers: Emma Hindley, Kevin Jennings, Derren Lawford

Sales Agent: Cleo Veger

United Kingdom / 2023 / 91 mins

World Premiere

English, Jamaican patois

Let the Canary Sing

Award-winning director Alison Ellwood explores the personal and public life of Cyndi Lauper in this probing and hugely entertaining documentary portrait.

‘If you don´t know where you came from, you don´t know where you´re going’, muses multiple Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Billboard and American Music Awardwinner Lauper. Fluidly combining archival footage, home movies, still photographs and interviews, Ellwood´s film traces the New Yorker’s career, from humble beginnings in a cold-water walk-up in Queens to worldwide fame. It captures her boundless enthusiasm on stage, but also hones in on her personal relationships and lifelong work in feminist and LGBTQI+ spheres. The latter culminated in a 2015 speech to Congress in support of extending protections for queer homeless youth. There’s also footage from a march where she revels in the repurposing of her 1983 hit into the protest slogan: ‘Girls Just Want to have FunDamental Human Rights’.

Screenings

Sun 18 Jun, 13:45, Crucible Theatre (+ Conversation)

Mon 19 Jun, 20:30, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Maestra

A film about perseverance and breaking glass ceilings, five women prepare for and compete in an international competition for female conductors.

Maggie Contreas follows a group of entrants in the lead-up to the prestigious, bi-annual La Maestra competition, which takes place in Paris. Each entrant, distinct personalities who have had to face a variety of obstacles to reach this point, still face challenges in a world that has been unfairly dominated by men. They have had to contend with conflict, the challenges of motherhood and family, and personal trauma. Surviving it all is their passion for and commitment to their craft, and a desire to succeed against all odds. In addition to charting the women’s journey against the exciting and dramatic world of classical music, Contreas’ film is a celebration of female camaraderie in a creative landscape whose gender imbalance has long needed correcting.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 18:00, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Fri 16 Jun, 18:00, Curzon – Screen 1

Producer:

Sales Agent:

USA, United Kingdom / 2023 / 96 mins

International Premiere English

Executive

Sales Agent:

USA, Northern Ireland

International Premiere English

Director: Maggie Contreras

Producer: Maggie Contreras, Neil Berkeley, Emma West, Melanie Miller, Lauren Lexton

Producer: David Letterman, Tom Keaney, Diane Becker

Travis Tammero

/ 2023 / 88 mins

Director: Alison Ellwood

Trevor Birney, Alison Ellwood, Eimhear O’Neill, Andrew Tully

Krista Wegener / Sony Music Entertainment

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

A celebratory showcase of the life, music and activism of a trailblazing artist who employed his talents to challenge the status quo and inspire change.

Max Roach was one of the towering figures of jazz, whose collaborations, as both drummer and composer, chart the history of the form, from his work with Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, to his own pioneering 1950s quintet with Clifford Brown. Samuel Pollard and Ben Shapiro’s insightful film highlights Roach’s innovative approach to music – viewing it as part of a broader concept of sound –alongside his ability to remain ahead of his time, often at the risk of commercial failure. It features interviews with notable figures, including Sonny Rollins, Questlove and Harry Belafonte, as well as his family, friends and admirers, shedding light and offering diverse perspectives on Roach’s life, career, legacy and his continuing influence.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 13:15, Curzon – Screen 1

Fri 16 Jun, 15:15, Curzon – Screen 3

Fri 16 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Song of Souls

In rural Myanmar, ancient traditions, songs, stories, predictions and rituals are used as tools for moving forward in the face of violence and adversity.

In Shan State, a region steeped in a rich cultural heritage that borders China, Laos and Thailand, folk singer Nan Mya Han is renowned for a mesmerising voice that has echoed across the lush and verdant countryside, captivating audiences for decades. Sai Naw Kham’s richly atmospheric feature debut captures the singer in later years, reflecting on the deep sense of loss that pervades her community due to an ongoing civil war. Through her metaphorical verses, she expresses the pain and sorrow of a people battered by the ruinous politics of the region. Interspersed with performances by the artist, Song of Souls documents rituals around healing, death and birth that are intrinsic to Shan culture, giving a window into the complex tapestry of beliefs and traditions that shape so many lives.

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 20:45, Curzon – Screen 1

Fri 16 Jun, 12:45, The Light – Screen 9

Director: Sam Pollard, Ben Shapiro

Producer: Sam Pollard, Ben Shapiro

Executive Producer: Michael Kantor

Sales Agent: Jeffrey Winter, Kathy Susca / The Film Collaborative

USA / 2023 / 82 mins

International Premiere English

Director: Sai Naw Kham

Producer: Soe Arkar Htun / Kefka Film Production

Sales Agent: Soe Arkar Htun / Kefka Film Production

Myanmar / 2023 / 72 mins

World Premiere Shan

Youth Jury Award Nominee

TLC Forever

In the run-up to their forthcoming tour, TLC look back at their groundbreaking yet tumultuous career as the biggest-selling American girl group of all time.

Formed in 1990, R&B group TLC were rock ‘n roll from the start. Kicking off their careers in baggy jeans with condoms attached to them, their songs and videos promoted safe sex, woman’s pleasure, being yourself and the importance of loyal friendships. They were pioneers in the industry – breaking boundaries and questioning how women, specifically Black women, were seen and portrayed in music. However, behind the hits and Grammys lay chronic illness, abusive relationships, bankruptcy and grief. With exclusive access to the group in the run-up to their 2023 tour, Matt Kay’s film captures the essence of musical icons who influenced a generation.

Screenings

Sun 18 Jun, 20:30, Crucible Theatre (+ conversation)

Mon 19 Jun, 18:00, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Uncharted

An account of the experiences of young artists attending Alicia Keys’ songwriting camp offers a revealing insight into attitudes around race in the music industry.

DaVionne, Ayoni and Jean have hopes of breaking into the music industry. They are all attendees at the songwriting camp created by singer-songwriter Alicia Keys in partnership with her Jungle City Studios cofounder Ann Mincielli, Jody Gerson, head of Universal Music Publishing group, and Sam Kirby of UTA (formerly WME). The camp was conceived in 2018, following a USC Annenberg study that revealed the small number of females involved in the business of making music. Women comprise just two percent of the vast industry behind the song – from songwriters to producers and engineers. The number is halved when focussed solely on women of colour. Beth Aala’s film shines a light on the difficulties women of colour face in forging a music career and highlights the importance of changing this landscape.

Screenings

Wed 14 June, 20:45, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Sun 18 Jun, 18:45, Curzon – Screen 2

Director: Matt Kay

Producer: Lauren Fulton

Executive Producer: Roger Ross Williams, Geoff Martz

Sales Agent: Brad Abramson / A&E IndieFilms

USA / 2023 / 90 mins

International Premiere English

Director: Beth Aala

Producer: Beth Aala

Executive Producer: Abby Greensfelder / Everywoman Studios, Alicia Keys / AK - Worldwide, Brenda Robinson

Sales Agent: Abby Greensfelder / Everywoman Studios

USA / 2023 / 95 mins

International Premiere English

Strand: Rhythms

Wham!

An intimate celebration of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s enduring friendship, from childhood and through their years together as one of the UK’s biggest bands.

Michael and Ridgeley met at school in Bushy, near the town of Watford. They first formed the ska band The Executive before going on to release their first single as Wham!, Wham Rap! in June 1982. Success wasn’t immediate, but when it finally came, the pair crested a wave of success that continued until their farewell concert, The Final, at Wembley Stadium in June 1986. Chris Smith’s hugely entertaining film offers full and unprecedented access to the band’s archive, including unseen footage and interviews with the duo. The result is a nuanced portrait of an enduring friendship and a joyous musical travelogue.

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 21:00, Crucible Theatre (+ Conversation)

Sun 18 Jun, 10:30, Showroom –Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Director: Chris Smith

Producer: Simon Halfon

Executive Producer: John Battsek

United Kingdom / 2023 / 90 mins

World Premiere English

Shorts: Working Machine Blues

Screenings

Wed 14 Jun, 20:45, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Thu 15 Jun, 18:00, Curzon – Screen 2

Runtime: 79 mins

Cold and Dark

Zima a Tma

Peter Hošták / Slovakia, Canada / 2023 / 29 mins / World Premiere

A group of loggers and their horse embark on a delirious journey to gather firewood deep in the Slovakian mountains.

A Maiden Sings

Canta una doncella

Max Torrés Altés / Spain / 2023 / 24 mins / International Premiere

After a lifetime of service to one household, a maid finds herself replaced. At 87, she starts to question her role in the family.

The world of work is changing rapidly, and not just in the directions you might imagine. These beautifully cinematic films span the full spectrum of labour, from the gentle dedication of a woodcutter to the rise of robot waiters, surveying the past, present and future of work.

Metabolism

Misho Antadze / Netherlands / 2023 / 12 mins / World Premiere

Machines milk cows and robots serve diners. In this quiet observation on the mechanisation of labour, humans feel increasingly irrelevant. Empathy passes to the machines.

Carpenter

تاش – Dartaş

Xelîl Sehragerd / Kurdistan / 2023 / 14 mins / European Premiere

With tireless dedication, an old Kurdish carpenter collects wood to make artificial legs for victims of landmine explosions.

International Short Film Competition International Short Film Competition

International Short Film Competition

Shorts:

(Re)building Worlds

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 12:15, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Sun 18 Jun, 15:45, Curzon – Screen 1

Runtime: 89 mins

Hormonal

Hormonaal

Pien van Grinsven / Netherlands / 2023 / 22 mins / World Premiere

Three women’s experiences of hormonal birth control are weaved into one collective piece, exploring the radical effects that hormones have on the brain and body.

When the world around us changes beyond all recognition, how do we choose to respond? These four playful films create beauty in the face of the unknown, using dance, poetry and humour to confront change.

Following Valeria

Nicola Fegg / Germany / 2022 / 33 mins / International Premiere

After the Russian invasion, a young Ukrainian woman becomes an accidental TikTok star when sharing her funny takes on an awful situation.

George-Peterland

Gösta Petter-land

Christer Wahlberg / Sweden / 2023 / 15 mins / UK Premiere

A group of eight-year-olds invent the shared fantasy world of George-Peterland – A dreamy forest land ruled over by the chicken god.

Regard Silence

Mira el silencio

Santiago Zermeño / Mexico / 2022 / 29 mins / UK Premiere

A group of deaf people playfully explore the possibilities of Mexican Sign Language through theatre games and their own poetic creation.

International Short Film Competition

Shorts: Resist

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 10:15, The Light – Screen 6

Sun 18 Jun, 21:15, Curzon – Screen 2

Runtime: 77 mins

Three Windows on South West

Mariia Ponomarova / Ukraine, Netherlands / 2023 / 8 mins / World Premiere

A filmmaker reminisces with her mother and friends about her childhood apartment. Their stories of love and friendship become the backdrop for a very different story.

Against the brutality of war, dictatorship, white supremacy and settler colonialism, these films focus on the power and joy of resistance. They employ cinema as a tool to honour the actions of ancestors, to pay homage to those working for peace and to imagine new worlds beyond injustice.

Suddenly TV

Roopa Gogineni / Sudan, Qatar / 2022 / 19 mins / UK Premiere

A group of young Sudanese revolutionaries create an imaginary television station. Interviewing protestors, they confront the violence of the regime and imagine a new Sudan.

Yarokamena

Andrés Jurado / Colombia, Portugal / 2022 / 21 mins / UK Premiere

From the mouth of a descendant, we hear the story of Yarokamena, an Indigenous leader who organised an armed resistance to rubber exploitation in the Amazon.

What the Soil Remembers

José Cardoso / Ecuador, South Africa / 2023 / 29 mins / UK Premiere

Community elders use their collective wisdom, spirituality and patience to confront one of the many injustices of apartheid, in this energised portrayal of reconciliation.

Shorts: Other Islands

Screenings

Fri 16 Jun, 15:15, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Sat 17 Jun, 10:15, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Runtime: 81 mins

Valerija

Sara Jurinčić / Croatia / 2023 / 15 mins / World Premiere

A filmmaker travels to the island where her grandmother is buried. This experimental journey takes us back through her lineage of female ancestors.

Across distance and time, these four cinematic visions speak of things in and out of place. They move between disconnection and connection. An isolated Arctic village; a man seeking voices on the radio waves; the journeys of an ancient image, and a woman seeking to commune with her ancestors.

Y arquitectura un sueño de palmera

Patxi Burillo Nuin / Spain / 2023 / 14 mins / International Premiere Inspired by frescoes in a 10th-century Spanish dwelling, this film weaves thoughtful and unexpected threads between a hermitage, a museum and a spa.

Echo

Ross McClean / Ireland, UK / 2023 / 13 mins / European Premiere

In Northern Ireland, a man with damaged vocal cords seeks connection across the air waves.

Piblokto

Пиблокто

Anastasia Shubina, Timofey Glinin / Russia, USA / 2023 / 38 mins / UK Premiere

In an isolated village in the Arctic Circle, life is often brutal. Hunting walruses and whales, this community lives in close relation to death.

International Short Film Competition

International Short Film Competition

Shorts: Camera as Witness

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 20:45, Curzon – Screen 2

Fri 16 Jun, 10:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Runtime: 84 mins

The Takeover

Anders Hammer / Afghanistan, Norway, USA / 2023 / 35 mins / World Premiere

Filmed in 2021 and 2022, as the Taliban retake control of Afghanistan, this film documents the country’s rapid transformation and the women who refuse to lose their rights.

Chornobyl 22

Чорнобиль 22

Oleksiy Radynski / Ukraine / 2023 / 20 mins / UK Premiere

During the Russian occupation of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in early 2022, an anonymous local informant clandestinely films the movement of Russian military vehicles.

When the immense power of the state is used against citizens, what role does the camera play? These three films, from Afghanistan, USA and Ukraine, offer an array of possibilities. Is it forensic tool or strategic weapon, an unreliable witness, a prosecutor, or a provocateur?

Incident

Bill Morrison / USA / 2023 / 29 mins / UK Premiere

Chicago, 2018. A man is shot dead in the street by the police. Playing out in real-time, Incident reconstructs this traumatic event from a variety of synchronised viewpoints.

International Short Film Competition

Shorts: Dreaming Trees

Screenings

Thu 15 Jun, 15:15, Curzon – Screen 2

Sat 17 Jun, 12:30, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Runtime: 80 mins

Mãri Hi – The Tree of Dream

Mãri Hi – A Árvore do Sonho

Morzaniel Ɨ ramari / Brazil / 2023 / 17 mins / International Premiere

When the flowers of the Mãri tree blossom, dreams arise. The words of a Yanomami shaman guide us through this poetic synergy of cinema and dreams.

Between Earth & Sky

Andrew Nadkarni / USA, Costa Rica / 2023 / 25 mins/ European Premiere

After a life-threatening fall from a tree, world-renowned ecologist Nalini Nadkarni uses her recuperation to untangle the troubled roots of her past.

Flowers give birth to dreams. A rock dreams of a man. Trees hold us as we grieve. And a community establishes new roots. These four films take us far beyond the individualistic human-centred view of the world.

The Mineral Dreams

Минеральные сны

Timofei Zubrov-Andreev / Georgia, Turkey, Russia / 2023 / 13 mins / World Premiere

A rock dreams of a man. A fleeting thought. This stone is the god of time, pointing out to man his relativity.

Out Loud

Olho da Rua

Jonathas de Andrade / Brazil, Italy / 2023 / 25 mins / World Premiere

With a cast of one hundred people making the street their home, a temporary community transforms a public square into a great stage.

International Short Film Competition

Shorts: Letters from the Soul

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 21:00, Showroom – Splice Post Screen 1

Mon 19 Jun, 10:30, Showroom – Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Runtime: 75 mins

Letter to Elie

Lettre à Elie

Alexis Grigorieff / UK / 2023 / 24 mins / World Premiere

Camille writes a letter to her unborn child. Recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she does her best to prepare for life as a new mother.

These profound and deeply touching films speak of things often left unsaid. A man finally brings to light a traumatic childhood secret; a mother writes a message to her unborn child, and a filmmaker constructs a wild youth from the letters a young man left behind.

Dear Monster

Caro Mostro

Stefano P. Testa / Italy / 2023 / 16 mins / World Premiere

A fragmented collection of letters tells the story of Elio’s passage from adolescence to adulthood, in this visually inventive collage.

Can I Hug You?

میشه بغلت کنم؟

Elahe Esmaili / UK, Iran / 2023 / 35 mins / World Premiere

In this astoundingly intimate film, Hossein brings his parents together to confront a difficult secret from his past.

International Short Film Competition

Shorts: Turning Tides

Screenings

Sat 17 Jun, 15:30, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

Sun 18 Jun, 10:15, Curzon – Screen 2

Runtime: 80 mins

My Blonde GF

Rosie Morris / UK / 2023 / 19 mins / UK Premiere

An awful discovery turns Helen’s life upside down. Sexually explicit deepfake images appear on a porn site, with her own face edited onto another woman’s body. Also screening as part of the talk Disinformation & The Attack on Truth (p118)

The real troubles in life are often the unexpected ones. As you are looking ahead, life comes in from the sides. These three films follow characters as they navigate inner and outer change. Whether it’s a mental health crisis, a city in decline, or the seasons themselves, how do we respond to the things we cannot control?

Flower Chasers

Zhu Hua Ren

Zhiqi Pan / China, Netherlands, USA / 2023 / 26 mins / World Premiere

Following the seasons as flowers bloom across China, a family of beekeepers try to sustain their traditional lifestyle in the face of a global ecological crisis.

A Man’s Man

Myles Desenberg / UK / 2023 / 35 mins / World Premiere

In a hall in the North East of England, seven men share their mental health struggles. With honesty and vulnerability, they start the process of healing.

International Short Film Competition

ALTERNATE REALITIES

The Alternate Realities programme is a chance to explore boundaries of technology and storytelling, giving us an opportunity to discover our diverse lives, both past and present, in innovative ways.

Verity Nalley

Alternate Realities Consultant

This year’s programme, 15 unique new works all playing at Site Gallery, showcases technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence), VR (virtual reality) and immersive dome screens. Journey into a world of different communities, from the stories and tarnished history of Aboriginal peoples in Australia (The Galup VR Experience) and the problems of gentrification in one of Cape Town’s oldest suburbs (No Place But Here) to seeing what happens when a country’s policy is to incarcerate mothers with their children when they are convicted of a crime (Surfacing). An engagement with history encompasses an account of the violence during Taiwan’s darkest years (The Man Who Couldn’t Leave), a hidden story of the early development of the automobile and the woman integral to it (Mrs Benz), the ancient past reconstructed by a popular gaming platform (The Great Pyramids) and an assessment of the impact caused by mass migration in the early 20th century ( A Colônia Luxemburguesa). An exploration of what it takes to become a great chef (Behind the Dish) and acclaimed directors revealing their unrealised film projects (Missing Pictures) offers an insight into excellence. Finally, in the confluence of a car crash and a kiss (Kiss/Crash) and the reanimation of dead creatures (Dancing with Dead Animals), artists explore the notion of intimacy and beauty.

The Alternate Realties Summit (p112) will take place at Sheffield Town Hall, where we bring together creators, artists and industry experts to discuss the latest trends and topics in the field of immersive and interactive storytelling.

A Colônia Luxemburguesa

In this interactive web documentary, LuxembourgBrazilian maker Dominique Santana asks whether the movement of hundreds of Luxembourgish migrants to Brazil 100 years ago was a success story.

In 1921, Luxembourg-based steel giant Arbed set out to create a steel plan in south-eastern Brazil. An industry in its infancy, hundreds of skilled workers were migrated from Luxembourg, settling in the João Monlevade municipality. Using archival records, interviews with former residents and workers, Santana’s transmedia project showcases the stories and people behind the newly formed industry to explore the history and impact of the Colônia Luxemburguesa.

Medium: Interactive Documentary

Artist: Dominique Santana

Producer: SAMSA FILM (Bernard Michaux), The Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH), and the Centre national de l’audiovisuel (CNA)

Luxembourg / 2022 / 200 mins / English, Portuguese, French, German, Luxembourgish (Letzeburgesch) / Subtitles: English, Portuguese, French, German

Antipsychotic

This non-linear, interactive docu-music album aims to help destigmatise mental illness by allowing the user to journey through the mind of an individual with bipolar disorder.

Award-winning sound designer Matt McCorkle has created an auditory and visual journey through five distinct musical worlds, which are explored using a joystick. Each world is filled with peculiar speakers that play short poems and stories about mental illness. Navigating these worlds, users are introduced to music-reactive visuals, photorealistic foliage, nature sounds and ASMR elements that encompass a world designed to raise awareness about mental illness in an innovative and immersive way.

Medium: Game, Interactive Documentary, Sound

Creator/Artist: Matt McCorkle

Producers: Jazia Hammoudi, Jessica Kidd

Key Collaborator: Mark Sidney Johnson

Developer: ONX Studio, NYC

Special Thanks: Pamela McCorkle, Brie Noel, Amelia Pisapia, Matthew Niederhauser, John Fitzgerald, Vallejo Gantner

USA / 2023 / 12 mins / World Premiere

Behind the Dish

A three-part VR documentary series following three of the world’s top chefs and their journeys to excellence.

Each episode introduces us to a chef at the top of her game, allow us to get up close and personal with their stories, cuisine and food cultures. Shot with a mix of 360 and 8K 3D 360 macro technology, Behind the Dish brings food and ingredients to virtual life in a truly pioneering way. In episode one (A Twisted Soul ), we follow Deborah VanTrece, who went from being a flight attendant to becoming a Soul Food maestro. Episode two (The Starred Chef ) finds top French chef Hélène Darroze telling of her decision to leave her father’s restaurant to start out on her own. And in episode three (Sushi Master), Yumi Chiba talks about her upbringing, early lack of faith in her skills and how a breast cancer diagnosis became her catalyst to success.

Dancing with Dead Animals

Animation artist Maarten Isaäk de Heer 3D scans and reanimates all the dead creatures encountered over one spring and summer to create a surreal and nonmalevolent danse macabre in a 360 dome.

In Dancing with Dead Animals, deceased animals in various states of decay are brought back to life, allowing them to dance alongside a contemporary Adam and Eve in an alternate landscape comprising dead organic materials. All the creatures scanned, from fruit flies to mice – along with the remnants of plant life – had been found by Isaäk over a six-month period. The animated scene is projected onto a dome where the viewer can immerse themselves in the world and revel in a spectacle that celebrates life and death.

Medium: 360 Video, Virtual Reality

Creator/Artist: Chloé Rochereuil / TARGO

Producer: Victor Agulhon / TARGO

Collaborators: Jonathan Gleit / Meta Quest, Eric Cheng / Meta Quest, Julia Benarrous / TARGO, Florent Couloux / TARGO

Distributor: TARGO

France, USA / 2022 / 3x 12 mins / English

Medium: Installation, Expanded Cinema, 360 Video

Creator/Artist: Maarten Isaäk de Heer / Menetekel Film

Producers: Evelyn Brancard / Menetekel Film, Richard Valk

Sound: Michal Krajczok

Website: www.instagram.com/maartenisaakde

Germany, Netherlands / 2022 / 10 mins / UK Premiere

Galup VR Experience

Aboriginal Elder Doolann-Leisha Eatts presents an oral history about a massacre of Noongar people at Lake Monger, Western Australia, in this 360 documentary.

Following a father and son down to the lake, Galup VR Experience shares an insight into a serene lake with a hidden history: a massacre by colonial settlers that took place nearly 200 years ago. Moving from the lake, we are offered an opportunity to sit with Elder Doolann-Leisha Eatts by her fire and listen to the powerful and emotional truth-telling of the location’s buried past. Through the immersive experience, viewers witness an example of the ongoing impact of colonisation on Australia’s Aboriginal population, creating a connection to the historical events and an opportunity for healing.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this film contains the names, images and voices of people who have passed away. Names, images and voices are used with permission.

The Great Pyramids

The Great Pyramids uses Unreal Editor for Fortnite to faithfully recreate Giza during the 4th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt within the world’s biggest game.

Working with Egyptologist Joann Fletcher, The Great Pyramids utilises the latest research and understanding of the time period to recreate one of the most recognised periods of history in a first for the Fortnite gaming platform. Using purposeful play, the Fortnite island allows players to broaden their understanding of the creation of the Great Sphinx and to bring history to life in a meaningful way.

Medium: Installation, Expanded Cinema, 360 Video

Creator/Artist: Ian Wilkes & Poppy van Oorde-Grainger with an oral history from Doolann-Leisha Eatts

Producer: Same Drum

Project Partners: Viewport XR, Town of Cambridge, City of Vincent, Community Arts Network, Museum of Freedom and Tolerance, Sandbox

Supported By: Government of Western Australia, Australia Council for the Arts

Website: www.galuptruth.com

Australia / 2022 / 9 mins / UK Premiere / English, Noongar

Medium: Game

Producer: PRELOADED

Collaborators: Phil Stuart, Prof. Joann Fletcher – Egyptologist

United Kingdom / 2023 / Variable Length / English

Kiss/Crash

The installation triptych Kiss/Crash employs AIgenerated imagery and representation to explore themes of loneliness, desire and intimacy in the digital age.

Kiss/Crash uses AI technology to turn a car crash into a kiss, over and over again. As the minute long video progresses, the crashes increase in speed and the preceding images become more pornographic, violent and chaotic. Me Kissing Me transforms from a video of the artist kissing himself, into cinematic lovers, religious idols, political celebrities and uncanny creatures performing the same act while the artist’s own image fades in and out. Finally, Crash Me, Gently allows the viewer to control the pace and intensity of crash to kiss. Viewed on an old school TV set, the viewer controls the piece using a foot peddle. The harder it is pressed, the more dramatic, disjointed and extreme the ‘kiss’ images become.

The Man Who Couldn’t Leave

Set in Taiwan’s Green Island Prison during the White Terror, The Man Who Couldn’t Leave recounts in 360° victims’ stories from this dark period of recent history.

A-Kuen was 17 when, in the 1950s, he was imprisoned as a political detainee in Green Island Prison. This docudrama captures A-Kuen’s experiences, albeit through the perspective of an old man frozen in time, who guides us through his story and that of his friend, A-Ching, who never escaped. Through striking visuals and powerful storytelling, The Man Who Couldn’t Leave allows the viewer to witness the history of Taiwan’s political persecution through the eyes of those on the receiving end of it.

Medium: Installation, Moving Image, Screen based, Other

Creator/Artist: Adam Cole

Advisor: Mick Grierson

United Kingdom / 2023 / Variable Length / English

Medium: 360 Video, Virtual Reality

Artist: Singing Chen

Producer: A-Ken

Distributor: Diversion Cinema

Taiwan / 2022 / 35 mins / UK Premiere / Chinese, Taiwanese / Subtitles: English, Chinese

Missing Pictures

This five-part VR series sees acclaimed filmmakers Abel Ferrara, Tsai Ming-Liang, Catherine Hardwicke, Lee Myung-Se and Naomi Kawase discussing the film they didn’t get to make.

Made with volumetric capture, each episode immerses us in the world that the filmmaker imagined for their missing picture and discuss why it didn’t come to pass. Abel Ferrera takes us to a gritty 1980s New York for Birds of Prey, the political thriller of his dreams. Tsai Ming-Liang considers a touching tribute to his grandparents and their nightly movie watching. Catherine Harwicke imagines her version of the 1975 environmentalist novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. Lee Myung-Se seeks to explore the place of the father in the traditional Korean culture. And Naomi Kawase recounts a love story centred around a bicycle road trip.

Medium: Virtual Reality, Interactive Documentary

Director: Clément Deneux

Co-director: Kuan-Yuan Lai, Myung-Se Lee

Producer: Oriane Hurard

France, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Luxembourg, South Korea / 2022 / Variable Length / English

Mrs Benz

Discover the untold story of Bertha Benz, in her workshop in late 19th-century Germany, and witness the birth of the world’s first motorcar.

In this interactive virtual reality experience, participants can explore the fascinating story of Karl Benz’s wife, Bertha, a German automotive pioneer and inventor who sought to show the world the revolutionary ‘horseless carriage’. Assemble an engine from blueprints and embark on a historic road trip, experiencing first-hand the wonder and awe of the first automobile. This experience provides a unique opportunity to step into the shoes of a pioneer, an engineer and a rule breaker, who defied societal expectations and challenged traditional gender roles to make history.

Medium: Virtual Reality

Lead Artist: Will Brosch

Director: Eloise Singer

Producer: Siobhan McDonnell

Executive Producers: Eloise Singer, Dr Dave Ranyard

Writers: Jedidja Noomen, Eloise Singer

Programmer: Hankun Yu

United Kingdom / 2022 / 45 mins / UK Premiere / English

No Place But Here

This 360 VR documentary presents stories from the residents of Cissie Gool House, a previously disused Cape Town hospital, who live there to avoid being displaced from the area they call home.

Gentrification in Woodstock, one of the oldest suburbs of Cape Town, has caused a housing crisis. No Place But Here introduces us to a working-class community who have moved into an abandoned hospital building and made it their home. Having no access to affordable land and housing in the area, the only option to escape being displaced to a ‘place on the outskirts of Cape Town’, away from the communities they have lived in and raised families for decades, is occupation. The residents see the unused buildings as their only housing option and have built a community 1000 strong.

Medium: 360 Video, Virtual Reality

Artist: Dylan Valley, Annie Nisenson

Producer: Dylan Valley

Co-production: Annie Nisenson

Editor: Stephen Abbot

South Africa / 2022 / 16 mins / UK Premiere / English

A South Asian Queer Pamphlet

An interactive web installation in which each participant creates a unique experience based on letters chosen from a theory-linked queer alphabet.

Each experience in this project is constructed by the viewer and autogenerated from a curated set of 26 site-specific, non-binary performances by Indian queer artist Kaur Chimuk.

Participants begin their experience by entering a word. Every letter of the word is then linked to one of 26 performances tied to a glossary of queer theory. It ranges from A for appearance, B for binary, C for construction to H for hegemony, K for kinship and ends with Z for theorize. A unique film is then created, inspired by the participant’s choice, and at the end of the film they will receive a bespoke queer pamphlet based on the word they made using the letters from the queer alphabet.

Medium: Interactive Documentary

Artist: Soumya Mukhopadhyay / Cherrypix Movies

Producer: Soumya Mukhopadhyay / Cherrypix Movies

Key Collaborator: Kaur Chimuk

Executive Producer: Partha Das

Editor: Amit Ray, Sharmistha Chakrabartty

Sound: Shubharun Sengupta, Dibakar Saha

Production Design: Partha Das

India / 2022 / Variable Length / UK Premiere / Bengali, English, Hindi, Tamil / Subtitles: English

Surfacing Affiorare

This a virtual reality documentary takes the viewer on an immersive 360° journey through the daily life of mothers and children living in prisons and custodial institutions.

The documentary uses 360° footage at children’s eye level, along with animation, to give us an insight into their world. The journey begins with the iconic panopticon system of control and progresses to more recent confinement centres. Through a collaborative process, the mothers and children share their past memories and dreams for the future, which are depicted in illustrations that mirror their perception of prison as a submerged world.

Medium: 360 Video

Artist: Rossella Schillaci

Producer: Federico Biasin, My Boss Was

Collaborator: Marysaba Miss Mennuti

Co-production: Catarina Mourão, Laranja Azul

Italy, Portugal / 2022 / 20 mins / Italian / Subtitles: English

Wilderness

Wildnis AR App

Explore the wonders of a forest ecosystem through augmented reality.

This immersive experience brings nature to life using AR functions to view flora and fauna in a playful and informative way. With climate change and species loss at the forefront of our minds, this app both educates and entertains. Augmented animals and an ‘X-ray view’ provide a unique insight into a forest’s fragile ecosystem, without causing harm. It combines film, 3D animation, graphics and text to create an atmospheric and informative experience. In doing so, the app offers a multi-sensory approach to furthering our knowledge of nature. Aimed to be inclusive of children, Wilderness lets you explore the wonders of nature and learn about the importance of the forest ecosystem in a fun and uniquely engaging way.

Medium: Augmented Reality

Artists: Andrea Zimmermann, Rico Reitz, Björn Jensen, Lisa Eder

Producers: Lisa Eder, Lisa Eder Film GmbH, in Cooperation with punchin.pictures GmbH

Editor: Maximilian Plettau

Music: Sebastian Fillenberg

Sound: Filmsound Tomas Bastian

Technical Director: Andreas Margreiter

Germany / 2023 / 30 mins / International Premiere / English, German

Within Touching Distance

This tender, one-on-one mixed reality experience combines human touch and virtual reality, where each audience member is gently put to bed.

Following on from last year’s single chapter pilot, we are proud to present the full version, as intended, of Within Touching Distance. Revealing the fragile nature of life and the comfort of human connection, we are taken from childhood through to old age, exploring the nature of touch as it is experienced by an infant, adult and a person in palliative care. Using embodiment in virtual reality and the ritual of the mundane everyday task of getting ready for bed, the participants are taken through human lifecycles, highlighting how our experiences change the way we interact, at a sensory level, with the world.

Medium: XR Live Performance Installation

Producer: ZU-UK

Creative Team: Sneha Belkhale, Hayley Hill, Ross Flight, Persis-Jadé Maravala, Jorge Lopes Ramos, Elisa Moriconi, Alex Peckham

Production Team: Carlos Eduardo Pires, Hayley Hill, Sel Ertas, Ana Gillespie, Kesia Guillery, Jorge Lopes Ramos, Marnie Nash, Sanjay Pandey

Partners & Funders: Liverpool Cares, Greenwich Learning and Simulation Centre (GLASC), Centre for Creative Futures and Practice

Hub, University of Greenwich, InnovateUK, Arts Council England

United Kingdom / 2023 / 35 mins / World Premiere / English, Hindi

ALTERNATE REALITIES SUMMIT

Sun 18 June, 10:45–16:15

Town Hall Reception Rooms A+B Alternate Realities Summit Welcome

Sun 18 Jun, 10:45

Sheffield DocFest’s Alternate Realities Consultant, Verity Nalley, and artist and filmmaker Baff Akoto – one of this year’s Panel Selection Committee –welcome you to a day of talks and panel discussions covering the latest developments coming out of the digital immersive storytelling community.

Speakers: Baff Akoto (Artist & Filmmaker, Alternate Realities Selection Committee Member), Verity Nalley (Alternate Realities Consultant)

Taking place in Sheffield’s majestic Town Hall and open to both the public and industry, this curated series of talks and discussions covers a range of topics that aims at broadening the already growing appetite for new technologies and ways of exploring our world. They will cover audience growth, attracting investment and innovation, with contributions from cutting-edge creators who will offer insights into artificial intelligence, virtual reality and the rich panoply of innovative immersive audio projects.

The Summit is aimed at creators already working in the industry and those just starting to explore this fascinating, thrilling and groundbreaking new world.

AI – Storytelling Friend or Foe?

Sun 18 Jun, 11:00

Artificial Intelligence is changing the landscape of our everyday lives in potentially seismic ways. But how is it impacting our storytelling? This panel invites AI experts and artists, who are employing the medium in their works, to explore its potential in the creation process. The discussion will also cover the ethics surrounding this new technology, what the future may hold, and what they are most excited – and nervous – about.

Chair: Jorge Cabellero Ramos (Filmmaker / AI - Cinema Researcher)

Speakers: Anna Giralt Gri ( Director, +RAIN Film Fest), Adam Cole (New Media Artist)

The Alternate Realities Summit brings creators, artists and industry experts to discuss the latest developments, trends and issues across the landscape of immersive and interactive storytelling.

New Horizons: Audiences of the Future

Sun 18 Jun, 12:00

Creators, documentarians and storytellers are engaging with immersive technologies in increasingly complex ways. But who is really experiencing it? What lessons have been learnt so far? This panel puts together a group of innovative creators who are looking at immersive audiences differently – from creating a world in an online gaming platform with 400 million users, to forging award winning experiences via headsets. Some of the most successful creators in immersive technologies will offer unique insight into the wins of attracting new audiences, and to share the lessons they have learnt so far.

Chair: Verity Nalley (Alternate Realities Consultant)

Panellists: Matt Vernon-Clinch, Preloaded Victoria Eyton (Creative Producer, Darkfield), Victor Agulhon (CEO, Targo)

Space Invaders: Post-colonial Alternate Realities

Sun 18 Jun, 13:30

Despite the intention of many documentarians to address inequality through their work, will XR non-fiction simply serve to perpetuate historical narratives just as the training of AI has often imported old biases. Or have we the opportunity to do better? Examining work authored by global majority storytellers that employ emergent technologies to locate their stories in their own cultural context, Derek will consider whether the invasion of alternate reality spaces will be colonialist expansion or the rise of the disenfranchised.

Speaker: Derek Richards (Head of Broadcast & Digital at Roundhouse, Lecturer in Digital Design & Production at Guildhall School of Music & Drama)

Navigating the Funding Landscape Networking

Sun 18 Jun, 14:15

Finding funding can be a complex, challenging and often frustrating process, it can feel like a lot of work, often with no or little return. This session gives you a unique insight into the Immersive funding landscape, introducing the people that make funding award decisions and discussing what excites them at the moment – what they want to see now and in the future, and the kind of work they are looking to support.

Speakers details available at sheffdocfest.com

Sun 18 Jun, 15:15

Are you looking to meet new people, or reconnect with old friends? Join us as we provide a welcoming space for you to share your experiences, explore potential collaborations and find new opportunities.

TALKS & SESSI NS

As Sheffield DocFest marks its 30th edition, our Talks & Session programme aims to celebrate documentary in all its many forms with a programme that includes interviews with familiar on-screen talent, live podcast events, masterclasses with international filmmakers, panel sessions exploring a wide range of industry topics and a live theatrical performance.

This year, we will be looking at some major topics. Has the industry opened up to working class voices? Do we risk compromising projects and the authenticity of the subject? Or is there still a middle ground to tell the stories that filmmakers, contributors and commissioners believe should be told? Is journalistic integrity under threat with the rise of disinformation and AI? How do we protect the mental health and wellbeing of the industry? And why disability inclusion doesn’t have to be difficult.

We’ll be showcasing a range of new funding opportunities, including exciting collaborations with Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and BBC Storyville, and launching our very first Podcast Pitch. The Craft Summit returns with a focus on international filmmaking talent. We will explore the skills and techniques behind many of this year’s films, with a focus on producing, editing, cinematography and music.

We are honoured to welcome some of the leading voices in documentary, as well as emerging talent, to the Festival in person. We’ll be exploring the art of docs, from verbatim theatre and the use of satire within documentary to audio narratives and the profound impact documentaries can have on the world. And, as you’ll see, our guest speakers are pushing the boundaries of storytelling with their innovative approaches to documentary.

Prepare to be challenged and inspired!

Beccy Ashdown Talks & Sessions Senior Producer

TALKS

BBC Interview: David Harewood in Conversation

Thu 15 June, 15:00, Crucible Theatre

Actor, director, author and activist David Harewood will discuss the range of documentaries he’s presented and produced, from his raw and personal documentary, Psychosis and Me, to his exploration of systemic racism and health in Why is Covid Killing People of Colour?, and his recent celebration of African American culture and creativity in Get On Up: The Triumph of Black America. David will reflect on his experiences in making these documentaries and the impact they have had on his life.

Moderator: Chi Chi Izundu (BBC News Correspondent)

Jews. In Their Own Words.

Thu 15 June, 19:30, Crucible Playhouse

Jews. In Their Own Words is an incisive verbatim play, using interviews to expose the roots and damning legacy of antisemitism in Britain. A theatrical inquiry, it comes exclusively to Sheffield DocFest as a onehour abridged adaptation. The performances will be followed by discussion with Jonathan Freedland. The original stage production, produced by The Royal Court, was written by Jonathan Freedland, from an idea by Tracy-Ann Oberman.

Speaker: Jonathan Freedland (Guardian Columnist & Author)

Discussions with key figures from the landscape of contemporary documentary and non-fiction, who will shine a light on their work and the issues they tackle. They range from the personal to wider social issues, and encompass the challenges faced in changing minds and confronting perspectives on the past, present and future.

David Olusoga: Union Guest of Honour: Rakhshan Banietemad in Conversation

Fri 16 June, 12:30, Crucible Theatre

David Olusoga returns to DocFest to discuss his new BBC series on the state of the Union. By examining the long history of union and disunion in the UK, David seeks to bring a timely understanding of the history that lies behind the fault lines of contemporary Britain. Alongside the commissioner and production team, David will discuss the challenges faced while making the series.

Moderator: Mary Crisp (Executive Producer)

Fri 16 June, 13:30, Crucible Playhouse

Joined by a panel of Iranian filmmakers, our Guest of Honour, Rakhshan Banietemad, will discuss her career to date, sharing a retrospective of her work as well as premiering a short film she created during the COVID-19 pandemic. A key figure in Iranian documentary filmmaking, Rakhshan’s work has undoubtedly shaped and influenced the industry and creatives in the region.

Moderator: Elhum Shakerifar (Producer, Hakawati )

Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change

Fri 16 June, 15:00, Crucible Theatre

We are delighted to welcome Rose Ayling-Ellis and the Rogan Productions documentary team to Sheffield DocFest to discuss Rose’s upcoming BBC documentary. Making a documentary using British Sign Language requires creative solutions. As we shift towards a more inclusive industry, we’ll be unpacking the process and discussing what Rose and the team have learnt over the course of the production.

Munya Chawawa: Satire in Documentary

Fri 16 June, 20:30, Crucible Theatre

BAFTA nominated for his Channel 4 documentary How to Survive a Dictator with Munya Chawawa, Munya continues to position himself as one of the biggest and brightest talents on UK TV screens. Munya will be joining us at Sheffield DocFest to discuss his unique style of integrating satire in documentary, keeping viewers engaged and informed.

Channel 4 Interview: David Glover

Sat 17 June, 10:00, Crucible Theatre

David is a bastion of bold, intelligent, and original factual programme-making, known to challenge and break traditional forms. Along with Co-Founder Mark Raphael, 72 Films has become a beacon for talented and emerging filmmakers, whilst winning notable commissions at Channel 4, BBC, National Geographic, Sky, Paramount, Netflix, Apple and Prime. The multiaward winning 72 Films are the powerhouse producers behind titles such as 9/11: One Day in America, The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty, Diana, Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, and All or Nothing: Arsenal. Under David’s tenure as Head of Specialist Factual, 72 Films has generated award-winning hits such as Inside Nature’s Giants and Mummifying Alan, as well as groundbreaking documentaries Gogglebox, The Plane Crash, Drugs Live, and Live From Space

Moderator: Tabitha Jackson (Film Executive)

ITV Interview: Laura Whitmore

Sun 18 June, 17:15, Crucible Theatre

In this session, Laura Whitmore talks about her television career to date. In particular, she will discuss her upcoming move into documentaries with the new ITV series Laura Whitmore Investigates. Having presented a wide range of TV shows, Laura will interrogate how and why, with her journalism degree in her back pocket, she is now taking a deep dive into some very serious subject matter.

Disinformation and the Attack on Truth

Sun

18 June,

10:30, Showroom – Channel 5 Screen 2

This panel will explore the challenges facing filmmakers and journalists in an age of disinformation. Inspired by the new documentary premiering at Sheffield DocFest, My Blonde GF, which explores the damage caused by deepfake pornography, the panel will explore human values of privacy, truth and trust. The event will begin with a screening of My Blonde GF, followed by a discussion with local Sheffield creatives Helen Mort (poet & subject) and Rebecca Mark-Lawson (Producer), alongside Rosie Morris (Director). Moderated by Lindsay Poulton, Head of Documentaries at The Guardian.

SCREENINGS & C NVERSATI NS

Your Fat Friend + Conversation

Thu 15 June / 17:15 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p33.

Dalton’s Dream + Conversation

Thu 15 June / 20:30 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p33.

The Good Fight Club + Conversation

Fri 16 June / 17:30 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p35.

Evacuation + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 12:00 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p36.

The Greatest Show Never Made + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 12:45 / Showroom – Warner Chappell

Production Music Screen 4

Synopsis on p43.

Is There Anybody Out There?

+ Conversation

Sat 17 June / 14:45 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p36.

Citizen Sleuth + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 15:15 / Showroom –

Warner Chappell Production Music Screen 4

Synopsis on p63.

The Price of Truth + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 18:00 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p37.

Long Distance Swimmer + Conversation

Sun 18 June / 10:30 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p38.

Let the Canary Sing + Conversation

Sun 18 June / 13:45 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p38.

TLC Forever + Conversation

Sun 18 June / 20:30 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p39.

Wham! + Conversation

Sat 17 June / 21:00 / Crucible Theatre

Synopsis on p37.

This year we will host a series of film screenings followed by in-depth talks.

CRAFT SUMMIT

Sat 17 June 09:00 – 18:00

Crucible and Curzon

A curated day of panel sessions dedicated to the techniques that go into non-fiction filmmaking, from shorts to features. Featuring the creative minds behind many of the films in this year’s programme, explore how they have developed their craft, the creative choices they make and the tools that they use to achieve their vision.

Supported by Warner Brothers Discovery

An Introduction to Cinema Cameras,

Tips and Techniques

Sat 17 June, 10:00 – 12:00, Curzon Screen 3 and Rooftop Bar

An introduction to Cinema camera technologies and a practical walkthrough of the latest Canon Cinema EOS range, helping you to understand which camera is right for you. We will then offer some handson time. During this practical part of the session, delegates will be taken through the best camera set-up for interviews and getting to grips with the professional auto-focus system.

This workshop will take place at 10:00 and 11:00

Text-Based Editing for Documentary

Sat 17 June, 10:00 – 13:00, Crucible Adelphi

Join Adobe in a demonstration of their latest new feature to Premiere Pro. Text-Based Editing in Premiere Pro uses the latest AI to automatically transcribe your source media. Instead of watching hours of footage just to find the right sound bites, now you can skim through transcripts, search for keywords, and add them to the Timeline to start your rough cut. Premiere Pro generates a transcript for your sequence as you build it.

This workshop will take place over three sessions, at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00

Editing Masterclass: Maya Daisy Hawke Cut to the Chase and Shoot for the Stars – Finding Talent

Sat 17 June, 13:00, Crucible Playhouse

Editor and experimental filmmaker Maya Daisy Hawke will join us to discuss her creative process and her experience working on films such as Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2014) and the Academy Award winning Navalny.

Sat 17 June, 14:30, Crucible Adelphi

Looking for creative, exciting and talented crew with self-shooting, post-production or producing skills? Join a panel of freelancers and employers as they discuss how the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund’s training programmes have helped people at every career stage identify and plan their development and progression; and why it’s critical for employers to encourage and support new entrants as well as established local talent across the UK.

Moderator: Tabitha Jackson (Film Executive)

Producing Feature Docs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Sat 17 June, 15:00, Crucible Playhouse

Many filmmakers struggle unpaid for years making feature docs, while others sell them for millions, enjoy huge success, and win both awards and global attention. In this session, four producers (between them they have produced 12 feature docs in 24 months) will share their experiences and talk through developing, financing, producing and launching feature docs into the world – and the different impact of these factors when the doc is independently financed or commissioned.

Music Documentaries –Meet the Music Supervisor

Sat 17 June, 16:15, Crucible Adelphi

Join Steph Grace-Summers, the Music Supervisor and Consultant behind BBC’s 8 Bar – The Evolution of Grime, Prime’s Niall Horan’s Homecoming: The Road to Mullingar with Lewis Capaldi, Channel 4’s I Was There When House Was Born and Boiler Room’s Migrant Sound, for a discussion on the process of music supervision for music documentaries. Music rights, clearance and licensing is often not as straightforward as it may seem. Come hear the many twists and turns of Steph’s experiences, and her tips and tricks on how to handle music within a music documentary.

Moderator: Lizzie Gillet (Head of Documentaries, Misfits)

Speakers: Kat Mansoor (Founder and CEO, Snowstorm Productions), Julia Nottingham (Founder and CEO, Dorothy St Pictures)

Speaker: Steph Grace-Summers (Music Supervisor, FRIDAY)

Podcast Event Sessions

The Synergy Between Podcast Stories & Film

Fri 16 June, 16:15,

Channing Hall

It is said that the early TV producers at the BBC were jealous of the radio creators because they had better pictures. In the 21st century, the joke seems to have turned on the audio creators. However, the rise of narrative non-fiction audio beckons the question: how can we turn popular podcast stories into films? This panel centres around recent case studies. What challenges and opportunities lie within adaptation, and how does it change the value and name of the documentary business game?

Open to industry passholders only.

Podcast Live: Soul Music

Fri 16 June, 19:00 / Crucible Playhouse

The multi-award-winning Soul Music is one of BBC’s longest-running documentary audio series. Sheffield DocFest is proud to host its first live event, giving an audience the chance to meet the creators behind the podcast and enjoy an exclusive preview of an upcoming episode, which features some special guests. Prepare to be moved in your soul, like the show so often does, but with the added thrill of a live event.

Podcast Pitch

Sat 17 June, 10:00, Crucible Playhouse

The podcast pitch brings together six indevelopment non-fiction audio creators to pitch in front of a selection of industry experts and commissioners. An independent jury will award a first prize (£5000) and second prize (£2000) to the most creative and promising pitches, funded by the Whickers foundation. Come and snoop out this firsttime, audio-only pitch format at Sheffield DocFest.

Podcast Live: Witch

Sat 17 June, 20:00

/ Crucible Playhouse

Witch is the ambitious new series from India Rakusen, the creator and host of BBC Radio 4’s 28ish Days Later. It seeks to answer the question, ‘What does it mean to be a witch’? From there, we journey deep into compelling stories of covens, spells, magic and misogyny, ranging from the historical to the contemporary. Join the creators at this magical live event, as they discuss some of the tangled tales that lurk behind the notion of ‘witch’.

Open to industry passholders only.

Panellists: Willard Foxton (Creative Director and Developer at Novel) & Leanne Alie, (Podcast Commissioner and Developer of New Podcasts and New Talent at BBC Sounds) and Hugh Levinson (Commissioning Editor at BBC Radio 4)

SESSI NS

Join us for our wide range of presentations, workshops, discussions, meet and greets and platforms for discussing key issues at play on the landscape of contemporary documentary and non-fiction film and TV production. We welcome experts from every area of the industry, from commissioners, producers and executives to individuals and groups aiming to change the way the industry operates for the better.

Screening Violence and Refracted Violence

Thu 15 June, 10:00, Sheffield Town Hall – Reception Rooms A & B

‘The documentary, it was touching. We feel what happened.’ Bu Sri, a survivor of the Indonesian massacres of 1965 and subsequent imprisonment, was reacting to an Argentinian documentary about the disappeared children of the 1970-80s regime. Her observations were recorded as part of Screening Violence, a research project which explores memories and perceptions of civil conflict in Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia and Northern Ireland. In this talk, we will explain how documentary film can function as a stimulus to debate, as well as its role in sharing the stories of our participants for a wider audience.

Speakers: Guy Austin (Researcher and project leader, Newcastle University), Pablo Burgos (Filmmaker, Bogotá, Colombia), Gemma McKinnie (Researcher and filmmaker, Newcastle University)

The D-Word: Why Disability Inclusion Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult

15 June, 11:00, Crucible Playhouse

In 2022, 11 of the UK’s main broadcasters and streamers joined forces to create the TV Access Project (TAP), an industry alliance with the goal of permanent structural shifts to ensure access provision for Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent TV talent. TAP’s vision is to see full inclusion by 2030. This session, featuring controllers, commissioners and filmmakers involved in TAP, will explain just how that can be achieved and why disability inclusion doesn’t have to be difficult. As well as providing an array of practical advice to help all documentary makers ensure their productions are more accessible and inclusive.

Moderator: Jordan Jarett-Bryan

Speakers: Caroline O’Neil (Assistant Commissioner for Daytime at the BBC), Ian Katz (Chief Content Officer at Channel 4), Kate Phillips (Director of Unscripted at the BBC), Richard Watsham (Chief Creative Officer at UKTV and Global Director of Acquisition for BBC Studios and UKTV)

Nurturing the Next Generation of Global Citizens: Docs as an Educational Tool for Change

Thu 15 June, 12:00

Sheffield Town Hall – Reception Rooms A & B

A session exploring the role of documentaries within education. How can documentaries be used as a tool to inspire young people, and to inform democratic engagement, social justice and civil liberty?

Meet the Commissioners: Broadcasters

Thu 15 June, 12:30, Crucible Theatre

Commissioners from the nation’s leading broadcasters will take centre stage to highlight their recent success, the breadth of their programming and the types of projects they work with. Throughout the session, audience members will get a chance to better understand the decisions and relationships behind the content on screen, as well as learn about the upcoming commissioning opportunities.

National Geographic: Putting Premium Documentaries at the Heart of the Brand

Thu 15 June, 14:00, Crucible Playhouse

National Geographic has had award-winning global success with its strategy of bold and distinctive premium documentary programming. In this session, we’ll speak to Tom McDonald, EVP of Programming and Development, along with his commissioning team, to hear about their latest projects and commissioning strategy, and to understand what it takes to work with National Geographic.

CLASS ACTS: Are Leaders in TV and Film Doing More Than Talking About Social Mobility?

Thu 15 June, 14:15

Sheffield Town Hall – Reception Rooms A & B

A career in British TV or film has long been tied up with financial advantage – who you know and what kind of school you went to. The BBC and BFI both now have targets for working-class representation. But has the industry opened up to working-class voices? Here, for the first time, the BFI will release a breakdown of the class background of the creative talent they support, before a conversation involving the BFI, BBC, and filmmakers.

Moderator: Danny Leigh (Chief Film Critic at the Financial Times)

Speakers: Donna Taberer (Talent & Development Consultant), Femi Oyeniran (Filmmaker & Co-Founder of Fan Studios), Livvy Haydock (Reporter & Investigative Journalist), Melanie Hoyes (BFI Head of Inclusion), Mia Bays (Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund), Paul Sng (Director/Producer)

Producer: Victoria Musguin-Rowe (Head of Development for BBC TV Current Affairs)

Assistant Producer: Mary O’Reilly (Researcher in BBC TV Current Affairs)

Should We, Can We…?

Thu 15 June, 16:15

Sheffield Town Hall – Reception Rooms A & B

Join a panel of commissioners, filmmakers, psychologists and mental health practitioners as they discuss why broadcasters are challenged more than other platforms when it comes to certain issues, and explore if journalistic integrity and endeavour is threatened? Do we risk compromising projects and authenticity of the subject? And is there still a middle ground to tell the stories that filmmakers, contributors and broadcasters believe should be told?

Open to Industry Passholders

Documenting the Stories that Underpin All Life on Earth

Fri 16 June, 09:30, Channing Hall

You may know Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens as a stunning garden in London, but did you know they have over 400 scientists working in partnerships with 100 countries to develop solutions to some of humanity’s biggest challenges? Meet Kew scientists and horticulturists working to conserve the world’s plants and fungi, and learn about an exciting opportunity to document botanical field work and show how it links back to Kew’s mission.

Breakfast will be served from 09:30 and presentations will start at 10:00

Inside Our Autistic Minds

Fri 16 June, 10:00, Sheffield Town Hall – Reception Rooms A & B

The team behind Chris Packham’s Inside Our Autistic Minds reveal the techniques they used to place the lived experience of autistic people at the heart of their BBC Two series. Both on and off screen, from recruitment to release forms, scripting to schedules, they rethought production processes to make them more inclusive of neurodiversity. In this session, they share their experiences and what you can take to your own productions.

Meet the Commissioners: Streamers

Fri 16 June, 10:00, Crucible Theatre

Find out more about the coveted commissioning opportunities on global streaming platforms and the ways in which they are adapting to audience preference and breadth. Join us for a unique opportunity to ask the commissioners questions and to better understand the relationships they have with the projects they work with.

Channel 4 First Cut Pitch

Fri 16 June, 10:30, Crucible Playhouse

Once again, Channel 4 will be offering five new directors the chance to pitch in front of some of its documentary commissioning team and a live audience. Our winner will walk away with a commission from Channel 4 for their first 60-minute film, and one month of fully paid development and mentorship with an indie to support the development of their idea. You won’t want to miss this fun and playful session.

10 Ways To Win a Commission With Sky Documentaries

Fri 16 June, 12:00, Sheffield Town Hall – Reception Rooms A + B

Meet Sky’s factual commissioners, who’ll share specific areas they’re looking to dive deeper into, and the avenues being developed to showcase emerging talent. This session will be packed with indispensable insights, from identifying eye-catching ideas, to the essential details needed for a pitch, as well as what will get our PR, Social & Marketing teams excited. Learn what’s worked and why, plus get a sneak peek of some incredible content.

BAFTA: Championing Talent Finding Your Audience: Creative Distribution

&

Exhibition

Fri 16 June, 12:00, Channing Hall

Join participants from two of BAFTA’s flagship talent initiatives – Breakthrough UK and Elevate – along with filmmakers from this year’s festival, as they share their stories of how they made their way into the industry and made their professional mark. Our panellists will address the barriers they’ve faced and the important role of talent initiatives and industry support in championing their development and ambition.

Moderator: Carolyn Payne (Commissioning Editor, National Geographic)

Speakers: Joanna Boateng (Producer), Nelson Adeosun (Producer-Director)

Fri 16 June, 14:15, Sheffield Town Hall, Reception Rooms A & B

How do we get the right films in front of the right audiences? How do you create culturally relevant, unique and memorable experiences? In this session, a panel of distribution, marketing and exhibition experts will explore creative ways to stand out from the crowd. The discussion will highligh the power of strategic partnerships, community engagement, audience insights and trust.

Speakers: Delphine Lievens (Distribution Consultant), Isra Al Kassi (Co-Founder, TAPE Collective)

Is Life Just a Game? DAE: Anti-Racism Workshop

Fri 16 June, 14:15, Channing Hall

Expert panel discussion session, featuring International practitioners, sharing diverse examples of interactive narrative works that use videogame technologies and techniques to explore contemporary real-life situations and tell stories in new ways. In collaboration with Sheffield’s National Videogame Museum, this session will present a range of works and then move on to a discussion around the implications of videogame technologies, techniques and experiences for an encounter with stories based on real life.

Fri 16 June, 14:30, Crucible Adelphi

Do you know the difference between systemic and institutional racism? Do you understand why ‘colourblindness’, a well-intentioned response to racism, is actually more harmful than helpful? How does this directly and indirectly affect your practice? And most importantly, can you clearly recognise racism, and do you understand when and how to act when you encounter racism? This two-hour session will explore who we are versus how society perceives us. Please come with an open mind and a willingness to learn and be challenged.

Facilitator: Rico Johnson-Sinclair (Consultant)

Storytelling Impact Autopsy

Fri 16 June, 16:00, Crucible Playhouse

Documentary and art have long been used as tools for social change. But how and why they have the impact they do is less well known. This Storytelling Impact Autopsy invites three artists to put their works through an exercise in social change analysis, led by experts from the campaigning sector. Using change models and frameworks, we figure out why the pieces ‘work’ – why they have the impact they do and if there is anything else from the strategists’ handbooks that could help them go further.

Convened by the AKO Storytelling Institute at University of the Arts London

Moderator: Francesca Panetta (AKO Institute, University of Arts London)

Speakers: Sue Tibballs (Sheila McKechnie Foundation), Zamzam Ibrahim (Activist), Kiel (Jeff) Walburn ( The Yes Men), Hannah Conway (Artist), Katja Esson (Director, Razing Liberty Square)

DocuMentality – What Is the Emotional Toll of Documenting Sensitive or Traumatic Topics?

Fri 16 June, 16:15, Sheffield Town Hall – Reception Rooms A & B

What is the emotional toll of documenting sensitive or traumatic topics? Do you feel the pressure to produce compelling work, on tight deadlines, working long hours with limited resources? Join DocuMentality co-founders Rebecca Day and Malikkah Rollins as they reveal research findings on the state of mental health in the documentary industry. The roots of the crisis and potential solutions from the audience are at the heart of the DocuMentality discussion.

Speakers: Rebecca Day (Film in Mind) & Malikkah Rollins –Co-Founders of DocuMentality

Sessions Open to Industry Passholders

It’s Real! The Documentary Film Council Open Assembly BBC Storyville Development Pitch

Sat 17 June, 9:30, Channing Hall

This is the launch event and first Open Assembly of the Documentary Film Council (DFC), a new sectorwide body for the UK documentary film industry. Designed in collaboration with stakeholders from across the documentary community, the DFC will be democratically run by and for its members, and will take effective, coordinated action on the key issues in our industry. Come along to find out more about our plans and take part in our first facilitated assembly. Let’s shape the future of UK documentary film together.

The event is free to industry and public. Places are limited and registration is essential . Go to documentaryfilmcouncil.co.uk

DocuMentality: Sharing Circle

Sun 18 June, 11:00, Crucible Adelphi

Documentary therapists Rebecca Day and Malikkah Rollins will host a sharing circle, open to any festival attendee who is seeking a moment of reflection, togetherness and connection at the end of their DocFest experience. The intention is to offer a moment of calm in a hectic schedule, to provide a space where we can listen and support one another. Confidentiality and mutual respect are required from all our participants.

Sat 17 June, 17:00, Crucible Playhouse

BBC Storyville is delighted to announce a unique opportunity to pitch to be part of a new development programme at Sheffield DocFest. Storyville is passionate about feature documentaries, telling timely stories from across the world. Selected finalists will pitch in person, sharing new ideas for consideration by the Storyville Commissioners, Emma Hindley and Lucie Kon, alongside other industry professionals who will decide which project(s) will be awarded the prize pot of £3000.

Speakers: Emma Hindely (Lead Commissioning Editor, BBC Storyville) and Lucie Kon (Commissioning Editor, BBC Storyville)

The Whickers Pitch

Sun 18 June, 11:00, Crucible Playhouse

Who will be awarded the coveted £100,000 Film & TV Funding Award to make their first feature-length documentary? The Whickers Pitch brings together five emerging directors to pitch their non-fiction projects to a panel of industry judges.

Hosts: Karolina Lidin (Nordisk Film & TV Fond) & Jane Ray (Artistic Director, The Whickers)

Pitching Projects: 9 Month Contract - Ketevan Vashagashvili (Georgia), How to Kill My Grandfather - Lilyana Torres & Carlos Morales (Mexico), Let’s Play Soldiers - Mariam Al-Dhubhani (Yemen/US), The Silence of Ants – Francisco Montoro (Spain/Ukraine), Women of My Life - Zahraa Ghandour (Iraq)

Booking is required for this workshop. See sheffdocfest.com for booking information.

Speakers: Rebecca Day (Film in Mind) & Malikkah Rollins –Co-Founders of DocuMentality

Judges: Jo Lapping (BBC), Sam Soko (Director/Producer), Keisha Knight (IDA), Olivier Tournaud (Cinephil), Raul Niño Zambrano (Creative Director, Sheffield DocFest) and Jane Mote (The Whickers).

Producer: Emily Copley

Supported by: The Whickers

A recording of this pitch will be available to Online Industry Pass holders on our Doc/Player platform. All talks are captioned, provided by AI Media.

Filmmaker Challenge Screening

Monday 19 June, 13:15, Showroom –Bertha DocHouse Screen 3

Returning for 2023, under the guidance of filmmaker mentor Kevin Macdonald, we invite six filmmakers to make a short documentary in and around Sheffield during the festival.

After the success of 2022’s Focus: Filmmaker Talent initiative, we are delighted to present the Filmmaker Challenge 2023. Six early-career UK filmmakers have been selected to undertake the challenge of making a film on the fly, with a micro budget and equipment support, as well as mentoring from Oscar and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void, The Last King of Scotland, One Day in September). Working to a tight deadline, filmmakers will respond to the festival theme of ‘Sparking Curiosity’, with only the deadline as a commissioning constraint. All filming is to be undertaken in a single day and the final work will be screened for industry and invited guests on the last day of Sheffield DocFest.

Supported by: Prime, Canon, The Kurious and Sheffield Hallam University

See sheffdocfest.com for participating talent

MARKETPLACE & TALENT

We are excited to welcome all delegates at Sheffield DocFest and to join the buzzing atmosphere of our Marketplace in Cutlers’ Hall. We strive to be a friendly and democratic space, open to all. Whether you are familiar with the Marketplace, or this is your first time joining us, our various spaces and sessions have much to offer anyone who wants to develop their projects, make new connections, and more. Our sessions are designed as either focused groups or one-on-ones, allowing you to get the most out of your time here and to build new contacts.

This year’s MeetMarket features 48 pre-selected film teams from countries across the globe, who will present their documentary projects to an array of industry representatives in curated oneon-one meetings. New to this edition are Rough Cut Screenings, offering six teams in the final stages of their documentaries the chance to present part of their film to an industry audience.

We hope that our programme will inspire you to explore the power of collaboration in the film industry and encourage you to work with others to bring your creative visions to life. We’re looking forward to welcoming you to Cutlers’ Hall and making your festival experience as productive and valuable as possible.

We’re excited to see what new collaborations will be made at this year’s 30th edition.

Lisa Marie Russo Marketplace Consultant

Charlotte Reekers Marketplace & Talent Manager

Sophie Duncan Industry Programme Producer

Snap Chats: 10 Minute Meets Switchboard & Consultancies

Wed 14 June, 12:30 –14:00

Cutlers’ Hall, Hadfield Hall

One of the primary reasons delegates come to DocFest is to meet. Whether you’re looking to find new collaborators for your next film, contribute to someone else’s project, or simply expand your network of doc enthusiasts, come to this mixer. The format is simple: take a seat, chat with the delegate sat opposite, and every 10 minutes you move one seat to the left and meet someone new. Who will you end up chatting with?

Wed 14 – Fri 16 June

Cutlers’ Hall, Reception Room

Do you have questions about who is funding and distributing what, who is the right partner for your projects, and how to meet them? Come to the Switchboard to take advantage of expert advice on the people you should be meeting at this year’s Marketplace. You can also participate in a Consultancy and talk with a range of industry professionals about where to go next with your projects or career.

Experts and time slots can be found on the website, and you can sign up during the festival in the Reception Room.

Marketplace Roundtables: Meet the Industry Marketplace Café

Thurs 15 – Fri 16 June , Twice per day

Cutlers’ Hall, Drawing Room

These intimate round table sessions are set up around various topics with an expert in series, festival, distribution and creative fields. The discussions will focus on specific parts of financing, distributing or making of a project. Find answers to your burning questions and get to know fellow film and industry professionals. With a maximum of ten participants per session, they are designed to be intimate and interactive, allowing for more personalised attention and deeper discussions. We encourage participants to come prepared with questions and to actively engage in the conversation.

Experts and time slots can be found on the website. Pre-registration is on the website or drop by on the day of the event to take a last-minute seat.

Wed 14 June, 12:00 – 18:00

Thurs 15 – Fri 16 June / 9:00 - 18:00 / Cutlers’ Hall, Old Banqueting Hall

Our café is the perfect location for film industry professionals to network, connect and collaborate in a relaxed and productive atmosphere. Located in the heart of the Marketplace, the café offers a comfortable and inviting space where you can grab a coffee and a bite to eat, and set up meetings with industry delegates and festival guests. You can be looking to pitch your latest project, meet potential collaborators or simply connect with fellow industry professionals. It’s there for you.

Open to Industry Passholders

FWD-Doc + IDA’s Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI) + DFC Disabled Filmmakers Meetup

Friday 16 June from 16:00 - 17:30, Cutlers Hall

Please join Keisha Knight, Director of Funds & Advocacy at the International Documentary Association, Lindsey Dryden, Co-Founder of FWDDoc for an informal meetup to discuss the Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI) and activate the NAI Nonfiction Media Makers with Disabilities survey.

Marketplace Closing Drinks

Fri 16 June, 19:00 – 20:30, Winter Gardens

Following the last of this year’s events at Cutlers’ Hall, join us for a celebratory drink with our Marketplace team, fellow industry representatives and delegates, producers, artists, filmmakers and more! Let’s raise a glass to all the connections and collaborations made at the 2023 Marketplace.

Supported by Apple Original Films

BFI Doc Society Fund Works in Progress

The BFI Doc Society Fund showcases four works in progress from their current slate in one-hour presentations to invited delegates. The screenings will be followed by a moderated conversation with the filmmakers and an opportunity to ask questions.

By invitation only

BFI Doc Society Filmmaker Drop-In Day

Sunday 18 June, 10:00 – 17:00, Sidney & Matilda Happy Hour starts at 17:00

Join BFI Doc Society at our Filmmaker Drop-In Day –an open access opportunity for early career non-fiction storytellers to get together over a Yorkshire brew, get the latest industry insights and build their networks. Sign up for 1-2-1 meetings with the Doc Soc team and representatives from across the non-fiction sector, and get the lowdown on funding opportunities, resources and dialogues with remarkable independent producers and directors working in the field today. Plus join for networking to meet fellow filmmakers and potential new collaborators.

Open to all filmmakers & the doc curious –walk ups welcome.

Delivered as part of BFI NETWORK using funds from the National Lottery

MEETMARKET

Thu 15 – Fri 16 June, 09:00 – 18:00

Cutlers’ Hall, Main Hall

Documentary film projects in the making can can apply to the MeetMarket early in the year, to be selected for this prestigious international pitching forum. Once selected, project teams have the opportunity to meet with representatives from international funders, broadcasters, distributors, festivals, exhibitors and more, with the purpose of finding partners to finish their films. This year’s MeetMarket features 48 pre-selected film teams participating from an array of countries across the globe.

MeetMarket is generously supported by our partners BFI, Department for International Trade and Getty Images.

Rough Cut Screenings

Thu 15 June, 10:00 – 14:00, Curzon Screen 2

Our Rough Cut Screenings are an opportunity for six MeetMarket teams to show part of their documentaries to a room of industry representatives and delegates, to discuss, receive feedback and find partners to move their projects forward.

Featured films:

Casas Muertas

Venezuela, Ecuador, Germany, Spain

Director: Rosana Matecki

Producers: Rosana Matecki, Natalia Imaz (Parabellum Film), Claudia Lepage

Life is Beautiful

Norway, Palestine

Director: Mohamed Jabaly

Producer: KriStine Skaret (Stray Dog Norway AS)

Mother Vera

United Kingdom

Directors: Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson

Producers: Laura Shacham (She Makes Productions)

Motherboard

United Kingdom

Director: Victoria Mapplebeck

Producer: Victoria Mapplebeck (First Person Films)

A Poem For Little People

Ukraine, Lithuania

Director: Ivan Sautkin

Producers: Elena Saulich (Babylon 13), Mike Lerner (Roast Beef Production), Ringaile Lescinskiene (Nuline Kopija), Arturas Jevdokimovas (Nuline Kopija)

Vagrant Master

China, Netherlands

Directors: Weixi Chen, Weichao Xu

Producer: Jia Zhao (Muyi film)

MeetMarket Projects

#WhileBlack

Canada, USA

Directors: Sidney Fussell, Samantha Knowles

Producers: Ann Shin (Fathom Film), Geeta Gandbhir

All Shields Up

United Kingdom

Director: Felipe Bustos Sierra

Producer: Ciara Barry (Barry Crerar Ltd)

The Art of Seeing

United Kingdom

Directors: Rory Gordon, Bexie Bush

Producer: Fiona Neilson (Mint Pictures)

Artificial Clouds

Chile

Director: Josefina Buschmann

Producer: Daniela Camino (Mimbre Films)

Border Town

United Kingdom

Director: Jessi Gutch

Producers: Nikki Parrott (Tigerlily Two), Charlie Phillips (I am Charlie Ltd)

Breaker

Denmark, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Directors: Anita Mathal Hopland, Jens Lengerke

Producers: Kasper Lykke Schultz (Elk Film), Birgitte Keseler (Elk Film), Andreas Dalsgaard, Oli Harbottle (Dogwoof), Anna Godas (Dogwoof)

Buried

United Kingdom

Director: Dan Ashby

Producer: Lucy Taylor (Smoke Trail Productions)

Camels of the Sea

India

Director: Vikram Singh

Producer: Mandakini Gahlot (Elefant)

EatenFish

Norway

Director: Daniel Nils Roberts

Producer: Anne Köhncke (Final Cut for Real Norway)

Elevated

Sweden, Scotland

Director: Gustav Littorin

Producers: Ashley Smith (Sisyfos Film Production), Clara Harris (Sisyfos Film Production)

Finding El Dorado

Nigeria, Germany

Director: Ike Nnaebue

Producers: Asbirg Naranjo, Ike Nnaebue (Passion8 Communications Ltd Nigeria)

Forest Poland

Director: Lidia Duda

Producers: Michał Ostatkiewicz (Lumisenta Film Foundation), Patryk Sielecki (Lumisenta Film Foundation), Aleksandra Ostatkiewicz

Four Architects, in Ukraine

United Kingdom, Ukraine

Director: Paul Thomas

Producers: Steve Cole, Paul Thomas (Jackamo Productions)

Get Your 10s

USA

Directors: Rashaad Newsome, Johnny Symons

Producers: Johnny Symons (Persistent Visions), Rashaad Newsome (Rashaad Newsome Studio)

The House Is Still Dark

Denmark, Nicaragua, USA

Director: Felipe Roa Pilar

Producers: Michael LaPointe, Thor Hampus Bank (GotFat Productions), Dara Nicole Diaz Rios

I Made a Mistake Coming Here

France, Georgia

Director: Kseniya Halubovich

Producers: Louis Beaudemont (Les Steppes), Paata Godziashvili (Phonograph)

I Want to Kill My Grandfather

Mexico

Directors: Lilyana Torres, Carlos Morales

Producers: Gabriel Stavenhagen (The Lift), Bettine Mackenzie (The Lift)

Issa’s House

Palestine, Israel

Director: Tomer Heymann

Producers: Issa Amro, Tomer Heymann (Heymann Brothers Films), Lukasz Konopa, Ahmad Amro

Japan A Story of Love and Death

United Kingdom, Japan, Finland, Ireland, Norway

Director: Sean Mcallister

Producers: Chris Hees (10Ft Films), Sean Mcallister (10ft Films)

Joy Dancer

USA

Directors: Suzanne Smith, Sylvia Solf

Producers: Suzanne Smith (Vizione Films), Nkosinathi Mncube

Live at the Deaf Club

USA, United Kingdom, Canada

Director: Jevon Whetter

Producers: Delbert Whetter (Exodus Film Group), Justin Maurer, Jevon Whetter

Marching in the Dark

Belgium, Netherlands, India

Director: Kinshuk Surjan

Producers: Evelien De Graef (Clin d’oeil films), Hanne Phlypo (Clin d’oeil films)

MeetMarket Projects

Millionaire

Chile

Directors: José Ignacio Isla, Felipe Isla

Producers: Ainara Aparici, Daniela Valenzuela

Molka

South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany

Directors: Ieva Zellite, Olivia Neller

Producer: Andrew McLain

The Monster of El Estor

Canada

Directors: Nadine Pequeneza, Ricardo Acosta

Producers: Nadine Pequeneza (HitPlay Productions), Ricardo Acosta

Moscow Nights

Ireland, Germany, Bulgaria

Director: Irina Maldea

Producers: Brendan Culleton (Akajava films), Sorin Manu, Ralitsa Golemanova

Past Future Continuous

Norway, Iran, Italy

Directors: Firouzeh Khosrovani, Morteza Ahmadvand

Producers: Fabien Greenberg (Antipode Films), Bård Kjøge Rønning (Antipode Films)

The Peace Piano

United Kingdom, Canada, France

Director: Rupert Clague

Power

United Kingdom

Directors: Hilary Powell, Dan Edelstyn

Producers: Hilary Powell (Optimistic Foundation), Dan Edelstyn (Optimistic Foundation)

The River USA

Director: Caitlyn Greene

Runa

Poland, Denmark

Director: Agnieszka Zwiefka

Producers: Zofia Kujawska (Chilli Productions), Sigrid Dyekjær (Real Lava), Agnieszka Zwiefka (Chilli Productions)

The Shields Ireland

Director: Frankie Fenton

Producers: Frankie Fenton (Kennedy Films Ltd), Kathryn Kennedy Fenton (Kennedy Films Ltd)

State of Betrayal

Scotland, Northern Ireland

Director: Paul Sng

Producers: Sinead Kirwan (Enemy Films), Chris Patterson (Causeway Pictures)

Tens Across the Borders

Philippines, Singapore, Germany, United Kingdom

Director: Chan Sze-Wei

Producers: Alemberg Ang (Daluyong Studios), Chan Sze-Wei

Ultrasonic Canada

Director: Shannon Kennedy

Producer: Ann Shin (Fathom Film)

Up in the Air

Ukraine

Director: Oksana Syhareva

Producers: Nataliia Pogudina, Oksana Syhareva

Untitled Teesside Project

United Kingdom

Director: Jeanie Finlay

Producers: Charlie Phillips (I am Charlie Ltd), Jeanie Finlay (Glimmer Films)

The Vanished

United Kingdom

Director: David Whitney

Producers: Jim O’Hagan (Fine Point Films), Eimhear O’Neill, Kyoko Miyake, David Whitney (David Whitney Films)

Warrior Mothers

Mexico, USA

Director: Rodrigo Reyes, Dawn Valadez

Producers: Su Kim (Grumpy Squared LLC), Rodrigo Reyes (Grumpy Squared LLC), Inti Cordera, Carter Logan, Alysa Nahmias, Amaranta Díaz

Wildfire

South Africa, Canada

Director: Zahra Moloo

Producers: Neil Brandt (Storyscope), Sergeo Kirby (Loaded Pictures)

Wing India, USA, United Kingdom, South Africa

Director: Neelu Bhuman

Producer: Neelu Bhuman (Moving Dreams Studios)

World Makers (working title)

USA

Directors: Ashley Tyner, William Tyner

Producers: William Tyner (DELU Productions), Ashley Simone Tyner (DELU Productions)

Zero Hour

India, Romania

Directors: Nachiket Guttikar, Deeksha Ketkar

Producers: Arya Rothe (NoCut Film Collective), Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi, Deeksha Ketkar, Nachiket Guttikar

Alternate Realities Talent Artists

Sat 17 Jun, 13:00 – 17:00

Channing Hall

The Alternate Realties Talent Artists represents talent from across the wide spectrum of nonfiction art, providing a space to discuss new projects in development and create important artist-to-industry connections. We invite a range of industry representatives who are able to provide opportunities or advice for creators, from gallery and cinema exhibition to funding, residencies, co-production, and collaborations. The eight talents selected through an open call will meet with industry experts to get valuable feedback on their new media projects and make new connections.

The eight selected talents are:

Abhi Arumbakkam

Emily Godden

Jessie Mangum

Yasmine Boudiaf Hannah Papacek Harper Catarina de Sousa

Xiaoyan Dong

Magdalena Janowicz

Amplify: Production Talents

Fri 16 June, 10:00 – 15:00, Cutlers Hall – Hadfield Hall

Amplify: Production Talents is an initiative for pre-selected entry-level production professionals to elevate their careers. This initiative offers the opportunity to connect with UK production company executives in the factual/documentary TV sector, experience our Marketplace to enhance and widen networks, and learn more about the documentary industry. We’re delighted to be welcoming nine emerging production talents.

The nine selected talents are:

Mira Oyetoro

Georgia Ingles

Che Scott-Heron Newton

Alysha Christal

Acelya Kancelik

Joanna Suchomska

Lib Griffiths Mohamed Shalaby Elin Tomos

DELEGATI NS

Brazilian Delegation

Coordinated by DOCSP.

With the support of British Council and Spcine, the city of São Paulo Film and Audiovisual Company, a Brazilian delegation is attending Sheffield DocFest to build and strengthen relationships with international key players. Meet our delegation of emerging filmmakers, awarded films, FIANB festival, DOCSP market and keep connected with Brazil. Supported by British Council, with additional support from SPCine.

IGNITE Documentary Talent Development Programme Delegation

Coordinated by Docs Ireland

IGNITE is a talent development programme directed towards emerging Irish and Northern Irish documentary filmmakers embarking on their first or second non-fiction feature film. The programme is a cross-border partnership that aims to foster a new generation of documentary filmmakers, in an innovative collaboration between the island’s first and newest film festivals, Cork International Film Festival and Docs Ireland.

Chilean Delegation

Coordinated by Chiledoc

With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Arts, and Heritage, the Chilean delegation of producers and filmmakers is excited to attend Sheffield DocFest to meet and connect with industry players, colleagues, and filmmakers from around the globe. At the same time, we are proud to present In the Shadow of Light and Red Earth, both films selected in the Festival. Chiledoc is a public-private alliance between the Chilean Documentary Corporation CCDoc and ProChile, subject to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Irish Delegation

Coordinated by Screen Ireland

With the support of Screen Ireland, an Irish delegation of producers and directors attend the MeetMarket and connect with international Industry representatives, co-producing partners and immerse in the festival’s diverse program. Recent Irish documentary successes include Sinéad O’Shea’s Pray for our Sinners, Kathryn Ferguson’s Nothing Compares, Neasa Ni Chianáin & Declan McGrath’s Young Plato, Sasha King’s Vicky and Gavin Fitzgerald’s Million Dollar Pigeons

Palestinian Delegation

Coordinated by The Palestine Film Institute

The Palestine Film Institute, in collaboration with Sheffield Docfest, welcomes five Palestinian filmmakers to Sheffield as part of the Palestinian delegation. At the forefront of film in the UK, and globally, each filmmaker will share projects in progress with potential international partners and the larger festival network. Off the back of their Cannes, IDFA and CPH:DOX delegations, the PFI aims to promote Palestinian talent, and their films, alongside championing global collaboration and co-production.

Wales Delegation

Coordinated by Ffilm Cymru Wales

Ffilm Cymru Wales is the development agency for Welsh film, dedicated to advancing and sustaining a strong film industry for Wales. We provide funding and training to emerging and established Welsh filmmakers, offer exciting cinematic experiences to audiences across Wales, and develop new skills and career paths for people through a range of training programmes.

Scottish Delegation

Coordinated by Screen Scotland & Scottish Documentary Institute

The Scottish Delegation of producers, filmmakers, and financiers come to Sheffield to connect with audiences and the industry, and to promote their films and Scotland as a first-class place for documentary filmmaking and co-production. Screen Scotland is the national body that drives development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and TV industry, through funding and strategic support. Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI) is an internationally recognised documentary centre, specialising in documentary training, production, and distribution.

DRINKS & PARTIES

Wed 14 June

Opening Night Drinks

Wed 14 June, 20:30 – 00:00, Sheffield Cathedral

Welcome to Sheffield! We’re glad you’ve joined us. Come along for a drink and catch up with old friends and new, following the screening of our opening night film Tish.

Supported by Warner Chappell Production Music

Thu 15 June

Women in Film and TV Drinks Reception

Thu 15 June, 17:00 – 18:30, Curzon Rooftop

Women in Film and TV (WFTV) are delighted to invite all festival delegates to join them at a drinks reception to celebrate the women of Sheffield Doc/Fest 2023. Come and meet the WFTV team and network with industry friends and colleagues. WFTV is the leading UK membership organisation for women working in creative media.

Supported by Women in Film & Television

Scottish Delegation Drinks

Thu 15 June, 18:00 – 19:30, Tamper

Come and meet the Scottish Delegation of producers, filmmakers and financiers present in Sheffield. Learn more about their films, and about Scotland as a first-class place for documentary filmmaking and co-production. Hosted by Screen Scotland, the national body that drives development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and TV industry through funding and strategic support, and Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI), an internationally recognised documentary centre specialising in documentary training, production and distribution.

Supported by Screen Scotland

Nat Geo Open Bar

Thu 15 June, 19:00, The Slug and Lettuce.

Join National Geographic for a night of festivity and merrymaking. Eat, drink, dance, meet old friends and new colleagues, as we celebrate the power of storytelling to unite us, to challenge us, and to imagine a better world – all accompanied by a vibing soundtrack and an open bar.

Supported by National Geographic

Irish Delegation Reception

Thu 15 June, 20:00 – 21:30, Birdhouse

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to invite you to the Irish Reception at Sheffield DocFest. The event celebrates the Irish work screening at the festival and provides the opportunity to meet and connect with the Irish delegation of filmmakers in attendance.

Supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland

Acme Party

Thu 15 June, 21:30 – 01:30, Network

Before there were screens there were decks – at least in our world! Acme’s celebration of British music culture continues with another party session built on the sounds of the UK underground. DJ Ron, one of the pioneers and creators of Junglism returns alongside his friend and UK Garage legend Wookie – DJ, producer and artist whose 2000 anthem The Battle regularly tops the lists of all time UKG classics. Be prepared to dance.

Supported by acme.

Fri 16 June

Meet the Brazilian Delegation

Fri 16 June, 16:00 – 17:30, Curzon Rooftop

Meet emerging talents, awarded filmmakers and cinema organisations from Brazil. The city of São Paulo Film and Audiovisual Company, Spcine, wants to invite you to discover a new landscape of possibilities in Brazil.

Supported by Spcine

Banijay UK Networking Drinks

Fri 16 June, 17:00 – 18:30, Birdhouse

Banijay UK is proud to support emerging creatives at this year’s DocFest and would be delighted for you to join CEO and Executive Chair Patrick Holland, teams from Banijay UK companies, and up and coming talent in TV documentary production for drinks and networking.

Supported by Banijay UK.

Grierson Trust

Fri 16 June, 18:00 – 19:30, Tamper

Join The Grierson Trust for a networking event celebrating their talented Grierson DocLab trainees and alumni. Meet the latest Grierson DocLab core trainees, aged 18-25, who are beginning their journey into the world of documentary and factual programme-making, as well as the Grierson team, Trustees, alumni and more. Plus, hear about the latest training opportunities from The Trust, including the Grierson DocLab In Focus: Production Management programme, back for a third year, and the renewed Editing Programme, this time focusing on Unscripted Editing.

Supported by Grierson Trust

Marketplace Closing Drinks

Fri 16 June, 19:00 – 20:30, Winter Gardens

Following the last of this year’s events at Cutlers’ Hall, join us for a celebratory drink with our Marketplace team, fellow industry representatives and delegates, producers, artists, filmmakers and more! Let’s raise a glass to all the connections and collaborations made at the 2023 Marketplace.

Supported by Apple Original Films

Sky Documentaries – Docs & Drinks

Fri 16 June, 19:30 – 21:00, Millennium Gallery

Join us as we celebrate another successful year of award-winning films and series from Sky Documentaries. Hosted by Sky’s factual commissioning team, we’ll reveal what’s in store for audiences, including some exciting upcoming releases. We also offer a chance to meet and mingle with other documentary lovers.

Supported by Sky Documentaries

30th Edition Party

Fri 16 June, 21:00 – 01:30, Peddler Warehouse

Join us in Sheffield’s Kelham Island to celebrate 30 years of DocFest! Expect music, local food and drinks, plus entertainment in one of the city’s fastest growing nightspots.

Sat 17 June

Molinare Craft Summit Drinks

Sat 17 June, 18:00, Millennium Gallery

From camera operation to editing to sound design – so many people are integral to bringing a compelling story to the screen. Join Molinare in celebrating the craft of documentaries, where we’ll raise a glass to the beauty of storytelling and the talented people that bring these visions to life.

Supported by Molinare

Chiledoc Drinks

Sat 17 June, 19:30 – 21:00, Tamper

Join Chiledoc and the filmmakers of Chilean Delegation to celebrate our films and projects selected this year. Let’s drink and share with colleagues and friends who love working as a collective. The Chilean delegation is present at Sheffield DocFest thanks to the coordinated work of the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage, and Chiledoc, the brand that promotes the Chilean documentary in the world.

Supported by Chiledoc

Meet the Filmmakers Drinks

Sat 17 June, 20:00 – 21:30, Birdhouse

The Sheffield DocFest Film Programme team welcomes you to raise a glass or two to the talented directors and producers behind this year’s Film Programme.

Supported by Adobe.

Channel 4 Saturday Night Party

Sat 17 June, 21:30 – 01:30, Crystal Bar

Come and let your hair down with the Channel 4 team. Drinks, music and dancing at Crystal Bar.

Supported by Channel 4

Sun 18 June

DocFest x Screen Yorkshire Drinks

Sun 18 June, 16:00 – 17:30, Birdhouse

Join DocFest, Screen Yorkshire and industry colleagues to celebrate another glorious edition of DocFest and warm up for the unmissable awards announcement later in the evening. With a passion for investing in screen content and developing talent, Screen Yorkshire and DocFest have a shared desire to celebrate the vibrant international documentary community, which holds a special place here in the heart of Yorkshire.

Supported by Screen Yorkshire

BFI Doc Society Filmmaker Drop-In Day

Sun 18 June, 10:00 – 17:00, Sidney & Matilda (Happy Hour starts at 17:00)

Join BFI Doc Society at our Filmmaker Drop-In Day – an open access opportunity for early career nonfiction storytellers to get together over a Yorkshire brew, find out the latest industry insights and build their networks. Sign up for 1-2-1 meetings with the Doc Soc team and representatives from across the non-fiction sector, and get the lowdown on funding opportunities, resources and dialogues with remarkable independent producers and directors working in the field today. Plus, join for networking to meet fellow filmmakers and potential new collaborators.

Open to all filmmakers & the doc curious –walk ups welcome.

Delivered as part of BFI NETWORK using funds from the National Lottery

Check @TheDocSociety for updates.

#DocumentaryLivesHere

Supported by BFI Doc Society

Awards Drinks

Sun 18 June, 19:30 – 21:00, Winter Gardens

Following this year’s Awards Ceremony (p17), come celebrate this year’s jury award winners, pitch recipients and attending filmmakers in the beautiful Winter Gardens.

Late Night Drinks

Sun 18 June, 21:00 – 0:00, Showroom Bar

Where it all started… join us going back to the roots of DocFest as we celebrate the festival, with added entertainment.

Jamie Allan

Short Film & Community Programmer

Camila Arriaga Torres

Film Programme Coordinator

Beccy Ashdown

Talks & Sessions Senior Producer

Denise Barren Events Manager

Nathan Bragg

Amplify Talent Coordinator

Lisa Brook

Festival Marketing & Communications Lead

David Chang

Festival Photographer

Katie Clark

Operations Coordinator

Lola Coker

Industry Programme Assistant

Hope Cook

Film Programme Assistant

Anh Do

Festival Photographer

Alice Duggan

Production Assistant

Sophie Duncan

Industry Programme Producer

Curtis Dunn

Box Office Coordinator

Jo Godfrey

Alternate Realities

Programme Coordinator

Lucy Gravil

Volunteer Assistant

Annabel Grundy

Managing Director

Ella Hackett

Hospitality Assistant

Ian Haydn Smith

Publications Editor

Paul Hayes

Showroom Production Coordinator

Lieven Heeremans Industry Podcast Stories

Programme Producer

Rae Hesketh

Alternate Realities

Programme Assistant

Rob Jones

Events Assistant

Asma Kabadeh

Community Programme Coordinator

Sarah Lee-Liggett Box Office Assistant

Corrigan Lowe Partnerships Coordinator

James Lowe Graphic Designer

Layton Lowther

Registration Assistant

Alex McGeever

Communications Assistant

Nora Murray-Smith Publicist, Premier PR

Verity Nalley

Alternate Realities

Programme Consultant

Nelly Naylor Festival Photographer

Sophie Newing

Hospitality Coordinator

Raul Niño Zambrano

Creative Director

Mariam Olayemi

Assistant Accountant

Fiona Outram Finance Manager

Rita Pais

Administrative & Executive Assistant

Charlotte Reekers

Marketplace & Talent Manager

Monique Reid

Publicist, Premier PR

Lisa Marie Russo

Industry Consultant

Mathy Selvakumaran

Alternate Realities Talent

Market Coordinator

Bijoy Skaria

Assistant Accountant

Morayo Sodipo

Communications Coordinator

Eleni Stavrou

Communications Coordinator

Mat Steel

Head of Production & Operations

Paul Steele

Director of Partnerships & Community

Maria Stoneman

Head of HR & Participation

Anna Stopford

Box Office Manager

Mita Suri

Film Programme Producer

Ash Taylor

Volunteer Coordinator

Elizabeth Taylor

Publicist, Premier PR

Chim’Di Ugada

Filmmaker Challenge

Production Coordinator

Greg Walker

Production Manager

Philippa Walusimbi

Talks & Sessions

Programme Coordinator

Jim Wraith

Film Crew Coordinator

Film Programme Consultants

John Badalu

Naziha Karima Arebi

Alfredo Mora Manzano

Chloë Roddick

Carmen Thompson

Film Programme Advisors

Aderinsola Ajao

Clodagh Chapman

Martijn de Pas

Mariana Hristova

Harry Kalfayan

Toni Lee

Hannah McHaffie

Edwin Mingard

Zinha Morgan-Bennett

Varadila Nurdin

Lesedi Oluko Moche

Maria Paula Lorgia

Deepthi Pendurty

Rachel Pronger

Nguyễn Quốc Thành

Alternate Realities Advisory Committee

Baff Akoto

Jorge Cabjallero Ramos

Alex Rühl

MeetMarket Selectors

Carlos A. Gutiérrez

Anam Abbas

Elçin Bahçeci

Marina Burić

Robert Colom

Manon Euler

Hicham Falah

Andrea Hock

Rico Johnson-Sinclair

Seggen Mikael

Jeffrey Winter

Festival Assistants

Olivia Allen

Ben Butler

Nelia Gea Cayuela

Oceana Wilson

Joshua Weldon

Trustees

Stephen Bowen

Diana Buckley

Sheffield City Council Observer

Jo Clinton-Davis

Alex Cooke Chair

Gali Gold

Daniel Gordon

Fozia Khan

Jennifer Kimber

Derren Lawford

Lucy McDowell

Sacha Mirzoeff

Zoe Mumba

Beejal-Maya Patel

Helen Scott

Brian Woods

Deputy Chair

We would like to thank Shirani Sabaratnam, Peter Armstrong and Sue Cook who served on the board of trustees until March 2023.

Nurturing the Next Generation of Global Citizens... p.125

CUTLERS’ HALL 09:00–18:00 – MeetMarket & Marketplace Activity, see p.131 – p.141 for more details

SITE GALLERY

HALLAM POP-UP SHOP

14:15

Class Acts: Are Leaders in TV and Film Doing More Than Talking About Social Mobility? p.125

11:00–20:00 – Alternate Realities Exhibition, p.103 – p.111

11:00–17:00 – 30th Anniversary Exhibition, p.28

16:15 Should We, Can We…? p.126

CUTLERS’ HALL 09:00–18:00 – MeetMarket & Marketplace Activity, see p.131 – p.141 for more details

SITE GALLERY 11:00–20:00 – Alternate Realities Exhibition, p.103 – p.111

HALLAM POP-UP SHOP

11:00–17:00 – 30th Anniversary Exhibition, p.28 OTHER

16:00 Curzon Rooftop Meet the Brazilian Delegation, p.143

N TES

Films and Alternate Realities

Industry and Events