UPDATED with amended description of documentary My Sweet Land. Sheffield DocFest, the U.K.’s premiere nonfiction film festival, today revealed the full lineup for its 31st edition running June 12-17. Among the highlights: the world premiere of Tilda Swinton’s feature directorial debut, The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze, co-directed by Bartek Dziadosz.
In the film, premiering in International Competition, Swinton and Dziadosz “travel the world to understand what it means to learn, and along the way uncover playful food for thought – for adults and young people alike.” Swinton previously directed segments in the documentaries The Seasons In Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger (2016) and The New Ten Commandments (2008).
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Sheffield 2024 will not lack for star power. In addition to Oscar winner Swinton, Idris Elba and the team behind the upcoming National Geographic Documentary series Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color will take part in a public talk. Elba narrates the episodic, which “sheds light on the immense contributions of over 8 million individuals who fought heroically for the Allied forces and whose stories have largely gone untold,” per NatGeo. Elba’s grandfather fought in WWII.
Actor Michael Sheen will record a live edition of the podcast The Last Witness, created by investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor in collaboration with Sheen. It’s a true crime series involving an environmental horror story. BBC Radio 4 will begin airing the 10-parter on June 24.
“It’s hard to get your head around,” Sheen tells the BBC. “This story is about the first of the forever chemicals. And there are so many of them since then. We want people to understand what they are doing right now. There were moments in this story when a little voice inside my head was screaming.”
Three-time Oscar winner Walter Murch, the legendary sound and picture editor, will participate in a Master Class. As previously announced, Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams has been named this year’s DocFest Guest of Honor. He will participate in two public talks, and he also has handpicked a selection of new documentaries to play in the festival, including Daughters, Sugarcane, and Stone Mountain (the latter film is a world premiere taking part in International Competition).
In all, Sheffield DocFest 2024 is presenting 48 World Premieres, 14 International Premieres, 17 European Premieres, and 29 U.K. premieres, originating from 56 countries of production. As previously announced, the festival will open on June 12 with the world premiere of Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald’s Klitschko: More than a Fight, about former heavyweight boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir. Vitali’s greatest challenge has come as mayor of Kyiv, protecting the Ukrainian capital in the face of brutal aggression from Russia.
This year’s festival theme is Reflections on Realities. Scroll for the full program.
“In planning this year’s edition of DocFest,” said Annabel Grundy, Sheffield DocFest managing director, “we have reflected about where we can make a difference, how our programming can counteract false narratives and over simplification, and how we can support our ecosystem at a time when independent journalism, co-authored narratives and deeply reflective works are critical in helping us make sense of the world. I am deeply proud of the team who have created a careful, compassionate and balanced program always with the filmmakers in mind.”
The Sheffield DocFest 2024 lineup totals 109 films — 80 features and 29 shorts. Films screen in three competitive categories – International Competition, International First Feature Competition, and International Short Film Competition. The festival features additional strands: Rhythms focuses on music documentaries and performances; Debates “features films on wide-ranging important topics which need to be discussed”; People & Community includes stories that celebrate “togetherness through family, friendship and communities”; Journeys includes “transformations and explorations”; Memories explores “how the past informs the present”; and Rebellions focuses on stories of people “striving for social change and fighting for what matters.”
Raul Niño Zambrano, Sheffield DocFest creative director, said in a statement, “Curating a program is a collaborative effort, and I am incredibly grateful for the dedication and commitment of our international advisers, consultants, and staff who have invested their time in assessing all the films, artworks, and talks. The selection we have made together serves as an invitation for reflection, dialogue and empathy, and we can’t wait to share all these stories with our international audience.”
FULL PROGRAMME LISTINGS
Opening Night Film
Klitschko: More than a Fight – UK – Kevin Macdonald – 2024 (World Premiere) (International Competition)
International Competition
Honoring films that best display strong artistic vision and courageous storytelling. This award is Academy Award accredited.
At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking (Ko će pokucati na vrata mog doma) – Maja Novaković – Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2024 (World premiere)
Maja Novaković’s impressive feature debut blurs the lines between perception, memory and imagination, paving the way for existential contemplation about alienation and connection with poetic grace.
The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze – Tilda Swinton, Bartek Dziadosz – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
Co-directors Tilda Swinton and Bartek Dziadosz travel the world to understand what it means to learn, and along the way uncover playful food for thought – for adults and young people alike.
Klitschko: More than a Fight (Opening Night Film, listed above)
Light Darkness Light – Landon Van Soest – Canada, UK, USA, 2024 (World premiere)
Emmy award winner Landon Van Soest stuns with a portrait of a blind Anglican priest who becomes one of the first recipients of a bionic eye.
Mother City – Miki Redelinghuys, Pearlie Joubert – South Africa, 2024 (World premiere)
Apartheid’s legacy made Cape Town one of the most unwelcoming cities for Black Africans, until a social movement for affordable housing challenged the status quo.
Pavilion 6 – Goran Devic – Croatia, 2024 (World premiere)
As the Croatian population clamours for the vaccination against the COVID-19 virus, this film presents a portrait that offers some insight into a nation’s collective psyche.
Relentless Memory (Memoria Implacable) – Paula Rodríguez Sickert – Chile, Argentina, 2024 (World premiere)
An indigenous Mapuche activist and researcher unveils a multitude of atrocities committed against her ancestors, whose story has been silenced for over a century.
Stone Mountain – Daniel Newell Kaufman – USA, 2024 (World premiere) (Roger Ross Williams Selection)
An eye-opening film that grapples with a country’s inability to reconcile a racist past.
International First Feature Competition (supported by Netflix)
This competition honours the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising new talent.
Bad Reputation (Mala reputación) – Marta García, Sol Infante Zamudio – Uruguay, Argentina, 2024 (World premiere)
In Uruguay, a sex worker has had enough – she wants proper recognition for her work and its inclusion in mainstream labour unions.
The Boy and the Suit of Lights (niño y el traje de luces) – Inma de Reyes – Scotland, UK, 2024 (World premiere)
A young boy grows up in a Spanish town with dreams of being a bullfighter in an age when tradition and modernity are in constant conflict.
Dreams Travel With the Wind (sueños viajan con el viento) – Inti Jacanamijoy – Colombia, 2024 (International premiere)
A filmmaker movingly chronicles his Wayuu grandfather’s wrenching history, weaving his memories into a haunting narrative of cultural resilience and loss.
Kilometre (Кілометр) – Hanna Tykha – Ukraine, 2024 (World premiere)
When a vast Chinese factory complex in rural Ethiopia undertakes ambitious expansion plans, the promises of industrialisation are brought into question.
Made in Ethiopia – Xinyan Yu, Max Duncan – Canada, Ethiopia, USA, UK, 2024 (International premiere)
When a vast Chinese factory complex in rural Ethiopia undertakes ambitious expansion plans, the promises of industrialisation are brought into question.
My Sweet Land (Տունս քաղցր ա) – Sareen Hairabedian – USA, France, Ireland (World premiere)
For 11-year-old Vrej, life in his homeland Artsakh is like a paradise, but when war starts again, can he carry a nation’s hopes on his young shoulders?
Silent Men – Duncan Cowles – Scotland, UK, 2024 (World premiere)
Director Duncan Cowles takes us on a journey through male mental health, stigma and taboo in the UK.
Yintah – Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano – Canada, 2024 (European Premiere) (Days of Reflection)
Charts the plight of the Wet’suwet’en people, fighting for their land and territory against the Canadian government’s massive fossil fuel pipeline expansion plans.
International Short Film Competition
This Academy Award, BAFTA and BIFA-accredited award honours the best creative approaches in documentaries under 40 minutes.
The Backstreet – Romain Beck – UK, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: Body as Archive)
An intimate exploration of four decades of desire, community, love and loss through the eyes of regulars at The Backstreet, an iconic London gay leather club.
Dancing Palestine – Lamees AlMakkawy – UK, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: Body as Archive)
In a culture continually threatened with erasure, dancing the dabke, the traditional folk dance of Palestine, becomes an essential form of resistance for young Palestinians.
Perfected Grammar – Andrea Suwito – Hungary, Portugal, Belgium, Indonesia, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: Body as Archive)
Through language lessons with her mother, a daughter learns more about her Indonesian roots, her mother’s painful journey, and her longing for a place to call home.
We Are Fallen Angels – Rosa Vendelboe Vestergaard – Denmark, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: Building a Life)
A young singer and influencer lives in a dream world of her own making, but behind this glitzy veneer lies a much more complicated reality.
Angular Phoenix (Latitude fénix) – Welket Bungué – Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: Haunted by the Present)
Reanimating a Baron and the Black Princess, this speculative film summons figures from the past through bodies of the present, in a visceral call for reconciliation.
De Occulta Imagine – Stefano P. Testa – Italy, 2024 (International premiere) (Shorts: Haunted by the Present)
Bringing his cinematic alchemy to the archives of the Italian Labour and Democratic Movement, director Stefano P. Testa transmutes the past with an inimitable presence.
Blue (Bleu) – Ana Vijdea – Romania, Belgium, Portugal, Hungary, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: More Souls Than One)
A piercingly intimate glimpse into the complex dynamics in a family where obedience is obligatory and emotions are as unpredictable as the sea.
Our Lady Who Burns (Nossa Senhora Que Queima) – Alice dos Reis – Portugal, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: Sculpted Lands)
On a Portuguese mountain, saintly apparitions and alien encounters interweave with the story of a pregnant cat, in a series of paranormal encounters.
Flowers (Flores) – José Cardoso – Ecuador, South Africa, 2024 (World premiere) (Shorts: Staying with the Trouble)
An Amazon ethnocide is justified by a war in Ukraine. It’s streamed online by the filmmaker, while in the garden his three-year-old son marvels at the flowers.
Youth Jury Award
This award is selected by some of the UK’s most passionate young documentary lovers.
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story – Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee – Canada, 2024 (European premiere)
Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee’s ode to the forgotten soul musician Jackie Shane documents a life of eclipsed stardom and trailblazing trans musical history.
HAIYU – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara – Saharawi Voice, Alex Veitch, Brahim B. Ali, Mohamedsalem Werad, Anna Klara AK Åhrén – Algeria, Sweden, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, 2024 (World premiere)
An iconic singer’s life, music and lyrics are deeply intertwined with the struggle for freedom in a country known as Africa’s last colony.
Life on the Edge – Johnny Langenheim, Sebastian Feehan – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
An Inuit educator navigates the stunning snow-covered landscapes of northern Greenland as he seeks to help people in their struggles with mental health.
MADANIYA (مدنياااااو) – Mohamed Subahi – Sudan, 2024 (World premiere)
Writer-director Mohamed Subahi documents the citizens’ revolt that toppled 30 years of repressive rule in Sudan and the one word that inspired it.
My Sextortion Diary (Diario de Mi Sextorsión) – Patricia Franquesa – Spain, 2024 (UK premiere)
Pati’s world turns upside down when a stolen laptop results in blackmail, sending her spiralling into the world where anyone’s privacy can be hijacked.
The Ride Ahead – Samuel Habib, Dan Habib – USA, 2024 (European premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Samuel wants the life any average 21-year-old desires, and he’s determined that his disability will not get in the way of achieving his dreams.
Tim Hetherington Award (presented in association with Dogwoof)
Photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington was committed to humanitarian and social concerns throughout the world. This award recognises films that best reflect his legacy.
Black Snow – Alina Simone – Denmark, USA, 2024 (UK premiere)
A Siberian mother’s uncovering of a coal scandal thrusts her into conflict with Russian authorities, sparking a perilous quest for truth and justice.
Breaking the Cycle – Aekaphong Saransate, Thanakrit Duangmaneeporn – Thailand, 2024 (European premiere)
When Thailand’s military junta finally held elections in 2019, the son of a media mogul stood as a candidate, turning the country’s political world on its head.
Democracy Noir – Connie Field – Denmark, USA, Germany, Hungary, 2024 (International premiere)
An opportunity for imprisoned fathers to spend time with their daughters is the focal point of this moving documentary about the United States´ broken carceral system.
No Other Land – Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham – Palestine, Norway, 2024 (UK Premiere)
Documents the alliance between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist.
State of Silence – Writers: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham – Mexico, 2024 (European Premiere)
Follows a handful of journalists who speak of the atrocities and threats they face for reporting from the frontlines of Sinaloa, Tapachula, Morelos, and other cities in Mexico.
Days of Reflection
No Other Land – Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham – Palestine, Norway, 2024 (UK Premiere) (Tim Hetherington Award)
Documents the alliance between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist.
State of Silence – Writers: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham – Mexico, 2024 (European Premiere) (Tim Hetherington Award)
Follows a handful of journalists who speak of the atrocities and threats they face for reporting from the frontlines of Sinaloa, Tapachula, Morelos, and other cities in Mexico.
Yintah – Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano – Canada, 2024 (European Premiere) (International Feature Competition)
Charts the plight of the Wet’suwet’en people, fighting for their land and territory against the Canadian government’s massive fossil fuel pipeline expansion plans.
Witnesses: Captivity That Kills – Maryna Roshchyna, Tetiana Symon – Ukraine (International Premiere)
A film created by the team of the Ukraine War Archive project, that presents unique testimonies about the Russian war collected in 2022-2023.
Roger Ross Williams Selection – Social Impact Documentaries (supported by Netflix)
Sugarcane – Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie – Canada, USA, Italy, 2024 (European premiere) (Memories)
A powerful account of tragic injustices perpetrated against the Native American community by the Catholic Church.
The Battle for Laikipia – Daphne Matziaraki, Peter Murimi – Kenya, Greece, 2024 (UK Premiere)
Presents an urgent history of colonialism and its long-lasting effects, which have been further exasperated by climate change.
Daughters – Natalie Rae, Angela Patton – USA, 2024 (European Premiere) (People & Community)
Offers an intimate and emotional portrait of systemic racism and generational trauma experienced by fathers trapped in the American prison system.
Stone Mountain – Daniel Newell Kaufman – USA, 2024 (World Premiere) (International Competition)
An eye-opening film that grapples with a country’s inability to reconcile a racist past.
Union – Brett Story, Stephen Maing – USA, 2024 (UK premiere) (Debates)
Urgently shines a light on the brutality of American capitalism.
STRANDS
Debates
Films about the things we need to discuss. Covering a wide spectrum of issues, each of the films in this strand grapple with contemporary issues, inviting us to be part of the conversation.
Black Snow – Alina Simone – Denmark, USA, 2024 (UK premiere) (Tim Hetherington Award)
A Siberian mother’s uncovering of a coal scandal thrusts her into conflict with Russian authorities, sparking a perilous quest for truth and justice.
Breaking the Cycle – Aekaphong Saransate, Thanakrit Duangmaneeporn – Thailand, 2024 (European premiere) (Tim Hetherington Award)
When Thailand’s military junta finally held elections in 2019, the son of a media mogul stood as a candidate, turning the country’s political world on its head.
Britain’s Forgotten Prisoners – Martin Read – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
With one public protection prisoner recently committing suicide after giving up hope of ever being released, this film is an urgent call for all imprisonment for public protection cases to be reviewed.
Of Caravan and the Dogs – Askold Kurov, Anonymous 1 – Germany, 2024 (UK premiere)
Askold Kurov´s bold and compelling documentary chronicles the erosion of press freedom in Russia in the run up to, and during, the invasion of Ukraine.
Cyborg Generation – Miguel Morillo Vega – Spain, 2024 (UK premiere)
Miguel Morillo Vega follow a young musician in his transition to acquire a new sense by illegally implanting a cybernetic organ into his own body.
Eternal You – Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck – Germany, USA, 2024 (UK premiere)
Facing the seemingly boundless possibilities of AI, including bringing the dead back to life, this film questions the limit to what might be possible.
Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics Ben Addelman, Ziya Tong – Canada, 2024 (European premiere)
One woman sets out on a daunting quest to understand just how much plastic has infused our environment, our bodies and our lives.
Union – @Custom, Stephen Maing – USA, 2024 (UK premiere) (Roger Ross Williams Selection)
Grassroots activism lies at the heart of this involving film, which follows a group of people fighting for better working conditions at Amazon.
First Impressions
An opportunity to advance screenings of the first episodes of major upcoming documentary series.
Cult Massacre: One Day In Jonestown – Marian Mohamed, UK, 2024 (World premiere)
A comprehensive and thoroughly researched examination of the largest mass murder-suicide in American history and a portrait of the cult whose leader precipitated it.
Four Kings -Stewart Kyasimire, Hassan Ghazi, Beya Kabelu – UK, Jamaica, Canada – 2024 (World premiere)
The golden era of British boxing in the early 1990s focused on the intense rivalry between heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno, and middleweights Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn.
In My Own Words: Hanif Kureishi – Nigel Williams, UK, 2024 (World premiere)
With wit, intelligence and honesty, the playwright, novelist and filmmaker looks back on his work, the culture it emerged from and recent events that radically changed his life.
Journeys
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.
Her Name Was Moviola – Howard Berry – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
A cinematic love letter to the Moviola film editing machine, detailing how it dominated English-language filmmaking for most of the 20th century.
Hollywoodgate- Ibrahim Nash’at – Germany, USA, 2023 (UK premiere)
A filmmaker stakes his own safety on gaining access to a US military site in Afghanistan that left billions in military hardware in the hands of the Taliban.
Journey (Payamam) – Chandrasekaram Visakesa – Sri Lanka, 2024 (World premiere)
The stories of five women who survived the horrors of civil war in Sri Lanka are transformed into powerful performance art in this film about justice, memories and hope.
Life is Beautiful (Al haya helwa) – Mohamed Jabaly – Norway, Qatar, Palestine, 2023 (UK premiere)
In this poignant portrayal of displacement, a young Palestinian filmmaker, stranded in Norway, documents his struggle for residency.
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa – Lucy Walker – USA, 2023 (European premiere)
The first Nepali woman to successfully reach the peak of Everest leaves her life as a working single mother in America to climb the mountain once again.
My Sextortion Diary (Diario de Mi Sextorsión) – Patricia Franquesa – Spain, 2024 (UK premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Pati’s world turns upside down when a stolen laptop results in blackmail, sending her spiralling into the world where anyone’s privacy can be hijacked.
Nocturnes – Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan – India, USA, 2024 (UK premiere)
In the dead of night, against the enchanting forest backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, a pair of nocturnal scientists illuminate a hidden, microscale world.
Sapir – Liran Atzmor – Israel, 2024 (International premiere)
An engrossing portrait of the world’s first professional league transgender football referee, who finds themselves at a personal and professional crossroads.
Simon and Marianne (Simon et Marianne) – Pier-Luc Latulippe, Martin Fournier – Canada, 2024 (World premiere)
A moving account of the last summer a couple spend together after one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness.
The Ride Ahead – Samuel Habib, Dan Habib – USA, 2024 (European premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Samuel wants the life any average 21-year-old desires, and he’s determined that his disability will not get in the way of achieving his dreams.
Memories
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.
Atomic People – Benedict Sanderson, Megumi Inman – Japan, United Kingdom, USA, 2024 (World premiere)
An essential record, drawn of the testimonies of Hibakushas – survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan – of humanity’s potential for destroy itself.
Death Without Mercy – Waad Al-Kateab – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
The director of For Sama captures the anguish of Syrian and Turkish communities as they reel from the devastation wreaked by a massive earthquake.
Don’t Forget to Remember – Ross Killeen – Ireland, 2024 (International premiere)
An artist navigates his mother’s life and memories as they are being eroded by the advance of Alzheimer’s.
The Flats – Alessandra Celesia – France, Belgium, Ireland, UK, 2024 (UK premiere)
From their central Belfast tower-block, resident Joe and his neighbours confront the lingering ghosts of the Troubles, reliving the memories that have shaped their lives.
In the Shade of the Hills (A l’ombre des collines) – Anne Jochum, Laëtitia Gaudin Le Puil – France, 2024 (World premiere)
An organisation founded by a survivor of the Rwandan genocide employs creativity and art to help children and vulnerable parents, and to prevent history repeating itself.
Life on the Edge – Johnny Langenheim, Sebastian Feehan – UK, 2024 (World premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
An Inuit educator navigates the stunning snow-covered landscapes of northern Greenland as he seeks to help people in their struggles with mental health.
The Mother of All Lies (Kadib Abyad) – Asmae El Moudir – Morocco, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 2023 (UK premiere)
A Moroccan filmmaker movingly weaves together the recent past of her family and country through an exquisite reproduction of her local neighbourhood.
Our Land, Our Freedom – Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu – Kenya, USA, Portugal, Germany, 2023 (UK premiere)
Wanjugu Kimathi is on a mission to find the remains of her father, Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi, and to resettle his comrades, who were displaced by colonialists.
Sugarcane – Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie – Canada, USA, Italy, 2024 (European premiere) (Roger Ross Williams Social Impact Documentaries)
A riveting chronicle of an investigation into unreported deaths at a boarding school for indigenous children in Canada that led to an inter-generational reckoning with abuse, faith and power.
Where Dragons Live (Waar Draken Wonen) – Suzanne Raes – Netherlands, UK, 2024 (World premiere)
Following the death of their parents, the four siblings of the Impey family must unpack their childhood fears as they prepare to sell their dragon-filled Oxfordshire home.
Witnesses. Captivity that kills (Свідки. Полон вбиває.) – Maryna Roshchyna, Tetiana Symon – Ukraine, 2024 (International premiere)
An investigation into the explosion that killed Russian-held Ukrainian prisoners highlights the importance of recording atrocities as wars still rage and the key role played by the Ukraine War Archive.
People & Community
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.
The Accidental President – Mike Lerner, Martin Herring – UK, 2024 (UK premiere)
When Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya put her name on the ballot alongside authoritarian Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko she had no idea she would win. This is her story.
Agent of Happiness – Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó – Bhutan, Hungary, 2024 (UK premiere)
A happiness surveyor in the Kingdom of Bhutan grapples with his own contentment in this light-hearted yet fascinating probe into how happiness can be measured.
The Battle for Laikipia – Daphne Matziaraki, Peter Murimi – Kenya, Greece, USA, 2024 (UK premiere) (Roger Ross Williams, Social Impact Documentaries)
In Kenya’s Laikipia County, climate change, alongside unresolved historical injustices, escalate tensions in a long-standing dispute between the region’s Indigenous pastoralists and white ranchers.
The Contestant – Clair Titley – UIK, Japan, 2023 (UK premiere)
A fascinating record of a controversial mega-hit Japanese TV show, which saw an aspiring comedian locked in a room and living off magazine prizes.
Daughters – Natalie Rae, Angela Patton – USA, 2024 (European premiere) (Roger Ross Williams Selection)
Offers an intimate and emotional portrait of systemic racism and generational trauma experienced by fathers trapped in the American prison system.
Democracy Noir – Connie Field – Denmark, USA, Germany, Hungary, 2024 (International premiere) (Tim Hetherington Award)
An opportunity for imprisoned fathers to spend time with their daughters is the focal point of this moving documentary about the United States´ broken carceral system.
Pirópolis – Nicolás Molina – Chile, 2024 (European premiere)
A company of volunteer firefighters in the Chilean port city of Valparaíso battle wildfires, and witness political and social turmoil of a more man-made kind.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin – Benjamin Ree – Norway, 2024 (UK premiere)
The life of a young Norwegian gamer who died from a degenerative disease is vividly reimagined when his online friends make contact with his parents.
This Is Ballroom (Salão De Baile) – Juru, Vitã – Brazil, 2024 (UK premiere)
On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, the city’s top ballroom houses convene in a sweaty, euphonic competition, in this electrifying portrait of contemporary queer Brazil.
Three Promises – Yousef Srouji – Palestine, USA, Lebanon, 2023 (UK premiere)
On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, the city’s top ballroom houses convene in a sweaty, euphonic competition, in this electrifying portrait of contemporary queer Brazil.
The Trouble With Mr Doodle – Jaimie D’Cruz – UK, 2024 (European premiere)
The story of Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, and how a seemingly benign activity has transformed his life, with startling results.
We Can Be Heroes – Carina Mia Wong, Alex Simmons – USA, 2024 (International premiere)
Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons’ life-affirming film unfolds in a live action role-playing camp that offers neurodivergent, queer and self-proclaimed ‘nerdy’ teenagers space for self-discovery.
Rebellions (supported by Bertha Foundation)
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.
An Army of Women – Julie Lunde Lilleæeter – Norway, Germany, USA, 2024 (International premiere)
A compelling documentary that places us at the heart of the battle against a justice system which systematically fails to address rape cases in Austin, Texas.
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story – Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee – Canada, 2024 (European premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee’s ode to the forgotten soul musician Jackie Shane documents a life of eclipsed stardom and trailblazing trans musical history.
Bread and Roses – Sahra Mani – Afghanistan, USA, 2022 (UK premiere)
Three Afghan women express both fear and resilience as they bravely capture what life is like once again under the brutal misogyny of Taliban rule.
The Cranes Call – Laura Warner – UK, Ukraine, France, Netherlands, Germany, 2024 (European premiere)
A heart-pounding account of the relentless mission to secure accountability for the mass atrocities occurring in Ukraine.
Farming the Revolution (Inquilab di kheti) – Nishtha Jain, Akashdip Mukherjee – India, France, Norway, 2024 (UK premiere)
In 2020, farmers in India organised a spirited national protest against the country’s new farm laws, leading to a momentous defeat for the State.
MADANIYA (مدنياااااو) – Mohamed Subahi – Sudan, 2024 (World premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
Writer-director Mohamed Subahi documents the citizens’ revolt that toppled 30 years of repressive rule in Sudan and the one word that inspired it.
No Other Land – Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal – Palestine, Norway, 2024 (UK premiere)
Charting an unlikely alliance between a Palestinian filmmaker and an Israeli journalist, this is a powerful record of life in occupied Palestine.
S/He Is Still Her/e – The Official Genesis P-Orridge Doc – David Charles Rodrigues – USA, 2024 (International premiere)
A comprehensive, enthralling and aptly provocative portrait of the singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist and occultist known as Genesis P. Orridge.
State of Silence (Estado de Silencio) – Santiago Maza – Mexico, 2024 (European premiere)
A gripping and sobering tale of Mexican journalists battling drug lords in a high-stakes game of truth and consequences.
Strike: An Uncivil War – Daniel Gordon – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
The Battle of Orgreave, recounted by those who lived through it, is contextualised through the history of the British mining union and a government that was hell-bent on breaking it.
Rhythms
Focuses on music documentaries and performances. A collection of documentaries in which movement, bodies and songs take the main stage.
blur: To the End – Toby L – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
A treasure trove of live and archive footage drives this portrait of the British band as they prepare to tour their new album.
DEVO – Chris Smith – UK, USA, 2024 (UK premiere)
Few groups embraced sci-fi, satire and surrealism with the gusto that the Dada-inspired, US new-wave, art-punk, synth-pop band DEVO did, as this energetic portrait reveals.
Eno – Gary Hustwit – UK, USA, 2024 (DocFest premiere)
There is no better subject to create a generative documentary around than musician, producer, artist, activist and all-round polymath Brian Eno.
Googoosh – Made of Fire – Niloufar Taghizadeh – Germany, 2024 (World premiere)
Iranian superstar Googoosh, who was subject to decades of persecution at home, recounts her extraordinary 50-year career as a singer, actress and activist.
HAIYU – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara – Saharawi Voice, Alex Veitch, Brahim B. Ali, Mohamedsalem Werad, Anna Klara AK Åhrén – Algeria, Sweden, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, 2024 (World premiere) (Youth Jury Award)
An iconic singer’s life, music and lyrics are deeply intertwined with the struggle for freedom in a country known as Africa’s last colony.
Hakeem – James Topley and Ivo Beckett (DeadHorses) – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
Troubled Eastender Hak Baker’s life takes an unexpected turn after he wins a guitar in a prison raffle.
Harder than the Rock – Mark Warmington – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
The thrilling story of The Cimarons, the first UK band to embrace the thrilling new sound coming out of Jamaica. Director Mark Warmington, Don Letts, and members of The Cimarons will introduce and discuss this joyous account, rich in archive and concert footage, of the UK’s first breakout reggae band.
Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound – Antony Crook – Scotland, 2024 (European premiere)
Showcasing the band’s expansive cinematic sound, this musical labour of love charts Mogwai’s history, from its inception in 1995 to the release of the band’s tenth album, 2021’s ‘As the Love Continues’.
Teaches of Peaches – Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer – Germany, 2024 (UK premiere)
Taking its title from her second album, Philipp Fussenegger and Judy Landkammer’s riveting portrait of Peaches celebrates the career of one of contemporary music’s iconoclasts.
Short Film Programs
This Academy Award, BAFTA and BIFA-accredited award honours the best creative approaches in documentaries under 40 minutes.
Shorts: Body as Archive:
The Backstreet – Romain Beck – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
An intimate exploration of four decades of desire, community, love and loss through the eyes of regulars at The Backstreet, an iconic London gay leather club.
Dancing Palestine – Lamees AlMakkawy – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
In a culture continually threatened with erasure, dancing the dabke, the traditional folk dance of Palestine, becomes an essential form of resistance for young Palestinians.
fawns of the city – Jamal Sterrett, Otis Mensah – UK, 2024 (World premiere)
A poetic-sonic expression from Sheffield-based artist Otis Mensah and performer Jamal Sterrett that explores diasporic-bonding, friendship and our many delicate states of home
Perfected Grammar – Andrea Suwito – Hungary, Portugal, Belgium, Indonesia, 2024 (World premiere)
Through language lessons with her mother, a daughter learns more about her Indonesian roots, her mother’s painful journey, and her longing for a place to call home.
Shorts: Building a Life
The Opposite of Dying (死的对头) – Peiyuan Zhang – China, 2024 (World premiere)
Dreaming of becoming a successful entrepreneur, a cave-dwelling hermit attempts to package his lifestyle as a unique experience to sell to tourists.
We Are Fallen Angels – Rosa Vendelboe Vestergaard – Denmark, 2024 (World premiere)
A young singer and influencer lives in a dream world of her own making, but behind this glitzy veneer lies a much more complicated reality.
Shorts: Haunted by the Present
Angular Phoenix (Latitude fénix) – Welket Bungué – Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, 2024 (World premiere)
Reanimating a Baron and the Black Princess, this speculative film summons figures from the past through bodies of the present, in a visceral call for reconciliation.
De Occulta Imagine – Stefano P. Testa – Italy, 2024 (International premiere)
Bringing his cinematic alchemy to the archives of the Italian Labour and Democratic Movement, director Stefano P. Testa transmutes the past with an inimitable presence.
Letters to Vincent (Brieven aan Vincent) – Hannah van Tassel – Netherlands, 2023 (International premiere)
A group of women, patients in a psychiatric hospital, send letters to one of the institution’s former residents, Vincent van Gogh.
Where Russia Ends (Там, де закінчується Росія) – Oleksiy Radynski – Ukraine, 2024 (UK premiere)
Composed entirely of archive footage rediscovered in the Kyiv Popular Science Film Studios in 2022, this film interrogates Russian imperialism and the destruction of Indigenous land.
Shorts: More Souls Than One
Blue (Bleu) – Ana Vijdea – Romania, Belgium, Portugal, Hungary, 2024 (World premiere)
A piercingly intimate glimpse into the complex dynamics in a family where obedience is obligatory and emotions are as unpredictable as the sea.
Eternal Father – Ömer Sami – UK, 2023 (UK premiere)
Afraid he won’t be around to see his children grow up, Nasar decides to be cryogenically frozen, in the hope of returning in the future.
Nocturne for a Forest (Nocturno para uma floresta) – Catarina Vasconcelos – Portugal, 2023 (UK premiere)
In 1622, a group of monks built a fortress around a forest, closing it off to women. Yet when night reigns, the spirit world knows no walls.
Wind of Gold (Vento Dourado) – André Hayato Saito – Brazil, 2023 (European premiere)
Surrounded by memories and nature, a mother and daughter enjoy their last moments together, as one teeters on the brink of an unknowable eternity.
Shorts: More Than Words
Audio & the Alligator (Audio y el Caimán) – Andrés I. Estrada – Canada, Venezuela, 2024 (European premiere)
Audio Caña is the self-described greatest storyteller in Calabozo, Venezuela. His latest tale is about the 19ft alligator living in his pond. But could it be true?
Beyond Words – Kim Brand – Netherlands, 2024 (World premiere)
An unconventional choir attempt to communicate with those who have lost their connection to conventional language, in this beautiful and humane black-and-white study.
Habibullah – Adnan Zandi – Iran, 2023 (International premiere)
Habibullah Zandi has been singing for decades, but as a local mullah tries to silence his song, he proves that music and poetry can also be sacred.
This is Only the Beginning – Samori Tovatt – Sweden, 2024 (World premiere)
A young reclusive man moves from his small town in Sweden to Osaka, in search of a connection and an escape from the mundanity of life.
Shorts: Sculpted Lands
Dreams About Putin – Nastia Korkia, Vlad Fishez – Belgium, Portugal, Hungary, 2023 (UK premiere)
What is repressed and unspoken returns as dreams and nightmares in this cinematic essay about the shaping of the unconscious in times of war.
Exhumator – Christof Schuerpf – Switzerland, 2023 (International premiere)
Heinz’s job has taught him to befriend death – to treat the deceased like the living. Doing his work, he sees the world very differently.
Our Lady Who Burns (Nossa Senhora Que Queima) – Alice dos Reis – Portugal, 2024 (World premiere)
On a Portuguese mountain, saintly apparitions and alien encounters interweave with the story of a pregnant cat, in a series of paranormal encounters.
Totem (Tòtem) – Macià Florit – Spain, 2024 (International premiere)
A stunning tripartite portrait of the last stonecutter on the island of Menorca, a sandstone sculptor and of the scarred land they both carve.
The Trap (Trampa) – Ferney Iyokina Gittoma – Colombia, 2024 (World premiere)
Cinema and spirits intertwine in the Colombian Amazon. The arrival of a jaguar signals an opportunity to rebirth the legacy of an ancestor.
Shorts: Staying with the Trouble
Flowers (Flores) – José Cardoso – Ecuador, South Africa, 2024 (World premiere)
An Amazon ethnocide is justified by a war in Ukraine. It’s streamed online by the filmmaker, while in the garden his three-year-old son marvels at the flowers.
Goodnight, Mister Stalin – Benjamin Kodboel – UK, 2024 (European premiere)
In the Georgian town where Josef Stalin was born, two women become embroiled in an inter-generational struggle over their conflicting interpretations of a contested history.
One Night At Babes – Angelo Madsen – USA, 2024 (European premiere)
When the ageing, conservative townsfolk of Bethel, Vermont, and the young queer newcomers begin sharing the same watering hole, a delicate allegiance flourishes.
Shorts: Truth to Power
Bad Hostage – Mimi Wilcox – USA, 2024 (World premiere)
Stories of kidnappings and bank heists intersect with the director’s own thrilling family tale, as this electrifying film reveals the true origins of Stockholm Syndrome.
Inside, The Valley Sings – Nathan Fagan, @Custom – Ireland, 2024 (World premiere)
Trapped in the never-ending horror of prolonged solitary confinement, three prisoners seek comfort and escape in the boundless vistas of their own imaginations.
A Move (خونه) – Elahe Esmaili – UK, Iran, 2024 (UK premiere)
Filmmaker Elahe Esmaili returns to her hometown in Iran. Inspired by the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, she starts her own revolution at home.
Alternate Realities Exhibition
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.
The Finger Rub Rug – Netherlands, 2020 (UK premiere)
If the body is an immersive medium then the skin is one of its most powerful tools and the practice of touch is a mode of immersive engagement.
Nocturnal Fugue – USA, 2024 (UK premiere)
This multi-sensorial installation emulates the communicative complexity of bats. Morph into a bat and echolocate through space or sit and feel the vibrations of bat vocalisation.
Remember This Place: 31°20’46’’N 34°46’46’’E – Qatar, Palestine, Spain, 2023 (No premiere)
Stories hold dreams and they also hold memories. Remembering can be an act of rebellion and resistance to forces of erasure. A moving collection of stories from Bedouin women remembering the homes they have been forcibly removed from and the culture they are fighting to preserve.
Shadowtime – Sister Sylvester, Deniz Tortum – Netherlands, Turkey, 2023 (UK premiere)
Encased in a specially-built camera obscura, this piece questions our very desire to escape into virtual, enclosed worlds that only seem divorced from our physical, ecological one.
Virtual Reality International Competition
LETU: Frankie’s Story – Tanzania, 2023 (World premiere) (International Alternate Realities Competition)
LETU is an interactive virtual experience that allows you to visit idealised digital worlds for the LGBTQIA+ communities of East Africa.
Murmuration – Canada, 2023 (World premiere) (International Alternate Realities Competition)
Dive into Kanope’s magical realist ocean journey, blending hope with survival in a tale of migration that honours those seeking a better future.
Perinatal Dreaming. Understanding Country – Australia, 2023 (International premiere) (International Alternate Realities Competition)
A meditative and thought provoking work that depicts early life in the womb and entry into the world, whilst exploring the impact of perinatal trauma.
Queer Utopia: Act I Cruising – Brazil, Portugal, 2023 (UK premiere) (International Alternate Realities Competition)
A deeply personal and moving portrayal of a retired playwright’s life experiences, reconstructed through abstract memories that comment on the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Draw For Change: We Exist, We Resist (Draw For Change: Existimos, Resistimos) – Belgium, 2023 (UK premiere) (International Alternate Realities Competition)
Explore Maremoto’s world, where her art empowers women and confronts femicide. Experience her creative process, witness a protest, and navigate the challenges of sexual harassment in Mexico.
Emperor (Empereur) – France, 2023 (No premiere) (International Alternate Realities Competition)
An interactive experience that offers a moving portrayal of a daughter’s attempts to understand and connect with her father, as he suffers from aphasia.
Alternate Realities Special Screenings
Traces of Responsibility – Anja Reiss, Jann Anderegg – Switzerland, Germany, Rwanda, 2024 (UK premiere)
An interactive audience experience set in Rwanda that traces a convicted war criminal with ties to Switzerland.
Distant Feeler – Juan David González Monroy, Anja Dornieden – Germany, 2020 (UK premiere)
How far beyond the screen can cinematic projection travel? Is telepathic cinema possible?
Talks
Channel 4 Interview: Anna Hall
Chris van Tulleken in Conversation
Defiance: Fighting the Battle for British History
Nat Geo Spotlight: Idris Elba & the Creative Team in Conversation on New Series “Erased”
BBC Interview: Simon Reeve in Conversation
Roger Ross Williams in Conversation
Roger Ross Williams on Social Impact Documentaries
Walter Murch in Conversation
Podcast Stories live events
Podcast Live: The Last Witness with Michael Sheen
Created by Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor in collaboration with Michael Sheen
Podcast Live: Time, Paper, Bone
Created by Bongani Kona and Catherine Boulle
Films + Conversations
Ancestral Lands: Yintah
Archiving the Present: Witnesses. Captivity that kills
blur: To The End
Co-Resistance: No Other land
Cult Massacre: One Day In Jonestown
Eno
Four Kings
Freedom of The Press: State of Silence
Hakeem
Harder than the Rock
In My Own Words: Hanif Kureishi
Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound
Strike: An Uncivil War
The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze
Must Read Stories
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