Sheffield Doc/Fest | Little White Lies

Sheffield Doc/Fest

Ornate interior of a grand hall with rows of red chairs and people seated, under a high-ceilinged arched roof decorated with detailed architectural features.
Sheffield Doc/Fest

Here’s what it’s like to pitch your film idea at a festival

by Rupert Clague

One film­mak­er shares his exper­i­ment of pitch­ing a project at Sheffield DocFest’s Meet­Mar­ket, which con­nects artists with a vari­ety of peo­ple who might be able to help them realise their dream.
Dilapidated buildings, scattered debris, and a person sitting on a wooden crate, reading from a book amidst the destruction.
Festivals

At Sheffield Doc/Fest, filmmakers reflect on the war in Ukraine

by Katie Goh

The chal­lenges and ethics of show­ing life in an active con­flict zone were a key theme of the fes­ti­val’s 2022 edition.
Smiling young boy holding a bundle of wheat stalks in a desert landscape.
Festivals

This new documentary is Afghanistan’s answer to Boyhood

by Katie Goh

My Child­hood, My Coun­try sees film­mak­er Phil Grab­sky and jour­nal­ist Shoaib Shar­i­fi cap­ture a young man’s life.
Smoke and debris billowing from buildings in an urban environment.
Festivals

20 years on, can cinema teach us anything new about 9/11?

by Thomas Flew

At this year’s Sheffield Doc/​Fest, a trio of doc­u­men­taries revis­it­ed the events of that fate­ful Sep­tem­ber day.
A woman with vibrant red hair, wearing a red top, looking directly at the camera against a black background.
Festivals

Female authenticity takes centre stage at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2021

by Lydia Rostant

Three films at this year’s fes­ti­val com­bined female-cen­tred sto­ries with inspir­ing acts of protest.
Crowd of protesters carrying signs about police violence and massacres.
Festivals

Uprising is an urgent, emotional account of a national tragedy

by Katie Goh

Steve McQueen and James Rogan’s three-part docuseries exam­ines three piv­otal events from 1981.
Two Asian men in formal attire, one wearing glasses, being interviewed by reporters holding microphones.
Festivals

A new documentary revisits the Tokyo gas attack 25 years on

by Matt Turner

In Me and the Cult Leader, film­mak­er and sur­vivor Atsushi Saka­hara con­fronts both his own trau­ma and that of a nation.
A group of people having a discussion or meeting in a room with large windows.
Festivals

A new film explores the history of mass incarceration and house music in America

by Hannah Clugston

Bring Down the Walls sug­gests that the dance floor can pro­vide lib­er­a­tion from oppres­sive judi­cial policies.
A woman with long, curly red hair wearing a black jacket and standing in front of a sparkling, iridescent background.
Festivals

Elizabeth Sankey on deconstructing the rom-com

by Katie Goh

The musi­cian-turned-film­mak­er explores the his­to­ry of the genre in her insight­ful debut, Roman­tic Comedy.
Two men discussing strategy on a football tactics board.
Festivals

The best new sports documentaries to look out for in 2018

by Matt Turner

This year’s Sheffield Doc/​Fest fea­tured three pro­found tales of sport­ing tri­umph and tragedy.
Woman in yellow and brown outfit, standing in front of dark background with hanging objects.
Sheffield Doc/Fest

What’s the relationship between documentary and democracy?

by Katy Vans

Now more than ever, film­mak­ers are fight­ing to give a voice to the dis­af­fect­ed, the poor and the oppressed.
Three people, two women and one man, standing in front of a graffiti-covered wall. The women are wearing casual clothing, while the man is wearing a sleeveless shirt. The image has a warm, vibrant colour palette.
Festivals

The 10 best films we saw at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017

by David Jenkins

Our favourite doc­u­men­taries from this year’s fes­ti­val – all of which you should look out for.