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Sheffield DocFest, nan UK’s starring documentary movie festival, will beryllium welcoming immoderate of nonfiction film’s biggest talents to nan 33rd version of nan world event.
The afloat nationalist programme announced Wednesday features nan latest activity from Oscar winners Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tilda Swinton, Oscar nominees Maite Alberdi, Liz Garbus, Sara Dosa, Waad Al-Khateab, Tia Lessin, and Carl Deal, positive appearances by Michael Sheen, Miriam Margolyes, Mark Cousins, Democracy Now! big Amy Goodman, impermanent of grant Maxine Peake and more. The lineup is packed pinch complete 100 world, international, European, and UK premieres.
Sheffield DocFest, moving June 10-15 successful nan metropolis successful Northern England, “celebrates nan champion successful non-fiction storytelling crossed aggregate platforms, including documentary features, shorts, docuseries, podcast unrecorded events, immersive and extended reality exhibitions, talks, masterclasses and more,” according to a release. It will footwear disconnected Wednesday, June 10 pinch nan world premiere of We, The Hated, directed by Rich Felgate, a documentary examining nan arguable biology activists down Just Stop Oil, “one of nan astir polarizing protestation movements successful caller memory.”
Among nan programme highlights is simply a 100th day tribute to Sir David Attenborough, nan awesome naturalist, conservationist, filmmaker, and author. He celebrates nan period people connected May 8. “Sir David Attenborough astatine 100: A Living Legacy,” a typical speech successful his honor, will bring together “leading voices to bespeak connected his bonzer bequest and research really it is shaping nan early of biology storytelling and activism.”
Scroll for specifications connected nan DocFest title lineups.
“In 2026, we are navigating a world defined by some profound uncertainty and changeless transformation,” notes Raul Niño Zambrano, DocFest’s imaginative director. “Our theme, Realities successful Motion, captures this momentum, reflecting really our lives are continually reshaped by corporate action, from ambiance defense and societal activism to nan enduring powerfulness of music. Whether done features, shorts, TV episodes, podcasts, games, talks, aliases immersive XR experiences, we person curated a programme that celebrates nan afloat spectrum of documentary storytelling. I americium profoundly grateful to our advisors, consultants, and nan full DocFest squad for their tireless activity successful building a balanced, inclusive programme designed to spark heavy curiosity and meaningful dialogue. We can’t hold to stock it pinch our world audience.”
Mimi Poskitt, DocFest managing director, comments, “Documentary storytelling has nan powerfulness to unfastened our eyes to nan world and thief america make consciousness of nan realities astir america which is why Sheffield DocFest, now successful its 33rd year, continues to germinate alongside nan audiences it serves. We are highly proud of really this year’s programme reflects nan move ways group prosecute pinch non-fiction storytelling – seeking retired immersive, innovative and thought-provoking experiences. It’s besides why we decided to motorboat GEN DocFest, a caller strand dedicated to children and families. Not only does this underscore our dedication to welcoming and inspiring nan adjacent procreation of audiences and creators, but it will besides thief to guarantee nan documentary shape remains inclusive, accessible and applicable for generations to come.”
Sheffield, which incorporates nan bucolic Peak District National Park wrong its borders, is nestled successful South Yorkshire.
“DocFest is simply a captious portion of Sheffield’s taste life and world estimation arsenic a metropolis that champions culture, creativity, documentary and debate,” states Kate Josephs, main executive of nan Sheffield City Council. “We are proud to support nan show and nan opportunities it creates for group successful Sheffield, South Yorkshire and beyond to prosecute pinch world‑class film, ideas and talent. This year’s programme erstwhile again demonstrates nan ambition, originality and relevance that person made DocFest specified an important fixture successful nan city’s taste calendar.”
FULL PROGRAM LISTINGS
Opening Night Film
We, The Hated – Rich Felgate / United Kingdom / 2026 / 89mins / World Premiere
An friendly image of Just Stop Oil protestors asks what it really costs to return a guidelines successful a supposedly antiauthoritarian society.
COMPETITIONS
International Competition
Honoring films that champion show beardown creator imagination and courageous storytelling. This grant is Academy Award accredited.
Colors of White Rock – Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig / France, Mongolia / 2026 / 82mins / European Premiere
In Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, Maikhuu is 1 of nan country’s only female motortruck drivers, hauling ember crossed treacherous roads to supply for her family.
Disciples – Pankaj Johar, Sunaina Kapoor/ India, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Qatar / 2026 / 81mins / World Premiere
On nan banks of nan Ganges successful Varanasi, 2 boys participate a revered Hindu schoolhouse wherever lessons successful ancient scripture blur into thing much troubling.
Filthy (Sucia – Per qué nary vas fer res?) – Bárbara Mestanza, Marc Pujolar / Spain / 2026 / 82mins / International Premiere
When an character goes looking for nan man who assaulted her, she turns her trauma into creation and asks nan mobility cipher wanted her to: why didn’t you do anything?
Lesbian Lines- Cara Holmes / Ireland / 2026 / 77mins / World Premiere
An friendly image of a web of underground telephone helplines established by a mini organization of Irish lesbians successful 1979.
MKO – Ose Oyamendan / Nigeria, United Kingdom, Canada, USA / 2026 / 108mins / World Premiere
Moshood Abiola wins Nigeria’s freest election, only for nan subject to jailhouse him. When U.S. diplomats get to discuss his release, he is served tea, and dies.
The Archivist – Rob Curry, Tim Plester / 2026 / 98mins / World Premiere
David “Doc” Rowe has spent decades preserving Britain’s overlooked people traditions. Now, pinch clip moving short, he faces a title to protect them.
The Apologist – Kristof Bilsen / Belgium, Netherlands, France / 2026 / 82mins / World Premiere
Through nan ritual of saying sorry, a bold travel explores really apologies redefine history and what happens to america arsenic witnesses to nan enactment of atonement.
Time Machine Maidan (Машина Часу Майдан) – Roman Liubyi, Volodymyr Tykhyy/ Ukraine, Germany / 2026 / 86mins / World Premiere
In this haunting and visually inventive documentary, a spectral sound drifts done clip and representation to trace nan Maidan gyration and nan roots of guidance successful Ukraine.
International First Feature Competition
This title honors nan early of non-fiction movie and celebrates promising caller talent.
A City successful nan Forest – Lev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber / USA / 2026 / 98mins / World Premiere
When a constabulary portion successful Atlanta moves to raze an municipality wood for nan country’s largest constabulary training facility, a grassroots activity fights to take sides nan land.
Hope is simply a Word – Maria Galliani Dyrvik / Norway, Italy, Nigeria / 2026 / 82mins /
World Premiere
In Nigeria’s Niger Delta, wherever lipid extraction has poisoned nan onshore for decades, writer and activistic Nnimmo Bassey nurtures a caller procreation of writers to conflict back.
Magma (Le Magma) – Mia Bendrimia / France, Algeria, Qatar / 2026 / 88mins / World Premiere
Searching for answers astir her Algerian family’s ties to some sides of nan Independence war, a filmmaker uncovers a tangle of contradicting buried histories.
Matininó – Gabriela Díaz Arp / Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic / 2026 / 87mins / International Premiere
In Puerto Rico, a multi-generational group of women face unit and maltreatment done a shared imaginative imagination rich | successful colour, mythology and play.
The Way You See Me (Como tú maine ves) – M Sin Título / Mexico, Argentina / 2026 / 85mins / World Premiere
An friendly communicative astir nan building of personality and nan consequences of defying gender norms wrong Mexico’s blimpish upper-middle- people society.
The Wind’s Thirst (La Sed del viento) – Alejandro Valbuena / Canada, Colombia / 2026 / 84mins / World Premiere
In Colombia’s La Guajira desert, 3 Wayuu guardians defy arsenic a reservoir and upwind turbines built connected their ancestral onshore service firm interests, not their community.
The Wolf – Wancheng Gu, Prasad Shetty / India, France / 2026 / 89mins / World Premiere
Yuan, a 60 twelvemonth aged erstwhile colony politician successful Shanghai, seeks state done heartbreak, matrimony and LGBTQ+ repression successful modern China.
WOLF – Christian Cargill / United Kingdom / 2026 / 88mins / World Premiere
Tilda Swinton guides america done nan life of cult British musician Patrick Wolf, weaving together archive and animation to illuminate a singular creator journey.
International Short Film Competition
This Academy Award, BAFTA and BIFA-accredited grant honours nan champion imaginative approaches successful documentaries nether 40 minutes.
3 Lost In Towers
跳房子 – Jingyuan Liang, Shizhao Ye / China / 2026 / 17mins / World Premiere
After a existent property illness successful a mini Chinese city, a man who took his ain life lingers arsenic a ghostly beingness among nan unfinished buildings.
all that appears coagulated is built connected humor – Izdihar Afoyuni, Gelare Khoshgozaran / United Kingdom, Palestine / 2026 / 11mins / World Premiere
Footage documenting nan making of a wide sedate successful Khan Younis, Gaza is slowed framework by frame, re-shot connected movie and soaked successful quality blood.
Anatomy of a Portrait (Anatomía de un Retrato) – Juan Felipe León / Colombia / 2026 / 23mins / World Premiere
A agrarian Colombian female plans to donate her assemblage to subject and commissions her ain posthumous portrait, successful a tender, inventive meditation connected life, decease and nan quality body.
Do You Know That I’m With You
بىلھمسھن مھن سھن بىلھن بىللھ – Darya Andijan / Netherlands / 2026 / 23mins / World Premiere
A forgotten goddess of carpet weaving is summoned backmost to life arsenic a filmmaker pieces together mislaid memories crossed nan Uyghur diaspora.
Maybe Tomorrow
أغدا ً ألقاك – Waad Al-Kateab, Wafa Mustafa / United Kingdom, Syria, Germany / 2026 / 40mins / World Premiere
When activistic Wafa Mustafa’s begetter disappears nether Assad’s regime, her hunt for answers becomes a communicative of memory, personality and resilience.
Pelo Lindo – Josue Garcia Prado / Guatemala / 2026 / 24mins / World Premiere
A 90-year-old Guatemalan mother reflects connected 4 decades of waiting for her forcibly vanished son, and nan chapel she built successful his name.
Red Elephant – Iqran Rasheed / Pakistan, Belgium, Hungary, Portugal / 2026 / 22mins / World Premiere
LGBTQ+ asylum seekers successful Belgium look an intolerable ask: beryllium their personality by reliving nan worst things that person happened to them.
Relic – Sam Howard / Northern Ireland / 2026 / 13mins / World Premiere
High supra Belfast, an 85-year-old man holds a beatified relic linked to Padre Pio. Every 13th night, devoted locals travel up nan upland seeking a ineffable cure.
Stalin Boys – Bianca Giaever, Ora DeKornfeld / USA / 2026 / 22mins / International Premiere
Four mediate schoolhouse boys successful a mini Texas separator municipality transmission an improbable obsession pinch Joseph Stalin into a history adjacent play astir tyranny.
Wild East – Maia Wikler / Romania, Sweden, Austria / 2026 / 36mins / World Premiere
A Romanian environmentalist risks everything to expose IKEA’s demolition of ancient forest, successful an urgent, gripping image of 1 person’s conflict against powerful firm interests.
Youth Jury Award
This grant is selected by immoderate of nan UK’s astir passionate young documentary lovers.
All Rivers Spill Their Stories To The Sea – Jeanie Finlay / United Kingdom, Germany / 2026 / 99mins / UK Premiere
When thousands of dormant crabs lavation ashore on England’s North East coast, fisherman Stan Rennie finds himself starring a grassroots conflict for answers and a future.
Crocodile – The Critics, Pietra Brettkelly / New Zealand, Nigeria / 2026 / 100mins / UK Premiere
A group of young filmmakers successful Nigeria shape a homemade corporate pinch smartphones and recycled materials. Over thirteen years, it becomes a communicative of creativity, ambition and increasing up together.
Landscapes of Memory – Leah Galant / USA, Germany / 2026 / 79mins / International Premiere
An American filmmaker travels to Berlin to face her family’s Holocaust history, only to beryllium detained astatine a pro-Palestinian objection and charged pinch antisemitism.
Past Future Continuous – Morteza Ahmadvand, Firouzeh Khosrovani / Iran, Italy, Norway / 2025 / 76mins / UK Premiere
After years of surviving successful exile from Iran, Maryam installs CCTV cameras successful her family’s Tehran location and creates a lifeline to nan parents she near behind.
Replica – Chouwa Liang / Australia, France / 2026 / 90mins / UK Premiere
Three women successful China move to AI lovers to capable nan affectional gaps near by loneliness, unfulfilling marriages and nan pursuit of independence.
The Way We Move – Vanessa Joo Dumont, Nicolas Davanel / France, USA / 2026 / 95mins / European Premiere
Amber Galloway has spent her profession making unrecorded euphony visible for Deaf audiences. Now she’s training 2 caller interpreters for nan eventual high-stakes debut astatine Austin City Limits.
Tim Hetherington Award
Photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington was committed to humanitarian and societal concerns passim nan world. This grant recognizes films that champion bespeak his legacy.
Birds of War – Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak / United Kingdom, Syria, Lebanon / 2026 / 85mins / UK Premiere
Over thirteen years of revolution, warfare and exile, a Lebanese journalist and a Syrian activistic archive their emotion communicative done matter messages, sound notes and footage from nan beforehand lines.
Life Support – Daniele Rugo / United Kingdom / 2026 / 93mins / World Premiere
A group of world doctors breach nan blockade of Gaza. What they find is nan calculated dismantling of life itself.
The Long Cuban Night (Cuba y la Noche) – Sergio Fernandez Borras / Spain, Colombia, Cuba / 2026 / 100mins / European Premiere
Captured wholly connected telephone footage, a group of Cuban artists consequence everything to archive their uprising against a authorities trying to soundlessness them.
Saigon Story: Two Shootings successful nan Forest Kingdom – Kim Nguyen / Canada / 2026 / 91mins / International Premiere
Two families, 1 photograph. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kim Nguyen unpicks nan wartime secrets hidden down Eddie Adams’ infamous Saigon Execution image.
TCB – The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing – Louis Massiah, Monica Henriquez/ USA, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Senegal / 2025 / 105mins / European Premiere
Friends of Black feminist writer, filmmaker and taste worker Toni Cade Bambara travel together to stock her lessons connected art, organization and resistance.
GUEST OF HONOR PROGRAM
Maxine Peake successful Conversation pinch Paul Sng
Actor Maxine Peake and filmmaker Paul Sng talk really moving people voices are represented successful nan media and connected surface successful nan property of populism.
The Eccentronic Research Council Live pinch Maxine Peake
The Eccentronic Research Council execute The Dreamcatcher Tapes, an medium soundtracked by people’s recalled dreams live, pinch Maxine Peake.
Queens of nan Coal Age: A Live Reading pinch Maxine Peake
Maxine Peake and guests execute a unrecorded reference from her play, connected nan 1993 Parkside Colliery occupation, revisiting working-class guidance and its relevance today.
The Archivist – Rob Curry, Tim Plester / 2026 / 98mins / World Premiere
David “Doc” Rowe has spent decades preserving Britain’s overlooked people traditions. Now, pinch clip moving short, he faces a title to protect them.
Nightcleaners
Marc Karlin, Mary Kelly, James Scott / United Kingdom / 1975 / 90mins
A groundbreaking grounds of nan early 1970s run to unionize nan women who cleaned London’s agency blocks astatine night, exploited and invisible.
The Wanted 18
Paul Cowan, Amer Shomali / Canada, France / 2014 / 75mins A Palestinian colony buys eighteen cows to nutrient its ain milk. The Israeli service declares them a threat to nationalist security.
