We’re proud to announce all nominations for the Sheffield DocFest’s 2021 International Competition, UK Competition and Awards.
International Competition
Singular films from all over the world, driven by courageous and creative ways of reflecting life and imagining our times. The International Competition includes 11 features in total, produced in 14 countries all over the globe which are eligible for the Sheffield DocFest Award for the Best Film in International Competition and International Competition Special Jury Award:
Charm Circle
Nira Burstein / USA / 2021 / 79’ / World Premiere / English
Double Layered Town / Making a Song to Replace Our Positions / Niju no machi / Kotaichi no uta o amu
Komori Haruka, Seo Natsumi / Japan / 2020 / 78’ / International Premiere / Japanese
Equatorial Constellations
Silas Tiny / Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe / 2021 / 106’ / World Premiere / Igbo, Portuguese
Factory to the Workers / Tvornice Radnicima
Srđan Kovačević / Croatia / 2021 / 105’ / World Premiere / Croatian
From The 84 Days / Aus den 84 Tagen
Philipp Hartmann / Bolivia, Germany / 2021 / 105’ / World Premiere / German, Spanish
My Dear Spies / Mes chers espions
Vladimir Léon / France / 2020 / 134’ / UK Premiere / French, Russian
Nũhũ Yãg Mũ Yõg Hãm: This Land is Our Land! / Nũhũ Yãg Mũ Yõg Hãm: Essa Terra é Nossa!
Isael Maxakali, Sueli Maxakali, Carolina Canguçu, Roberto Romero / Brazil / 2020 / 70’ / International Premiere / Maxakali, Portuguese
Rancho
Pedro Speroni / Argentina / 2021 / 72’ / International Premiere / Spanish
Summer / ЛЕТО
Vadim Kostrov / Russia / 2020 / 109’ / World Premiere / Russian
This Stained Dawn
Anam Abbas / Pakistan / 2021 / 89’ / World Premiere / English, Urdu
White on White / Bílá na Bílé
Viera Čákanyová / Czech Republic, Slovakia / 2020 / 74’ / International Premiere / English, Slovak
UK Competition
From the Amazon to Iraq, the mountains of Cromarty to South London, via the streets of Liverpool and the River Severn, this selection of films contributes in rich ways to the future UK and international film landscape. The UK Competition is a selection of 14 independent films that bring unique perspectives which are eligible for the Sheffield DocFest Award for the Best Film in UK Competition and UK Competition Special Jury Award.
Ali and his Miracle Sheep
Maythem Ridha / Iraq, UK / 2021 / 25’ / World Premiere / Arabic
Alive
Makeda Matheson / UK / 2021 / 11’ / World Premiere / English
CAUGHT / CAER
Nicola Mai / UK / 2021 / 61’ / European Premiere / English, Spanish
Cold Stack
Frank Martin / UK / 2020 / 12’ / World Premiere / English
Don McCullin: Almost Liverpool 8
Daniel Draper, Allan Melia / UK / 2021 / 89’ / World Premiere / English
In The Space You Left
Christine Saab / UK / 2021 / 23’ / World Premiere / English
Madness Remixed
Rhea Storr / UK / 2021 / 11’ / World Premiere / English
Portrait Of Kaye
Ben Reed / UK / 2021 / 59’ / World Premiere / English
RIP SENI
Daisy Ifama / UK / 2021 / 20’ / World Premiere / English
Songs For The River
Charlotte Ginsborg / UK / 2021 / 77’ / World Premiere / English
The Battle of Denham Ford
Rob Curry, Tim Plester / UK / 2021 / 27’ / World Premiere / English
The Elvermen
Isla Badenoch / UK / 2021 / 14’ / World Premiere / English
The Quintessence
Pamela Breda / France, Italy, Switzerland, UK, USA / 2021 / 108’ / World Premiere / English, French
The Return
Eriberto Gualinga / Ecuador, UK / 2021 / 17’ / World Premiere / Kichwa
Tim Hetherington Award
This award recognises a film and filmmaker which best reflects journalist Tim Hetherington’s legacy. This award is sponsored by Dogwoof.
Carlos Ghosn: The Last Flight
Nick Green / France, Lebanon, UK / 2021 / 99’ / World Premiere / English, French, Japanese
Courage
Aliaksei Paluyan / Belarus, Germany / 2021 / 89’ / UK Premiere / Belarusian, Russian
Dear Elnaz
Mania Akbari / Canada / 2021 / 83’ / UK Premiere / Farsi
Nũhũ Yãg Mũ Yõg Hãm: This Land is Our Land! / Nũhũ Yãg Mũ Yõg Hãm: Essa Terra é Nossa!
Isael Maxakali, Sueli Maxakali, Carolina Canguçu, Roberto Romero / Brazil / 2020 / 70’ / International Premiere / Maxakali, Portuguese
Splinters / Esquirlas
Natalia Garayalde / Argentina / 2020 / 70’ / UK Premiere / Spanish
The Monopoly of Violence / Un pays qui se tient sage
David Dufresne / France / 2020 / 87’ / UK Premiere / French
The Return: Life After ISIS
Alba Sotorra Clua / Spain, UK / 2021 / 85’ / European Premiere / English
The Silence of The Mole / El silencio del Topo
Anais Taracena / Guatemala / 2021 / 93’ / European Premiere / Spanish
Sheffield DocFest Award for Best First Feature
This award discovers and honours the future of non-fiction film, celebrating new talent and fresh perspectives which are eligible for the Sheffield DocFest Award for Best First Feature.
Charm Circle
Nira Burstein / USA / 2021 / 79’ / World Premiere / English
Factory to the Workers / Tvornice Radnicima
Srđan Kovačević / Croatia / 2021 / 105’ / World Premiere / Croatian
Fixed Barricade at Hamdalaye Crossing / Barrage d'arrêt fixe et fermé au niveau du carrefour Hamdalaye
Thomas Bauer / France, Guinea / 2020 / 70’ / International Premiere / French, Fulfulde
From the Wild Sea
Robin Petré / Denmark / 2021 / 78’ / UK Premiere / English
If god were a woman / Si dios fuera mujer
Angélica Cervera / Colombia / 2021 / 71’ / World Premiere / Spanish
Portrait Of Kaye
Ben Reed / UK / 2021 / 59’ / World Premiere / English
Rancho
Pedro Speroni / Argentina / 2021 / 72’ / International Premiere / Spanish
Songs For The River
Charlotte Ginsborg / UK / 2021 / 77’ / World Premiere / English
Summer / ЛЕТО
Vadim Kostrov / Russia / 2020 / 109’ / World Premiere / Russian
The Quintessence
Pamela Breda / France, Italy, Switzerland, UK, USA / 2021 / 108’ / World Premiere / English, French
Sheffield DocFest Award for Best Short
This award presents the best of short films in the festival, made by emerging and established filmmakers from around the world which are eligible for the Sheffield DocFest Award for Best Short. This award is qualifying for the Academy Awards. This award is sponsored by The Guardian Documentaries.
Ancient Sunshine
Jason Livingston / USA / 2021 / 19’ / World Premiere / English
Aphorisms of the Lake / Aforismos del Lago
Humberto González Bustillo / Venezuela / 2021 / 26’ / World Premiere / English, French, German, Spanish
Barataria
Julie Nguyen Van Qui / France, Spain / 2021 / 49’ / World Premiere / Spanish
Blue Sky / Zerua blu
Lur Olaizola Lizarralde / Spain / 2020 / 14’ / International Premiere / Basque, English, French
Golden Flask / Auksinis Flakonas
Jurgis Matulevicius, Paulius Anicas / Lithuania / 2020 / 28’ / International Premiere / Lithuanian, Russian
Homage to the work of Philip Henry Gosse / Homenaje a la obra de Philip Henry Gosse
Pablo Martin Weber / Argentina / 2020 / 22’ / European Premiere / Spanish
Madness Remixed
Rhea Storr / UK / 2021 / 11’ / World Premiere / English
Shelly Belly inna Real Life
Cecilia Bengolea / Argentina, France / 2021 / 24’ / UK Premiere / English
The Branches are Hope; The Roots are Memory
Sema Basharan / UK / 2021 / 6’ / World Premiere / English
The World of Mindfulness / Zing Nim Sai Gaai
Ying Liang / Hong Kong / 2021 / 15’ / World Premiere / Cantonese, English, Mandarin
The Year of The White Moon / God Beloi Luni
Maxim Pechersky / Russia / 2020 / 21’ / International Premiere / Russian
Tomorrow We’ll See / Domani si vedrà
Lorenzo Vitrone / Italy / 2020 / 21’ / UK Premiere / Italian
Youth Jury Award
This award is selected by some of the UK's most passionate and stand-out young documentary lovers.
Delphine’s Prayers / Les prières de Delphine
Rosine Mbakam / Belgium, Cameroon / 2021 / 90’ / UK Premiere / French
Gallant Indies / Indes galantes
Philippe Béziat / France / 2020 / 108’ / UK Premiere / English, French
If god were a woman / Si dios fuera mujer
Angélica Cervera / Colombia / 2021 / 71’ / World Premiere / Spanish
Splinters / Esquirlas
Natalia Garayalde / Argentina / 2020 / 70’ / UK Premiere / Spanish
The Inheritance
Ephraim Asili / USA / 2020 / 100’ / UK Premiere / English
The Silence of The Mole / El silencio del Topo
Anais Taracena / Guatemala / 2021 / 93’ / European Premiere / Spanish
Audience Award
A number of the films are up for awards – and our biggest jury is you, our audience! You can cast your vote for the Audience Award here.
The Audience Award is supported by PBS America.
Awards Ceremony
Join us to celebrate all of the artists and filmmakers in our 2021 programme and be the first to congratulate the nominees – and winners – of this year’s awards: the International Competition, the UK Competition, the Tim Hetherington Award (supported by Dogwoof), the First Feature Award, the Short Film award (supported by The Guardian), the Youth Jury Award, and the Audience Award (supported by PBS America) – where you get to be part of the biggest jury of all.
The Awards Ceremony will take place on Sat 12 June and will be followed by our closing film The Story of Looking.
