+ ARTIST AND FILMMAKER BAFF AKOTO ANNOUNCED AS THE FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION
+ VIRTUAL REALITY CINEMA RETURNS TO SITE GALLERY WITH AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME OF IMMERSIVE WORKS
Sheffield DocFest announces the launch of its Alternate Realities programme to open this year’s festival on 18 June at Sheffield’s Site Gallery.
A cutting-edge immersive work, Collateral Echoes, is the centrepiece of this year’s Alternate Realities exhibition. From artist and filmmaker Baff Akoto, the powerful new installation commemorates the potential, personalities and memories of Black and Immigrant Britons disproportionately killed after police contact since 1969.
Collateral Echoes combines XR, moving image and immersive sound design to present first-person testimonies, archival imagery and performance. Including spoken prose from Paapa Essiedu and poetry by the late, great Benjamin Zephaniah, the exhibition memorialises those killed — and gives voice to the communities who survive them — in this exploration of nostalgia, loss, grief and joy.
This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the BFI Audience Projects Fund.
Collateral Echoes premieres during Sheffield DocFest (18-23 June) and will remain open to the public until 13 July at Site Gallery.
Virtual Reality Cinema
Visit the Site Gallery Studio for a cinema experience like no other. Immerse yourself in boundary-pushing stories, from explorations of ADHD and protest movements to a love story about home's meaning for queer communities. Come and interact with our exciting selection of bold VR pieces. The 2025 VR Cinema includes:
DOLLHOUSE for Queer Imaginaries
[Queer.Space, Electric South | South Africa 2024]
DOLLHOUSE for Queer Imaginaries reimagines home as a playful, shared VR space where queer communities reshape belonging through creativity, care, and collective imagination.
Speechless Witness of a Wandering Tree
[Aphra Taghizadeh, Kyoto Arts Center | Iran, Netherlands 2024]
A haunting VR journey into state violence in Iran, told through the eyes and memories of a protester deliberately blinded during a demonstration.
Impulse: Playing with Reality
[Anagram | UK & France 2024]
Narrated by Tilda Swinton, Impulse plunges you into the chaotic brilliance of ADHD—where intensity, creativity, and survival collide in a transformative mixed reality experience.
Walking Alone, Text You When I'm Home
[Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf | Germany | 2024]
A visceral 360° journey into the everyday reality of sexual harassment, told through personal stories and hauntingly abstract visuals.
Space for Action
[Big Anxiety Research Centre UNSW | Australia 2024]
An immersive journey into the hidden reality of domestic abuse, Space for Action gives voice to survivors and the silent systems that failed them.
For the latest info on all things AR, please visit sheffdocfest.com
Entrance to the Sheffield DocFest Alternatives Realities programme at Site Gallery is free and open to all.
Baff Akoto, says:
“Collateral Echoes was borne from real systemic and collective pain. The kind that happens when the world breaks.
Making this work has been a process of hope and empathy. In sharing it for the first time at Site Gallery x DocFest, maybe we can start to heal collectively — instead of looking away.”
Sheffield DocFest Creative Director, Raul Niño Zambrano, says:
“Over the years, Baff has been an integral part of our journey — from pitching at MeetMarket and participating in our Alternate Realities Talent Market, to contributing as a valued adviser to our programme. His work consistently embodies creativity, innovation, and bold artistic vision. We’re truly honoured to collaborate with him in bringing this special exhibition to life.”
Collateral Echoes is produced by Recurring Dreams, supported by BFI Doc Society Fund, awarding National Lottery Funding, and Ford Foundation. With additional support from Birmingham Open Media, Black Public Media and United Friends and Family Campaign.
Sheffield DocFest is made possible thanks to the support of our partners, funders and sponsors, including Principal Funders BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, Sheffield City Council and Arts Council England.
