News

A collage of the 4 film programme consultants and the 21 film programme advisers for Sheffield DocFest 2026.

Introducing our 2026 Film Programme Team, Programme Consultants & Advisers

We are delighted to announce our 2026 Film Programme Team as well as our team of Programme Consultants and Advisers, who will be selecting films for our 33rd edition, taking place 10-15 June.

News, Film

Published on January 30

A closer look at past Alternate Realities commissions

Arts

Published on February 7

Heather Phillipson Final Days, Installation shot.

Open Call: Alternate Realities Commission

Up to £15,000 funding, curatorial and marketing support is available for an artist or collective anywhere around the world to create a new, or complete a developing, non-fiction digital project.
Apply by Sunday 27 February 2022.

News, Arts, Industry

Published on February 7

Five people stand side by side, in front of a colourfully painted brick wall. From left to right: Sophie Challis, Ralph Whittall, Brett Marsden, Sarah Curtis and Jess Campbell.

Meet our Future Film Programmers

In collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, we are delighted to introduce this year's cohort of Future Film Programmers.

News, Film, Community

Published on January 27

Alternate Realities Tour – The Hepworth Wakefield

In collaboration with The Hepworth Wakefield, join us 21–23 January for a group exhibition comprising moving image works from UK and international artists and filmmakers Geraldine Snell, Heesoo Kwon, Duncan Marquiss, Lina Laraki and Séamus Harahan.

News, Arts

Published on January 17

Alternate Realities Tour – Salon Event #2

Join us for the second of our salon events, presented with The Cooper Gallery as part of our Alternate Realities winter tour.

News, Arts

Published on January 14

Introducing our new senior team members

Introducing to our team: Raul Niño Zambrano as Head of Film Programmes; Francesca Panetta as Alternate Realities Curator; and Sarah Mosses & John-Paul Pierrot of Together Films agency to lead on the 2022 Festival’s Marketing & Audience strategy and campaign.

News, Film, Arts, Press

Published on January 5

Alternate Realities Tour – SET Woolwich

In collaboration with SET Woolwich, we're delighted to announce a group exhibition comprising selected artworks from our 2021 programme.

News, Arts

Published on December 15

A woman wearing a headscarf is pictured centrally in the frame surrounded by trees

Diaspora Multimedia Hub Showcase

Join us for a showcase of work made by local first-time filmmakers, and hear the stories they have to tell about our city and the people that live in it.

News, Film, Community

Published on December 4

Alternate Realities Tour – Salon Screening #1

We're delighted to announce the participating artists in our touring Alternate Realities programme, and invite you to join us for our first event.

News, Arts

Published on November 18

Still from Bassam Al-Sabah’s CGI film, Fenced within the silent cold walls. A dining table and chairs is pictured. CGI patterned blobs are dispersed across the room.

Our Alternate Realities Tour returns this winter

We're delighted to announce the return of our Alternate Realities touring programme this winter.

News, Arts

Published on November 10

Composite image of two headshots. Left is a colour image of a woman with red hair, wearing glass and a blue top smiling towards the camera. Right, a black and white image of a man in a suit looking towards the left.

Announcing our 2022 Leadership Team

We are delighted to welcome film festival luminary Clare Stewart as Interim CEO and Academy and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia as Guest Curator for the next edition of Sheffield DocFest.

News, Film, Arts, Community, Industry

Published on October 26

Still from Making-With by Gregory Herbert, showing plant and fungi cells.

Announcing the DocFest Exchange: Beyond Our Own Eyes film commissions

Commissioned by Sheffield DocFest as part of the DocFest Exchange, the Beyond Our Own Eyes film commissions are 3 new works by artists April Lin 林森, Gregory Herbert and Hermione Spriggs that invite us to come closer to our more-than-human neighbours.

News

Published on October 14

Still from the film From the Wild Sea (2021) Robin Petré. A human dressed in a seal costume stands on a beach.

DocFest Exchange: Beyond Our Own Eyes programme to tour to Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit

As delegates gather for the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Sheffield DocFest will bring its DocFest Exchange to the city.

Published on October 12

Announcing our 2022 dates and our new Trustees

We're pleased to announce our 2022 festival dates, and introduce our newly appointed Trustees.

Published on August 25

Announcement: Cíntia Gil has left her position as Festival Director

International Documentary Festival Sheffield announces Cíntia Gil has left her position as Festival Director

News

Published on August 20

Woman smiles towards the camera whilst stood in front of a microphone.

Wishing goodbye – and congratulations! – to Deputy Director Melanie Iredale

We wish goodbye and our sincerest congratulations to our Deputy Director Melanie Iredale who has been announced as the incoming Director of Birds Eye View.

News

Published on August 10

Montage image of people speaking on stage into microphones, and audiences sat clapping in cinema seats.

Take a look at our 2021 Festival Report

The 28th edition in review – have a read through our Festival Report to find out everything you need to know about Sheffield DocFest 2021.

News, Film, Industry, Arts, Community

Published on July 27

Join us at Cannes Film Festival

Join us at Cannes in July for a showcase four works in progress, a spotlight a project in development and a DocTalk.

News, Industry

Published on June 23

10 headshots of this year's Alternate Realities Artists

Meet our 2025 Alternate Realities Artists

We are proud to announce the 2025 cohort of Alternate Realities Artists, who have been selected to take part in this year’s edition of the Alternate Realities XR Artists Forum.

Published on May 28

8 headshots of this year's Amplify: Production Talent cohort

Amplify: Production Talent 2025 Cohort

We are thrilled to announce the cohort for this year’s edition of Amplify: Production Talent. Supported by BBC and Channel 4, the initiative offers early-career production professionals the opportunity to connect with UK production company executives in the documentary TV sector, experience an international marketplace, widen their network, and learn more about the industry.

Published on May 28

Text graphic saying: Our website will be closed for planned maintenance from Monday 15 Jan - Wednesday 17 Jan

Our Website will be Closed for Maintenance

Our website will be closed for planned maintenance from Monday 15 January - Wednesday 17 January 2024. If you’ve got any enquiries during this period please contact us on info@sheffdocfest.com or ( 0 )114 276 5141.

News

Published on January 13

Meet our Local Advisory Group

Published on June 2

Announcing our Industry Team & MeetMarket Assessors

We are delighted to announce our Industry Programme Team and MeetMarket Assessors. We welcome back Charlotte Reekers as Marketplace & Talent Manager, and Sophie Duncan as Industry Programme Producer; we introduce Lisa Marie Russo as Industry Consultant for the 2023 Edition; and welcome six international industry professionals who will be involved in assessing MeetMarket applications.

Published on February 2

Sundown Conversations, Yasmine Benabdallah and Karim Kattan

Listen Again to Right on Time Radio

Commissioned and Curated by Soukaina Aboulaoula for the Sheffield DocFest Arts Programme 2021, Right on Time Radio was a temporary web radio station which aired daily during the festival from 4 - 13 June. Listen again now.

Arts, News

Published on July 14