– The main festival theme will be “Realities in Motion”, reflecting how our lives are continually reshaped by collective action
Lesbian Lines by Cara Holmes
Sheffield Doc/Fest, set to be held this year in the Northern English city from 10-15 June, goes under the title “Realities in Motion”. According to the festival’s creative director, Raul Niño Zambrano, “In 2026, we are navigating a world defined by both profound uncertainty and constant transformation. Our theme captures this momentum, reflecting how our lives are continually reshaped by collective action, from climate advocacy and social activism to the enduring power of music.”
The festival will open with the world premiere of We, The Hated by Rich Felgate (UK), which examines the people behind Just Stop Oil, and raises urgent questions about power, protest and the true meaning of democracy in practice.
The festival’s International Competition will consist of nine bold films, six of them enjoying their world premieres. These will include Lesbian Lines by Cara Holmes (Ireland), an intimate portrait of a network of underground telephone helplines established by a small community of Irish lesbians in 1979; The Archivist by Rob Curry and Tim Plester (UK), about a man trying to preserve Britain’s folk traditions; and The Apologist by Kristof Bilsen (Belgium/Netherlands/France), an exploration of how apologies redefine history and what happens to us as witnesses to the act of atonement. Also receiving its world premiere will be the Ukrainian-German production Time Machine Maidan by Roman Liubyi and Volodymyr Tykhyy, which traces the roots of Ukrainian resistance throughout the years.
Eight films make up the First Feature Competition, including the world premieres of Magma by Mia Bendrimia (France/Algeria/Qatar), in which a filmmaker uncovers a tangle of contradictory buried histories while searching for answers about her Algerian family’s ties to both sides of the War of Independence; and WOLF by Christian Cargill (UK), in which Tilda Swinton guides us through the life of cult British musician Patrick Wolf.
Sheffield Doc/Fest’s Youth Jury Award strand will see UK filmmaker Jeanie Finlay return to the gathering after winning the festival’s Audience Award in 2023 for Your Fat Friend. Her film All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea, in which fisherman Stan Rennie finds himself leading a grassroots fight for answers and a future after thousands of dead crabs wash ashore, will receive its UK premiere. The festival will also showcase ten provocative and visionary titles in its International Short Film Competition.
Out of competition, there will be music documentaries galore in the festival’s “Rhythms” section, including world premieres of Heaven 17: The Last Temptation by James Strong (UK), following the Sheffield synth legends on their last tour; and Ultimate Thunder by Ben G Brown (UK), homing in on “the punkest band in the UK”, whose members have learning disabilities and Down syndrome, as they fight against funding cuts. Festival stalwart Mark Cousins will be on hand to screen two episodes from his forthcoming 16-hour The History of Documentary Film as part of the festival’s TV strand, First Impressions, while the world premiere of SKYCLIMBER – Scaling the Eiffel Tower by Nick Hardie (UK) will enable audiences to enjoy a documentary that is equal parts high-altitude adventure and intimate personal portrait.
The festival’s guest of honour will be actress Maxine Peake, who – alongside giving a headline talk – will select three films and take part in both a reading of her play Queens of the Coal Age and a live performance with Sheffield electronic music legends Eccentronic Research Council. Other guests will include actress Miriam Margolyes and Oscar-winning director Andrea Arnold.
Other highlights of the festival will include the Alternate Realities XR section, exploring immersive storytelling, and Gen DocFest, the event’s brand-new family strand.
