Sheffield International Documentary Festival
Encyclopedia
The Sheffield Doc/Fest, short for Sheffield International Documentary Festival (SIDF), is an annual documentary
and digital media
event that is held in Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England
at the Showroom Workstation and other venues around Sheffield. The festival is one of the biggest events in the international documentary calendar.
's leading event for the factual film and television industry. Each year the festival is a forum for producers, distributors
, commissioners, filmmakers and emerging talent. It offers a wealth of inspirational documentary films from across the globe, pitching opportunities, controversial discussion panels, in-depth filmmaker masterclasses and unique parties and provides opportunities to build the creative and business relationships that drive the factual genre.
The first Sheffield Doc/Fest (formally Sheffield International Documentary Festival) was held in 1994. The festival was launched as both an international film festival and a conference for all professionals working in documentary production. The first Doc/Fest consisted of all the observational American trailblazers, including Robert Drew
, Richard Leacock
, DA Pennebaker.
Sheffield Doc/Fest was the vision of Peter Symes of BBC TV Features Bristol. He felt that it was incredible that there was no festival in the UK celebrating the work of documentary makers and no forum at which the makers could meet to argue and debate their craft, especially considering that Britain has a long tradition of making some of the very best documentaries in the world.
In 1990 with the support of John Prescott Thomas and Peter Salmon at BBC Bristol, a working party was set up to see if a documentary festival would be a viable proposition. Originally the festival was to take place in Bristol. Over three years Peter and others worked to raise money to support the festival. By 1993 Channel 4, United Artists, Discovery Channel, Central TV, and Granada TV all had representatives sitting on the Festival Board and generously agreed to provide funding.
In the same year, filmmakers and academics in Sheffield suggested the city as a venue. In 1993 Sheffield was developing its media production base and its cultural industries quarter was expanding. It also had at the two universities, strong film, journalism and media schools with a growing centre of postgraduate education at the Northern Media School, a large student population and venues for offices, screenings and debates. Being outside the magic circle of London was seen as a positive advantage.
The festival attracts key industry figures. Past guests and speakers include Louis Theroux
, Kevin MacDonald
, Nick Broomfield
, Robert Thirkell, Penny Woolcock
, Stephen Lambert
, Mark Cousins
, Kim Longinotto
, Danny Cohen
, Joan Rivers
, Rolf Harris
, D. A. Pennebaker
and Franny Armstrong
.
Year on year, Sheffield Doc/Fest achieves record levels of attendance - the 2010 Festival saw 2200 delegates, 10,000 general public admissions, 300 speakers, 175 decision makers, 120 films, 80 director Q&As and 60 sessions - a true indication that the Festival is one not to be missed.
Previously held in November, as of 2011 the festival moved to the summer. Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012 will take place from 13-17 June.
MeetMarket is the UK’s largest documentary pitching initiative at Sheffield Doc/Fest, designed to match documentary makers’ most innovate project ideas with UK and international buyers.
The MeetMarket is a scheme that has been set up to bring filmmakers together with experienced buyers both in the UK and internationally. MeetMarket will run from the 9–10 June in 2011.
“MeetMarket was a great experience. Meetings are very focussed because the commissioners/buyers have had a chance to view or read over your project, so in some ways, you can skip the preliminaries and start at level 2. It was very well organised, extremely effective and efficient use of time. Everyone was well informed. I loved the way, producers sat down and commissioners came to us. Kind of turning the tables!”
Lalita Krishna, Insync Video
The Videotheque is used by the festival industry delegates, television programme buyers, distributors, sales agents and festival programmers.
The Videotheque consists of individual monitors which enable you to watch a film privately.
The Sheffield Inspiration Award
The Sheffield Inspiration Award celebrates a figure in the industry who has championed documentary and helped get great work into the public eye.
The 2010 Sheffield Inspiration Award was awarded to Britain’s own Kim Longinotto
for her outstanding contribution to the documentary form. Longinotto is one of the pre-eminent filmmakers working in both broadcast and theatrical documentary today, widely revered for her incisive, compassionate portraits of female oppression and injustice. Her credits include Sisters in Law
(2005); Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go (2007) and Rough Aunties
(2009) which screened at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2009.
The Special Jury Award
The Special Jury Award honours a film selected from highlights of the Doc/Fest programme that displays excellence in style, substance and approach. A jury of documentary specialists from the UK and around the world will view selected highlights of the programme, awarding the prize to the best of the bunch.
The 2010 Special Jury Award was awarded to Kim Longinotto’s Pink Saris with special mention to Patricio Guzman
’s Nostalgia for the Light.
The BT Vision Sheffield Innovation Award
A jury of peers award one documentary from the Doc/Fest programme that exhibits originality in approach to form and radical manifestations in the delivery of its story.
The 2010 BT Vision Sheffield Innovation Award was awarded to Clio Barnard for The Arbor, a biography of Yorkshire playwright Andrea Dunbar
.
The Jury also gave special mention to Philippe Brault and David Dufresne’s Prison Valley, an investigation into the American penal system through the example of Canon City, Colorado, which is home to no less than 13 prisons. Prison Valley was selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest’s MeetMarket in 2009.
The Sheffield Green Award
Honours one documentary from the Doc/Fest programme that best addresses major environmental challenges such as global warming.
The 2010 Sheffield Green Award was awarded to Floris-Jan van Luyn’s Rainmakers, which was selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest’s MeetMarket in 2008. A special Mention went to Michael Madsen
’s Into Eternity.
The Sheffield Youth Jury Award
The Sheffield Youth Jury Award is given to the film that is most engaging for young audiences and is chosen by a jury of young people ages 16-21.
The 2010 Sheffield Youth Jury Award was awarded to Laura Fairrie’s The Battle for Barking
The jury described Laura’s film as “challenging, relevant and entertaining”. A special mention went to Gemma Atwal’s Marathon Boy
.
The Sheffield Student Doc Award
Films made as part of tertiary course work from UK and International universities are eligible and are judged by a panel of industry experts.
The 2010 Sheffield Student Doc Award was awarded to Will Woodward’s No Easy Time, which focuses on Therapeutic Community, a prison programme run by prisoners themselves.
The Sheffield Doc/Fest Audience Award
The winning films of the 2010 award were Father, Son and the Holy War by Anand Patwardhan
and Scenes from a Teenage Killing by Morgan Matthews
.
The Crossover Summit
Held on the first day of the Festival, the summit provides delegates with the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with representatives from the film and TV industry. Doc/Fest welcomes many highly regarded speakers to the Summit, such as BBC North’s Richard Deverell
(keynote speaker 2009), which feed into breakout sessions and round table discussions throughout the day. Following the Summit, the Festival embraces a strong strand of Crossover panels throughout the Sheffield Doc/Fest conference programme – including sessions, commissioning editor panels, workshops, project showcasing, cross-platform pitching competitions and specially commissioned projects which can be experienced by delegates and general public alike.
Crossover Business Labs
Sponsored by Screen Yorkshire, Northwest Vision and Media, Northern Film and Media and Northern Net, the labs are run in conjuntction with Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Crossover Labs are a unique series of creative ‘laboratories’ in which experienced and talented professionals from different sectors of the audio-visual industries work alongside international experts and mentors to develop ideas for innovative cross-platform programmes, products or services.
Crossover North Business Programme
Designed to help small to medium sized businesses based in the North of England who are interested in corporate growth, to explore new business models, extend beyond their current markets and develop new partnerships and collaborations.
Crossover New Entrants Programme
A seven month placement where participants learn about cross-platform production and programming from producers, commissioners and industry experts on a course supported by Skillset’s TV Freelance Fund.
Sheffield Doc/Fest organises regional pitch workshops throughout the year and across the UK, offering preparation for getting factual projects funded internationally, including at Doc/Fest’s Marketplace. The Engine Room Pitch Workshops, presented in partnership with Wide Eye Pictures return again in 2011. See http://sheffdocfest.com/view/pitchworkshops for details.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
and digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
event that is held in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the Showroom Workstation and other venues around Sheffield. The festival is one of the biggest events in the international documentary calendar.
History
First held in 1994, Sheffield Doc/Fest has grown to become the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's leading event for the factual film and television industry. Each year the festival is a forum for producers, distributors
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
, commissioners, filmmakers and emerging talent. It offers a wealth of inspirational documentary films from across the globe, pitching opportunities, controversial discussion panels, in-depth filmmaker masterclasses and unique parties and provides opportunities to build the creative and business relationships that drive the factual genre.
The first Sheffield Doc/Fest (formally Sheffield International Documentary Festival) was held in 1994. The festival was launched as both an international film festival and a conference for all professionals working in documentary production. The first Doc/Fest consisted of all the observational American trailblazers, including Robert Drew
Robert Drew
Robert Lincoln Drew is an American documentary filmmaker known as a pioneer of cinéma vérité, or direct cinema, in the United States....
, Richard Leacock
Richard Leacock
Richard Leacock was a British-born documentary film director and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema and Cinéma vérité.-Early life and career:...
, DA Pennebaker.
Sheffield Doc/Fest was the vision of Peter Symes of BBC TV Features Bristol. He felt that it was incredible that there was no festival in the UK celebrating the work of documentary makers and no forum at which the makers could meet to argue and debate their craft, especially considering that Britain has a long tradition of making some of the very best documentaries in the world.
In 1990 with the support of John Prescott Thomas and Peter Salmon at BBC Bristol, a working party was set up to see if a documentary festival would be a viable proposition. Originally the festival was to take place in Bristol. Over three years Peter and others worked to raise money to support the festival. By 1993 Channel 4, United Artists, Discovery Channel, Central TV, and Granada TV all had representatives sitting on the Festival Board and generously agreed to provide funding.
In the same year, filmmakers and academics in Sheffield suggested the city as a venue. In 1993 Sheffield was developing its media production base and its cultural industries quarter was expanding. It also had at the two universities, strong film, journalism and media schools with a growing centre of postgraduate education at the Northern Media School, a large student population and venues for offices, screenings and debates. Being outside the magic circle of London was seen as a positive advantage.
The festival attracts key industry figures. Past guests and speakers include Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux
Louis Sebastian Theroux is an English broadcaster best known for his Gonzo style journalism on the television series Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends and When Louis Met.... His career started off in journalism and bears influences of notable writers in his family such as his father, Paul Theroux and...
, Kevin MacDonald
Kevin MacDonald (director)
Kevin Macdonald is a Scottish director, best known for his films One Day in September, State of Play, The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void.-Personal life:...
, Nick Broomfield
Nick Broomfield
Nicholas "Nick" Broomfield is an English documentary film-maker. He is the son of Maurice Broomfield, a photographer.Broomfield works with a minimal crew, recording sound himself and using one or two camera operators...
, Robert Thirkell, Penny Woolcock
Penny Woolcock
Penny Woolcock is a British filmmaker, opera director, and screenwriter. She was raised in a British community in Montevideo, speaking English and going to English schools...
, Stephen Lambert
Stephen Lambert (media executive)
Stephen Lambert is an English television producer and executive. He is best known for creating and launching international hit formats such as the award-winning Wife Swap, Faking It, Secret Millionaire, and Undercover Boss...
, Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins (film critic)
Mark Cousins is an Irish director and occasional presenter/critic on film. He is a native of Ulster. He interviewed famous filmmakers such as David Lynch, Martin Scorsese and Roman Polanski in the TV series Scene by Scene....
, Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto is a British documentary film maker, well known for making films which highlight the plight of female victims of oppression or discrimination...
, Danny Cohen
Danny Cohen
Danny Cohen is the current Controller of BBC One, the BBC's flagship television channel in the United Kingdom. He is the youngest person to be appointed as Controller of the channel.- Education :...
, Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
, Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
, D. A. Pennebaker
D. A. Pennebaker
Donn Alan Pennebaker is an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema/Cinéma vérité. Performing arts and politics are his primary subjects.-Biography:...
and Franny Armstrong
Franny Armstrong
Franny Armstrong is a British documentary film director working for her own company, Spanner Films, and a former drummer with indie pop group The Band of Holy Joy...
.
Year on year, Sheffield Doc/Fest achieves record levels of attendance - the 2010 Festival saw 2200 delegates, 10,000 general public admissions, 300 speakers, 175 decision makers, 120 films, 80 director Q&As and 60 sessions - a true indication that the Festival is one not to be missed.
Previously held in November, as of 2011 the festival moved to the summer. Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012 will take place from 13-17 June.
Festival Directors
- Heather Croall, 2006–present
- Brent Woods, 2002–2005
- Kathy Loizou, 1996–2001
- Paula Shirley, 1995
- Midge MacKenzie, 1994
Festival Chairpersons
- Steve Hewlett, 2005–present
- Christo Hird, 2001–2004
- Roger James, 1997–2000
- Marian Bowan, 1996
- Peter Symes, 1994–1995
Festival Patrons
- Dawn AireyDawn AireyDawn Elizabeth Airey, is a British commercial television executive. She was chairman and chief executive of Channel 5, the UK television station now owned by Richard Desmond's Northern and Shell...
- Jim Allen
- James Baker
- Joan Bakewell CBE
- Clive BettsClive BettsClive James Charles Betts is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Attercliffe from 1992 to 2010, when he became Member of Parliament for Sheffield South East.- Early life :...
MP - David BlunkettDavid BlunkettDavid Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
MP - Melvyn BraggMelvyn BraggMelvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg FRSL FRTS FBA, FRS FRSA is an English broadcaster and author best known for his work with the BBC and for presenting the The South Bank Show...
- Dinah Caine
- Nick CleggNick CleggNicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
MP - Stuart CosgroveStuart CosgroveStuart Cosgrove is a Scottish journalist, broadcaster and television executive. As a journalist Cosgrove served on the NME and The Face during the 1980s, before joining Channel 4 in April 1994, serving for eight years as Controller of Arts and Entertainment and currently as Head of Programmes...
- Greg DykeGreg DykeGregory "Greg" Dyke is a British media executive, journalist and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing 'tabloid' television to British broadcasting, and reviving the ratings of TV-am...
- Alan Fountain
- Clare FrisbyClare FrisbyClare Kathleen Frisby is a newsreader for Look North based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. She presents the regional opt-outs during BBC Breakfast and The Politics Show in Yorkshire and the North Midlands-Career:...
- Tim GardamTim GardamTim Gardam MBE is a British journalist and educator.Gardam is the son of the novelist Jane Gardam. He studied at Westminster School and gained a double first in English from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He subsequently worked at the BBC , and as director of programmes at Channel 4...
- Harry GrationHarry GrationHarry Gration is a television presenter based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. He is one of the main presenters for the BBC Yorkshire regional magazine programme Look North.-Early life:...
- Richard GregoryRichard GregoryRichard Langton Gregory, CBE, MA, D.Sc., FRSE, FRS was a British psychologist and Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychology at the University of Bristol.-Life and career:...
- Lorraine HeggesseyLorraine HeggesseyLorraine Heggessey is a British television producer and former Chief Executive of the production company Talkback Thames...
- Armando IannucciArmando IannucciArmando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....
- Helen JacksonHelen JacksonHelen Margaret Jackson CBE is a British politician. She was Labour member of Parliament for Sheffield Hillsborough from 1992 until she stepped down at the 2005 general election....
MP - Michael Jackson
- Dom JolyDom JolyDominic John Romulus "Dom" Joly is a British television comedian and journalist. He came to note as the star of Trigger Happy TV, a hidden camera show that was sold to over seventy countries worldwide...
- Roly KeatingRoly KeatingRoland "Roly" Keating is the current Director of Archive Content for the BBC.-Education:Keating was educated at Westminster School, an independent school for boys in London, followed by Balliol College at the University of Oxford, where he read Classics.-Life and career:Keating joined the BBC in...
- Marina LewyckaMarina LewyckaMarina Lewycka is a British novelist of Ukrainian origin, currently living in Sheffield, England.-Biography:Marina Lewycka was born in a refugee camp in Kiel, Germany after World War II. Her family subsequently moved to England where she now lives...
- David LiddimentDavid LiddimentDavid Liddiment is a non-executive director of the independent production company All3Media, the largest independent production house in the UK...
- Kevin MacDonaldKevin MacDonald (director)Kevin Macdonald is a Scottish director, best known for his films One Day in September, State of Play, The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void.-Personal life:...
- Grant Mansfield
- Linda McAvanLinda McAvanLinda McAvan is a British Labour Party politician, who is a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party for Yorkshire and the Humber...
, MEP - John McVay
- Meg MunnMeg MunnMargaret Patricia Munn , is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley since 2001.-Early life:...
MP - Dianne Nelmes
- Michael PalinMichael PalinMichael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
- Steve Perkins
- Stuart PrebbleStuart PrebbleStuart Prebble is a former CEO of ITV, Granada Sky Broadcasting and of ITV Digital.Educated at Newcastle University he was producer and editor of the World In Action current affairs series and went on to be Head of Factual Programmes at Granada TV and Controller of Factual Programmes for the ITV...
- Lord Puttnam
- Cllr Michael Pye
- Jon RonsonJon RonsonJon Ronson is a Welsh journalist, documentary filmmaker, radio presenter and nonfiction author, whose works include The Men Who Stare At Goats. His journalism and columns have appeared in British publications including The Guardian newspaper, City Life and Time Out magazine...
- Peter Salmon
- Simon Shaps
- Chris Shaw
- Dan SnowDan SnowDaniel Robert Snow is an English television presenter. He has presented and appeared in many popular history-related programmes for the BBC and is the "History Hunter" for The One Show.-Early life and background:...
- Sir Hugh SykesHugh SykesSir Hugh Sykes, DL, MA, LL.B, CA, Hon LL.D, FCIB, FRSA , international industrialist and investor, noted for championing regeneration in and around Sheffield...
DL - Mark ThompsonMark ThompsonMark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
- Charles Tremayne
- John WhistonJohn WhistonJohn Reginald Harvey Whiston OBE was Associate Professor of Applied Chemistry at the Royal Military College of Science, with a particular interest in explosives.-Life:...
- John Willis
- Alan YentobAlan YentobAlan Yentob is a British television executive and presenter who has worked throughout his career at the BBC.-Early life:...
Year-Round Programme
Doc/Fest hosts regular events in different cities across the UK throughout the year. The year-round programme includes:- Crossover programme(see the Cross-Platform Progamme section for details)
- The BFI Doc/Fest Tour which tours a selection of the Doc/Fest programme around the UK, in association with the British Film Institute
- Monthly screenings in London and Sheffield
- Multi-cinema screening events
- Regular Pitch Workshops – looking at proposal development and pitching.
- Training, educational and networking opportunities for young people, including a structured internship and volunteer programme
- Sustain Workshops – exploring approaches to building sustainable businesses in the emergent media economy.
MeetMarket
The MeetMarket is a scheme that has been set up to bring filmmakers together with experienced buyers both in the UK and internationally. MeetMarket will run from the 9–10 June in 2011.
“MeetMarket was a great experience. Meetings are very focussed because the commissioners/buyers have had a chance to view or read over your project, so in some ways, you can skip the preliminaries and start at level 2. It was very well organised, extremely effective and efficient use of time. Everyone was well informed. I loved the way, producers sat down and commissioners came to us. Kind of turning the tables!”
Lalita Krishna, Insync Video
Videotheque
The digitised Videotheque at Doc/Fest has been designed to speed up and simplify selection and viewing for decision-makers to maximise chances of world cinema and TV sales.The Videotheque is used by the festival industry delegates, television programme buyers, distributors, sales agents and festival programmers.
The Videotheque consists of individual monitors which enable you to watch a film privately.
Awards
Sheffield Doc/Fest continues to honour the best of its film programme. The films are judged by a collection of industry professionals.The Sheffield Inspiration Award
The Sheffield Inspiration Award celebrates a figure in the industry who has championed documentary and helped get great work into the public eye.
The 2010 Sheffield Inspiration Award was awarded to Britain’s own Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto is a British documentary film maker, well known for making films which highlight the plight of female victims of oppression or discrimination...
for her outstanding contribution to the documentary form. Longinotto is one of the pre-eminent filmmakers working in both broadcast and theatrical documentary today, widely revered for her incisive, compassionate portraits of female oppression and injustice. Her credits include Sisters in Law
Sisters in Law
Sisters in Law: Stories from a Cameroon Court is a feature-length documentary film by Florence Ayisi and Kim Longinotto portraying aspects of women's lives and work in the judicial system in Cameroon, West Africa.-Plot:...
(2005); Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go (2007) and Rough Aunties
Rough Aunties
Rough Aunties is a 2008 documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto about a group of women who protect and care for abused, neglected and forgotten children in Durban, South Africa. It won the Grand Jury Prize in the 'World Cinema — Documentary' category at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival....
(2009) which screened at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2009.
The Special Jury Award
The Special Jury Award honours a film selected from highlights of the Doc/Fest programme that displays excellence in style, substance and approach. A jury of documentary specialists from the UK and around the world will view selected highlights of the programme, awarding the prize to the best of the bunch.
The 2010 Special Jury Award was awarded to Kim Longinotto’s Pink Saris with special mention to Patricio Guzman
Patricio Guzmán
Patricio Guzmán Lozanes is a Chilean documentary film director. He is internationally renowned for films such as The Battle of Chile and Salvador Allende....
’s Nostalgia for the Light.
The BT Vision Sheffield Innovation Award
A jury of peers award one documentary from the Doc/Fest programme that exhibits originality in approach to form and radical manifestations in the delivery of its story.
The 2010 BT Vision Sheffield Innovation Award was awarded to Clio Barnard for The Arbor, a biography of Yorkshire playwright Andrea Dunbar
Andrea Dunbar
Andrea Dunbar was a British playwright best known for Rita, Sue and Bob Too, an autobiographical drama about the sexual adventures of teenage girls living in a run-down part of Bradford, Yorkshire...
.
The Jury also gave special mention to Philippe Brault and David Dufresne’s Prison Valley, an investigation into the American penal system through the example of Canon City, Colorado, which is home to no less than 13 prisons. Prison Valley was selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest’s MeetMarket in 2009.
The Sheffield Green Award
Honours one documentary from the Doc/Fest programme that best addresses major environmental challenges such as global warming.
The 2010 Sheffield Green Award was awarded to Floris-Jan van Luyn’s Rainmakers, which was selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest’s MeetMarket in 2008. A special Mention went to Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen
Michael Søren Madsen is an American actor, poet, and photographer. He has appeared in more than 150 films, most of them small independent films, though he has starred in central roles in such films as Reservoir Dogs, Free Willy, Donnie Brasco, and Kill Bill, in addition to a supporting role in Sin...
’s Into Eternity.
The Sheffield Youth Jury Award
The Sheffield Youth Jury Award is given to the film that is most engaging for young audiences and is chosen by a jury of young people ages 16-21.
The 2010 Sheffield Youth Jury Award was awarded to Laura Fairrie’s The Battle for Barking
The jury described Laura’s film as “challenging, relevant and entertaining”. A special mention went to Gemma Atwal’s Marathon Boy
Marathon Boy
-Movie:Marathon Boy is the title of a feature-length documentary movie on Budhia Singh, directed by Gemma Atwal. -Statue:The Marathon Boy or Ephebe of Marathon is a Greek bronze sculpture found in the Aegean Sea in the bay of Marathon in 1925; it is conserved in the National Archaeological Museum...
.
The Sheffield Student Doc Award
Films made as part of tertiary course work from UK and International universities are eligible and are judged by a panel of industry experts.
The 2010 Sheffield Student Doc Award was awarded to Will Woodward’s No Easy Time, which focuses on Therapeutic Community, a prison programme run by prisoners themselves.
The Sheffield Doc/Fest Audience Award
The winning films of the 2010 award were Father, Son and the Holy War by Anand Patwardhan
Anand Patwardhan
Anand Patwardhan is an Indian documentary filmmaker, known for his activism through social action documentaries on topics such as corruption, slum dwellers, nuclear arms race, citizen activism and communalism...
and Scenes from a Teenage Killing by Morgan Matthews
Morgan Matthews
Morgan Matthews is an American ice dancer.She teamed up with Maxim Zavozin in 2001. The duo won the 2003 and 2004 U.S. Junior titles and captured the 2005 World Junior championships...
.
Cross-Platform Programme
Sheffield Doc/Fest presents a programme of new media development in partnership with Crossover – an international programme designed to explore the creative and commercial challenges of developing content and services for digital media. The programme includes:The Crossover Summit
Held on the first day of the Festival, the summit provides delegates with the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with representatives from the film and TV industry. Doc/Fest welcomes many highly regarded speakers to the Summit, such as BBC North’s Richard Deverell
Richard Deverell
Richard Deverell is Controller of CBBC, the department within the BBC responsible for output aimed at children.-Reputation:Since assuming his post in 2006, Deverell has been ruthless in his efforts to re-align CBBC towards a target audience of 6–12 years...
(keynote speaker 2009), which feed into breakout sessions and round table discussions throughout the day. Following the Summit, the Festival embraces a strong strand of Crossover panels throughout the Sheffield Doc/Fest conference programme – including sessions, commissioning editor panels, workshops, project showcasing, cross-platform pitching competitions and specially commissioned projects which can be experienced by delegates and general public alike.
Crossover Business Labs
Sponsored by Screen Yorkshire, Northwest Vision and Media, Northern Film and Media and Northern Net, the labs are run in conjuntction with Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Crossover Labs are a unique series of creative ‘laboratories’ in which experienced and talented professionals from different sectors of the audio-visual industries work alongside international experts and mentors to develop ideas for innovative cross-platform programmes, products or services.
Crossover North Business Programme
Designed to help small to medium sized businesses based in the North of England who are interested in corporate growth, to explore new business models, extend beyond their current markets and develop new partnerships and collaborations.
Crossover New Entrants Programme
A seven month placement where participants learn about cross-platform production and programming from producers, commissioners and industry experts on a course supported by Skillset’s TV Freelance Fund.
Pitch Workshops