Film Preview: Sheffield International Documentary Festival

Article published: Friday, October 30th 2009

Wed 4 – Sun 8 November: The largest and most imaginative documentary festival in the UK returns to the Steel City this Wednesday. Organisers have been building on the successes of previous years with one eye on social interest and the other on participation and education.

Many events have been designed so that networking is not the torturous process usually seen at festivals. Groups of young people in training workshops will be as encouraged to chat with established filmmakers including Nick Broomfield (Battle of Haditha), Fanny Armstrong (Age of Stupid) and Penny Woolcock (Tina Goes Shopping) as the award nominees and production house bigwigs. “Meet Market” offers budding filmmakers the opportunity to pitch and receive advice openly and “DocDay” invites 16-19 year olds to get hands-on guidance and pitch short film ideas to the experts.

Of course, it is the films that are really of interest here. There is often an expectation with documentaries that important issues will be tackled, head on. Yet in recent years a gulf has developed between “campaign” films and the more intimate portraits that purists argue are the real deal, even though they fail to attract multiplex audiences. At the Sheffield International Documentary Festival however, expectations are confounded and entertainment is at a premium even while scandals are uncovered and social action encouraged.

The schedule is crammed and it could be argued that too many “strands” have been introduced. Over 100 films will be screened, including 23 World Premieres. Yet by dividing up the programme into a broad range of genres and subjects the festival is able to mix traditional, ethnographic-style work with films that play with the genre – in terms of content and style. It is rare that a Comedy strand appears in a Documentary festival, but it is welcome here. Best Worst Movie and Junior both look set to marry humanity and humour perfectly. Elsewhere the Bent strand presents gay-interest films liberated from the ghetto of queer and LGBT Festivals while Russia, Japan, the UK and the EU are offered up for regional scrutiny. Channel 4-curated First Cut presents a double-bill of recent work while Short Films offers snapshots of new talents from around the world.

Activism and social justice issues feature throughout, as perhaps should be expected of a documentary festival. The Green strand of previous years has been dropped, however, although the Green Award remains, bestowed on the film that “best addresses major environmental challenges such as global warming”. The Cove explores the slaughter and abuse of dolphins in Taiji, Japan and must be a forerunner for the prize. It has already secured a limited nationwide cinema release and is receiving rave reviews. Also nominated are Petropolis – Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands, a beautiful and atmospheric piece that does not argue a point but rather simply presents a region under threat of extinction. Nick Broomfield’s A Time Comes – The Story of the Kingsnorth Six tackles activism closer to home, from occupied power station into the courtroom.

The Festival is highly respected by the filmmakers themselves and a large number will be in attendance, offering Q&As and enjoying the rare relaxed atmosphere. It is only a short trip over the Pennines to join them and screenings are reasonably priced with many discussions are open to the public.

For more information see: http://sheffdocfest.com

Siobhan McGuirk

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Comments

1. You are really motivating up and coming filmakers in Africa, especially in Kenya.

   Good work keep it up.

   Joe Kahu

   Comment by JOE KAHU on November 18, 2009 at 4:14 pm

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