Billy Idol, a Ukrainian frontline female battlefield medical staff, marriage agency matches North Korean women and South Korean men, Vladimir Putin's Russian whistleblower, the consequences of Brexit, the consequences of Indian sex workers, and the Indian sex workers who started making short films - these are some of the topics screened in the anniversary of 322.
Overall, the festival in northern England will show 116 movies, 82 movies and 34 shorts. It will debut 51 world premieres, 16 international premieres, 8 European premieres and 39 British premieres in 68 production countries.
Among the big names, Billy Porter will serve as executive producer I was born this waySam Pollard and Daniel Junge celebrate Carl Bean's life from hard childhood to his musical success and queer rights advocacy.
It will be in the rhythm section of the Sheffield Festival and the likes of Jonas Åkerlund's Billy idol should dieamong which rock idols, his family, friends and collaborators reflect on “his turbulent career, personal life and lasting impact on global pop culture.”
Of course, political themes and conflicts will also be the focus of attention, for example, in the festival’s people and community chains, the amber fare will be priced Coexist, my ass! Will filter. “Comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi turned irony into resistance, using humor to expose the hard truths of the relationship between Israel and Palestine – coexistence feels like a bad joke,” the film’s summary reads.
The rebellion part will include David Borenstein No one objected to Putin. According to its description, “A Russian primary school teacher became an unlikely whistleblower because he secretly documented propaganda and militarization within the Russian school system.”
“At Sheffield Docfest, we believe that the power of storytelling inspires change and creates an alternative future,” said Mimi Poskitt, managing director of Sheffield Docfest. “That’s all about Docfest’s plan: Get together to learn and be inspired to act. In this edition of the program, we ponder deeply into where we can really change — in an environment where filmmakers face greater challenges, our festivals can be where documentaries thrive.”
Raul Niño Zambrano, Creative Director of Sheffield Docfest, added: “This year, we bring together some of the most powerful shorts, documentaries, series, podcasts, speeches, speeches and immersive works from around the world to transform the Sheffield city into a truly unique space, just like our 2025 inspired announcement of a truly unique space for justice, a queer perspective and a powerful journey through archival treasures.”
The 32nd edition of Sheffield Docfest will be held from June 18 to 23.
Check out the lineup for its international competition and the first international featured competition below.
International competitions
Cuba and Alaska - Yegor Troyanovsky - Ukraine, France, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
Two female doctors from the Ukrainian army captured life through phone and body camera video, driving in the war with courage, humor and friendship.
factory ((Gong Chang) - Hao Zhou - Macau, 2025 (World Premiere)
Famous director Hao Zhou detailed the impact of global supply chains and mandatory business practices on workers’ lives during the pandemic.
Gas station waiter - Karla Murthy - United States, 2025 (World Premiere)
A daughter reflects on her South Asian father’s life, his endless pursuit of the American dream and the love and survival ability of humanity.
Southern man and woman -Morten Traavik, Sun Kim - Norway, Latvia, South Korea, 2025 (World Premiere)
North Korean women meet Korean men with fascinating and often surprising love, business and geopolitics.
Light film - Mila Teshaiva, Marcus Lenz - Germany, Ukraine, 2025 (World Premiere)
The war destroyed the Ukrainian city of Bucha, and its residents suffered unimaginable hostility and suffering. If hope remains weak, the will to survive still shines in this powerful and determined film.
Still pushing pineapple - Kim Hopkins - UK, 2025 (World Premiere)
The journey of former pop band Black Lace and his aging mother and his partner is a melancholy and heartfelt story with his goal to make a comeback.
Welded together -Anastasya Mirashnichenko, Anastasiya Zinoviev - France, Netherlands, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
A young welder faces her broken past to protect her sister and keep the future from the spark of sacrifice, resilience and a second chance.
Yanuni - Richard Ladkani - Austria, Brazil, United States, Canada, Germany, 2025 (International Premiere)
In this love story and urgent call action, an Indigenous couple risked everything to defend the future of Amazon and its unborn children.
The first international featured competition (supported by Netflix)
Blue has no borders - Jessi Gutch - UK, 2025 (World Premiere)
A young filmmaker is determined to meet her neighbors in the port of Folkestone. However, it is not easy to build a new relationship after Brexit.
Broken r ((Rotasism) - Ricardo Ruales Eguiguren - Ecuador, Italy, 2025 (World Premiere)
It's an intimate journey about self-acceptance, a 24-year-old man with betrayer Collins syndrome who has struggled to pronounce r since he was born.
Carmela and the Walkers ((Carmela and the Walkers) - Luis Herrera, Esteban Coloma - Ecuador, 2025 (World Premiere)
As the world seems to be increasingly intolerant of “outsiders”, Ecuadorian women welcome Venezuelan immigrants into her home reminds us of our warmth and human abilities.
appearance - Vickie Curtis, Doug Anderson - Guatemala, USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
In Guatemala town, two fiery sisters directed their sorrow and anger into local street performances in protest of gender-based violence in the country.
December ((December)-Grzegorz Paprzycki - Poland, Lithuania, Qatar, 2025 (World Premiere)
In the December festival light, refugees remain hidden in the forest along the Polish-Beralus border. This powerful documentary made their silent cry sound.
A little bit of gray wolf will come ((There is a little gray wolf) - Zhanna Agalakova - Croatia, Netherlands, France, 2025 (World Premiere)
On the eve of the Ukrainian War, a Russian journalist on the Pro-Kremlin TV channel brought her rebellious and westernized teenage daughter to Putin's Russia.
lullaby ((For Cradle Mountain)-Hayk Matevosyan-Armenia, United States, 2025 (world premiere)
In this hypnotic Odyssey, the ancient monastery of the Armenian Highlands has traces of the past. The landscape gives way to the soundscape and the depth of internal shadows.
The red light becomes the focus of attention - Bipuljit Basu - India, Finland, Latvia, 2025 (World Premiere)
A group of highly flexible Indian sex workers and their families began making short films to change their lives and inspire others.
International short film competition
robot - Sabrina Fernández Casas - Spain, Switzerland, 2025 (World Premiere)
To protect their villages and restore biodiversity to the Galician landscape, it is a unique collective unity to fight invasive plant and municipal neglect.
Animal eyes -Carlo Nasisse - Costa Rica, USA, 2024 (International Premiere)
Scientists and philosophers face the limits of their own vision through the eyes of animals.
My name is blue color (See Blue Beyond Color) - Sybilla Patrizia - Japan, 2025 (Premiere of Europe)
Two Japanese indigo dyes embark on an inner journey: one finds his own blue shade, and the other discovers a new meaning through his color blindness.
Dam ((Dam) - Manuel Ojeda, Cuba, 2025 (World Premiere)
A mysterious fish that is rumored to be three meters long and swims behind the dam. Tingo is obsessed with grabbing this dark creature and proving everyone is wrong.
Belief ((Belief) - Antonio Napoli - Italy, 2025 (world premiere)
According to the ancient Naples proverb, “more happens in a day than in the whole century”. For the city of Naples, today is today.
From the mountain we see the mountain ((From the mountain we see the mountain)-Julián García Long-Belgium, 2025 (world premiere)
In the mist of the Patagonian Andes, an indigenous forest is recovering from the fire, and animals and humans emerge from the landscape of colonized scars.
Say in a low voice ((breathe) - Catarina Gonçalves - Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
Breathing on the ice… The film traces the promise and quiet resilience behind the elegant facade, as figure skater Nina Pinzarrone prepares for the show.
My name is Petroleum - Igor Smola - Azerbaijan, Singapore, 2025 (World Premiere)
On a platform in the middle of the sea, the industrial machinery of the oil rig attempted to warn of an impending disaster.
Dark - Violeta Mora - Honduras, Hungary, Portugal, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
When darkness falls, walking begins with this crucial, inner evoking experience of immigration, walking across the U.S. border.