Sheffield DocFest

Sheffield DocFest is run by International Documentary Festival Sheffield, an independent registered charity (no.1184849), whose purpose is to advance the art of film, education and training in documentary filmmaking. 

Founded in 1994, Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects. We champion and present the breadth of documentary form – film, television, immersive and art – in the vibrant city of Sheffield each June. We offer makers and audiences a place for inspiration, debate, development, learning and challenge. Our programming represents our core values – creativity, empathy, freedom, inclusivity and internationalism.

We offer a volunteer programme for anyone aged 16+ (under 18s need parental/guardian consent) who are interested in seeing how an international film festival works, whilst gaining practical skills in the world of film, documentary and live events. Our Youth Jury programme, which has been running for 15+ years, is open to 18-25 year olds and offers the opportunity to curate a selection of films for the festival programme and choose the winner of our Youth Jury Award! 

Alongside our festival in June, we run a number of events and community screenings involving and partnering with local, national and international participants, bringing documentary films to audiences all year-round.