Sheffield 2021

Director Clive Patterson and Emmy award-winning journalist Sorious Samura talk to Business Doc Europe about their (somewhat fraught) documentary Sing, Freetown, premiering today at Sheffield, which set out to tell another story of Sierra Leone, not one focussing on Ebola, cholera, violence, war and corruption.

What is the point of documentary? What is the point of doc festivals? And given the plethora of rescheduled events competing for both industry and public attention, what is the point of Sheffield? To answer these questions Doc Fest director Cíntia Gil goes back to first principles with Business Doc Europe.

When filmmakers Jeremy Ungar and Ivaylo Getov’s journeyed to Cuba to see the all-female a cappella group Vocal Vidas after a tip-off by their producer, they freely admit that they “lucked out.” The filmmakers’ rousing musical doc Soy Cubana had its international premiere this week at Sheffield. The pair tell all to BDE.

Spanish director Alba Sotorra talks to Business Doc Europe about her doc in which she she explores the plight of the so-called ISIS brides, including the divisive Shamima Beguma from the UK and the American Hoda Muthana.

Best Film in International Competition was 'Nũhũ Yãg Mũ Yõg Hãm: This Land Is Our Land!' while the Special Jury Award went to Equatorial Constellations. In UK Competition, 'Ali and His Miracle Sheep' won Best Film as 'Portrait of Kaye' (Ben Reed, UK) won the Special Jury Award. Audience Award to Charm Circle.

US experimental filmmaker, photographer and poet Lynne Sachs’ new short E•pis•to•lar•y: Letter to Jean Vigo (screening June 6 as part of Let’s Start Again at the Sheffield Doc Fest) offers an unusual meditation on the events of January 6, 2021, when protesters stormed the United States Capitol in Washington. The director explains to BDE.

The prolific Irish/Scottish director talks to Business Doc Europe about the joys of looking and the brilliance of selfies, Gertrude Stein’s equation on observation and construction and what it’s like, post-cataract op, to have Robert Altman living in one of your eyes.

It is 75 years since Pakistani freedom fighter Fatima Sughra clambered on to the top of a high building to pull down the British flag. Her example still inspires the Karachi feminists featured in Anam Abbas’ feature debut This Stained Dawn, screening as a world premiere in Sheffield this week. Abbas explains to BDE.

The BFI Doc Society Fund has partnered with FWD-Doc: Filmmakers with Disabilities to create an industry resource aimed at ensuring disabled-accessible and disabled-inclusive doc filmmaking and exhibition. Engagement Pack launches with ‘Reimagining Disability in Documentary’ talk at Sheffield 8 June (7pm today).

We may all want to forget the past year, but Songs For The River (with its strapline of ‘Reflections on a Pandemic’) serves as an important and unique, and at times hopeful, record of these dark times.