Sheffield DocFest 2026 unveils 50-strong MeetMarket selection 

Sheffield DocFest has announced the 50 doc projects for the 2026 edition of MeetMarket. All of the projects are at various stages.

“Drawn from the highest ever amount of submissions, the 50 projects encompass 42 countries of production and co-production,” organisers write. “New works will be presented from renowned directors such Wang Xiao Shuai (Chinese Portrait), Jacob Perlmutter & Manon Ouimet (Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other), Bipuljit Basu (Redlight to Limelight) and Ibrahim Omar (Nothing Happens After the Revolution), whose latest film will be screened in the Director’s Fortnight competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.”

MeetMarket will present 24 first time directors alongside experienced producers such as Ina Fichman (Coexistance My Ass!), Christian Popp (Cuba & Alaska), Quentin Laurent (To Hold a Mountain), Antje Boehmert (The Srebrenica Tape), Clare Stronge (Chasing the Light), Sonja Henrici (Birds of War), Peter Yam (Another Home), Sigrid Dyekjær (Lowland Kids) and Signe Byrge Sørensen (The Act of Killing). 

“This year’s slate includes 15 films produced and co-produced in the UK, showcasing the exceptional talent and global potential of UK filmmakers developing work in Sheffield,” organisers underline.

They add: “Connecting new projects to industry partners, [MeetMarket] provides curated meetings, roundtables and presentations with commissioning editors, funders, broadcasters and agents across organisations such as BBC Storyville, ARTE, Deutsche Welle,  Netflix and Al Jazeera Documentary Channel. Previous DocFest MeetMarket shortlisted films have gone on to be selected at Cannes and Sundance Festival as well as receiving Oscar and Emmy nominations.  It takes place this year on 11 and 12 June.

Featured in the line of 50 are five ‘Rough Cuts’, first edits selected to be shown to an array of UK and international industry delegates, who will be sharing their feedback and support the projects in their next and final steps toward the release to the audience. This year these films are: Rebellion of Memory; Smoking Shores; The Stateless as Wind; Upstream, and The Weight of Snow. “Together, they offer a compelling look at humanity’s relationship with the natural world and provide a critical, human-centered perspective on systemic oppression,” writes MeetMarket.

Patrizia Mancini, Industry Senior Consultant, Sheffield DocFest comments: “For its 21st edition and the 2026 MeetMarket, Sheffield DocFest remains dedicated to championing diverse global voices and visions, supporting original stories across all genres. Despite a new record of 638 submissions this year—a number that made the committee’s work particularly challenging—some consistent themes emerged. Chief among these is the paramount importance and pressing need for community, demanding a fundamental reassessment of how we co-exist in our increasingly fractured and fragmented world. In this context, filmmakers, journalists, and creatives have a crucial role: to look, dig, and share stories that foster understanding, encourage reflection, and drive us toward positive change. These selected projects powerfully showcase the civic role of non-fiction storytelling, reflecting courage and resilience in the face of current societal challenges.””

MEETMARKET PROJECTS 2026

• Anywhere but here. Production country: Sweden. Co-production country: Denmark. Director: Emilio Di Stefano. Producers: Daniéla Frykstrand (Gunilla Film AB), Elin Kamlert (Gunilla Film AB)
• Bad Math. Production country: Switzerland. Co-production country: France. Director: Yuval Orr. Producers: Esther van Messel (First Hand Films), Stéphanie Lebrun (Babel Doc)
• Bearwalker. Production country: United Kingdom. Director: Peter Lown. Producers: Ted John Oakes (Oak Island Films), Merit Jensen Carr (Merit Motion Pictures)
• Before Our Diaspora. Production country: United Kingdom. Co-production country: France. Director: Theo Panagopoulos. Producer: Nadja Lapcevic (Varda Pictures). Co-Producer: Estelle Robin You (Grande Ourse Films)
• The Bologna Trial. Production country: Belgium. Co-production country: Italy. Director: Paolo Fiore Angelini. Producers: Thierry Detaille (Visible Film), Serena Gramizzi (BO Film SRL)
• China Portrait 2. Production country: United Kingdom. Co-production country: Netherlands. Director: Wang Xiao Shuai. Producers: Jia Zhao (Muyi Film), Liu Xuan (Pretty Tales)
• City Without Doors. Production countries: Syria, Qatar. Co-production country: Belgium. Director: Eyad Aljarod. Producer: Abdulrahman Alkilany (Fisheye films). Co-Producer: Arnauld de Battice (AT PRODUCTION)
• Confidential Project
• The Contract. Production country: United Kingdom. Co-production country: Azerbaijan Director: Christina Bartson. Producers: Joi Lee (Earthrise), Elijah Stevens (Space Time Films)
• CREATURAMA – Epic of the Animals. Production country: Finland. Co-production countries: Estonia, Norway, Sweden. Director: Juha Suonpää. Producers: Juha Suonpää (Swamphead Oy), Liis Nimik (Klara Films OÜ). Co-Producers: Antonio Russo Merenda (Ginestra Film), Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas (Ten Thousand Images)
• Crossed. Production countries: United Kingdom, Mexico, USA. Co-production country: Denmark. Director: Carla Grande. Producers: Lucy Draper, Mariana Castro Bautista, Rita Walsh
• Disruption. Production country: India. Co-production country: France. Director: Sarvnik Kaur. Producers: Monisha Thyagarajan (Awedacious Originals), Sarvnik Kaur (Snooker Club Pictures). Co-Producers: Tayyab Madni (Picture Works Australia), Quentin Laurent (Les Films de l’oeil sauvage)
• Do Not Go Gentle. Production countries: United Kingdom, USA. Director: Bowie Alexander. Producers: Michael LaPointe (Pointe Media), Chris Hamilton (Plan Nine Pictures), Charles Meunier (Plan Nine Pictures)
• Eritrean Untitled Project. Production country: USA. Directors: Vanessa Tsehaye. Producers: James Costa (Bird Street Productions), Simon Kilmurry, Vanessa Tsehaye, Caroline Libresco
• ExCoded. Production country: Canada. Co-production country: Italy. Director: Javier Lovera. Producers: Marc Serpa Francoeur (Better Together Films), Hannah Donegan (Better Together Films)
• Flesh and Flamingos. Production country: United Kingdom. Director: Dominic Leclerc. Producer: Ameenah Ayub Allen (Bright Wire Films Limited). Co-Producer: Sarah Mavity
• The Forecasters. Production country: Belgium. Co-production countries: Spain, Greece, Netherlands, France. Directors: Hanne Phlypo, Pieter Van Eecke. Producer: Hanne Phlypo (Clin d’oeil Films). Co-Producers: Marieke van den Bersselaar (Polar Star Films), Carles Brugueras (Polar Star Films), Rea Apostolides (Anemon Productions), Eugénie Michel Villette (Les Films du Bilboquet), Nanneke Landman (Scenery)
• Goodbye, My Childhood. Production country: China. Director: jinjun yu. Producers: jinjun yu (Shanghai Golden Koi Culture Communication Co., Ltd.), Jenny Man Wu (Inadvertent Beijing Cultural Media Ltd.), Daishan Chen, Stephanie Wang (Magnolia City Pictures). Co-Producer: Sierra Chen (Sierra Story Studio)
• Holy Eye. Production countries: Sudan, Egypt. Co-production country: Canada. Director: Ibrahim Omar. Producer: Samir Essa (Bad Wasabi)
• I Am Rain. Production country: Honduras. Co-production country: Colombia. Director: Laura Bermúdez. Producer: Luis Flores Alvarenga (Thau Honduras). Co-Producer: Deimer Quintero Vertel (Archipiélago Sonoro)
• In Search of the Lost World. Production country: Brazil. Co-production country: United Kingdom. Directors: Jorge Bodanzky, Morzaniel Iramari Yanomami. Producers: Nuno Godolphim (Buriti Filmes), Laís Bodanzky (Buriti Filmes), John Archer (Hopscotch Films), Daniella Rice (Forbidden Cities). Inside the Biggest Case on Earth. Production countries: Brazil, Chile. Director: Renan Flumian. Producer: Giancarlo Nasi (Quijote Films)
• Isabel Allende: The Documentary. Production country: Chile. Co-production country: USA. Director: River Autumn Finlay. Producers: Felipe Isla (Gran Montana), José Isla (Gran Montana), Marisa Torriello (Gran Montana), River Autumn Finlay. Co-Producer: Jeff Zimbalist (All Rise Films)
• Lara. Production country: United Kingdom. Co-production country: Denmark. Directors: Jacob Perlmutter, Manon Ouimet. Producers: Manon Ouimet (Manon et Jacob Ltd), Jacob Perlmutter (Manon et Jacob Ltd). Co-Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen (Final Cut for Real)
• Maï & Miles – The Jazziest Story about Physics Ever Told. Production country: United Kingdom. Co-production countries: Denmark, France. Director: Lea Hejn. Producers: Sonja Henrici (Sonja Henrici Creates), Nadja Lapcevic (Sonja Henrici Creates), Lea Hejn. Co-Producers: Stéphanie Lebrun (Babel Doc), Esther Nissen (Final Cut for Real)
• The Mysterious Grand Master Meng. Production country: Norway. Co-production country: Denmark. Directors: Sturla Pilskog, Inuk Silis Høegh. Producers: Christian Aune Falch (UpNorth Film), Torstein Parelius (UpNorth Film). Co-Producers: Luna Jansen (Holy Ravioli), Valerie Montmartin (Little Big Story)
• Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police. Production country: Italy. Co-production country: Latvia. Director: Simone Manetti. Producers: Raffaele Brunetti (B&B Film), Arianna Sacchinelli (B&B Film). Co-Producer: Uldis Cekulis (VFS FILMS)
• The People’s Network. Production country: USA. Director: Alyse Shorland. Producers: Darcy McKinnon (Gusto Moving Pictures), Sara Archambault (Arch + Bow Films)
• Private Citizen. Production Country: Scotland. Director: Sarah Howitt. Producers: Sarah Howitt (Indelible Telly), John Archer (Hopscotch Films)
• Rebellion of Memory. Production country: Switzerland. Co-production country: Peru. Director: Joël Jent. Producers: Sophia Rubischung (Aaron Film GmbH), Claudia Chávez Lévano (Amazona Producciones)
• Rise Up. Production country: South Africa. Director: Matthew Robinson. Producer: Rehad Desai (Uhuru Productions)
• The Sacrifice. Production country: Netherlands. Directors: Ruud Lenssen, Sander Selen. Producers: Nienke Korthof (Tangerine Tree), Willem Baptist (Tangerine Tree)
• Saving Tuvalu. Production country: Australia. Co-production countries: Germany, Tuvalu. Directors: Kate Blackmore, Amelia Tovey, Kato Ewekia. Producers: Chris Kamen (Media Stockade), Rebecca Barry (Media Stockade), Madeleine Hetherton-Miau (Media Stockade), Anna-Luise Dietzel (Filmtank Studios), Michael Grotenhoff (Filmtank Studios)
• Shabab, a Summer in Gaza. Production country: France. Co-production country: Denmark. Directors: Ahmed Deeb, Tamara Erde. Producers: Sigrid Dyekjær (Real Lava), Lana Deluigi (Solent Production)
• Shades of Snow. Production country: United Kingdom. Co-production country: Germany. Director: Ira Putilova. Producer: Sasha Odynova (Bad Table Manners). Co-Producer: Alex Tondowski (Tondowski Films)
• Slavik’s Journey to Forever. Production country: Ukraine. Director: Vladyslav Vastlchenko. Producers: Bohdanna Semen (Babylon 13), Lukian Galkin (Babylon 13)
• Smoking Shores. Production country: United Kingdom. Co-production country: France. Director: David Roland Warwick. Producer: Dewi Gregory (Truth Department)
• Social Animals. Production countries: Belgium, USA, United Arab Emirates, South Africa. Director: Manuel Oteyza. Producers: Manuel Oteyza (Manny O Productions), Neil Brandt (Storyscope)
• Southern Quest. Production countries: United Kingdom, USA. Director: Oliver Wheeldon. Producer: Beatriz Browne (Third Culture Studios)
• The Stateless as Wind. Production countries: Iran, Afghanistan, France. Director: Samereh Rezaei. Producer: Samereh Rezaei (Jala Film)
• Sudan – The Invisible War. Production country: France. Co-production countries: Norway, Estonia, Belgium, South Africa
• Taxi Driver. Production country: USA. Director: Sara Chishti. Producer: Anurima Bhargava (Taxi Driver Doc LLC)
• The Tree Behind the Zigzag Sign. Production country: Hong Kong. Co-production country: Taiwan. Director: Parco Lok Hang Wong. Producers: Peter Yam (70 Plus Production Company Limited), Hau Chun Chan. Co-Producer: Pony Ma (Autumn Film Production)
• To Make Things Grow. Production countries: United Kingdom, Palestine. Director: Yasmin Fedda. Producer: Dan Davies (Black Leaf Films)
• Turn Her On. Production countries: USA, Ireland, United Kingdom. Directors: Maeve O’Boyle, Lucy Kennedy. Producers: Lucy Kennedy (L & M Films), Maeve O’Boyle (L & M Films), Clare Stronge (Plainsong Films)
• Untitled UN-Project. Production country: Germany. Directors: Anne Thoma, Julia Lemke. Producer: Antje Boehmert (Docdays Productions GmbH Berlin)
• Upstream. Production country: USA. Directors: Moira Fett, Natalie Berger. Producers: Sean Weiner, Martha Gregory
• The Weight of Snow. Production country: Australia. Co-production country: Chile. Director: Matias Bolla. Producer: Carolina Sorensen (People Productions). Co-Producer: Cristian Valle Celedón (Wolf Producciones)
• Welcome to Our Bathhouse. Production country: Japan. Co-production countries: Canada, France. Director: Tommaso Barbetta. Producer: Sanae Abe (Double Tommy LLC). Co-Producers: Ina Fichman (Intuitive Pictures), Christian Popp (Tanjo Films)
• Who Kissed Me in the Dark. Production country: India. Co-production country: Netherlands. Director: Bipuljit Basu. Producers: Bipuljit Basu (Bindubot Communication), Somnath Ghosh (Bindubot Communication). Co-Producer: Harmen Jalvingh (Doxy Fixy)