A short documentary on Romanian environmentalist Gabriel Păun's fight against IKEA. He exposes corporate crimes against some of Europe’s last surviving primary woodlands. Fearing his mission's success, the culprits orchestrate attempts on his life.
Sheffield DocFest picks
Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for nonfiction projects.
For its 33rd edition, 10–15 June 2026, the festival invites audiences to reflect on Realities in Motion with over 104 films from around the world and additional storytelling events. The six-day festival aims to explore the possibilities within our world’s uncertainty and continual transformation, while fostering inspiration and collective thinking. The productions include documentary features, shorts, docuseries, podcast live events, immersive and extended-reality exhibitions, workshops, and talks.
This year’s special programme introduces GEN DocFest–a strand packed with events for children, families and young people. The film programme is divided into seven strands: Rhythms, Rebellions, People & Community, Memories, Journeys, Debates, and Short Films.
Don’t miss the free Alternate Realities programme at Site Gallery, audio documentaries at Podcast Stories, the Participation and Engagement Programme, plus talks with special guests.
You can find accessibility details, including BSL interpretation, relaxed screenings, live captioning, descriptive subtitles and audio descriptions, here. For enquiries, contact the Box Office team on boxoffice@sheffdocfest.com or call 0330 122 8870 during the festival.
Written by Rae de Soleil.
TCB – The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing
Thu. 11 June 2026 — Fri. 12 June 2026
Black feminist writer, filmmaker and cultural worker Toni Cade Bambara was a catalysing force in 20th-century justice movements. Testimonies from friends, including Toni Morrison and Nikky Finney, make a case for the relevance of her approach today.
Lesbian Lines
Thu. 11 June 2026 — Sat. 13 June 2026
The story of underground telephone helplines established by Irish lesbians in 1979. Featuring original helpline volunteers and actors, Lesbian Line documents the transformative power of community and self-determination in the face of lesbophobia.
Sentient
Wed. 10 June 2026 — Sat. 13 June 2026
Dr Lisa Jones Engel embarks on a brave journey of accountability around her work in one of the US's largest high-security animal labs. The film asks us to confront the violence committed against human and non-human animals in the name of science.
Hope is a Word
Thu. 11 June 2026 — Sun. 14 June 2026
Poet-activist Nnimmo Bassey invites a group of young people to use their writing as a form of resistance against oil extraction in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. Words are conjured both as balm and a weapon in the struggle to rebuild community and autonomy.
RAP BABY
Sat. 13 June 2026 — Sun. 14 June 2026
A short documenting the story of CarterTheBandit, a Black gay rapper from South London, as he redefines success through authenticity. Depicting his artistic ambitions and the personal cost of refusing to abandon oneself in a hypermasculine industry.
Rose's House
Sat. 13 June 2026 — Sun. 14 June 2026
The largely forgotten story of Martine Rose, who bought and renovated a dilapidated house in Sheffield to transform it into one of the UK’s first trans safe houses. Portraying her determination to create a lifeline that is equally needed today.
Shop Dada – The Cornershop That Built Us
Wed. 10 June 2026 — Sun. 14 June 2026
Sheffield filmmaker Darshan Gajjar documents the story of his grandfather Pravin Mistry, a Gujarati man displaced from Uganda who rebuilt his life through corner shops. Lovingly depicting what these businesses truly meant to the families behind them.
Shorts: Portraits of Absence
Sat. 13 June 2026 — Sun. 14 June 2026
Blending art, rituals and hope, three short films take us on intimate journeys through grief and memory. Offering a meditative container for our personal and shared loss, remembrance and collective healing.
TAKKUUK
Fri. 12 June 2026 — Sun. 14 June 2026
Co-created with Indigenous collaborators across Greenland and Sápmi, this film shares the struggle to preserve language, land and identity against the backdrop of colonialism. Blending breathtaking infrared cinematography and a hypnotic score.