Projects in categories: Documentary

Synopsis

Go ‘Behind the Counter’ and into the lives of the Dhaliwal family who run a small corner shop in the West Midlands. This film is a celebration of the 35 years of running a shop but also captures the family legacy.

Synopsis

A short and personal female centred documentary about addiction, and long-term recovery from it. This film weaves together observational and lyrical elements to take us into the challenging, deeply personal, and relatively unknown world of recovery – along with the processes of care that follow in the years after a period of active addiction. This is one couple’s journey together as they negotiate the world of recovery and how to plan for a future with so much uncertainty in it.

Synopsis

DUTHCHAS is a poignant, touching and emotive exploration of what it means to people, especially women, to have to leave the island of their birth - Berneray in the Outer Hebrides - to get an education, work, and live and examines the effect this had on the Gaelic language and culture of the island. The documentary features previously unseen Kodachrome 8mm archive film of everyday life on the Isle of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland through the 60s and 70s, intercut with interviews with people from the island including many featured in the archive film which reveals repeated iconic scenes of leaving the island, friends and relatives on the pier waving as they recede into the distance.  A specially composed soundtrack by Donald Shaw draws on the richness of traditional Gaelic songs from Berneray and their compelling melodies as inspiration.

Synopsis

Composed of UFO 'witness' videos from across the globe - brief, ephemeral clips that inhabit the blurry boundary between error, hoax, and genuinely unidentified phenomena - HELLO BIG WEIRD is a playful meditation on the cognitive dissonance that can occur when a once-ridiculed subculture edges into respectability. Official Selection London Short Film Festival 2023

Synopsis

Qismat Ali wraps himself in iron bells and embarks on a gruelling 200km pilgrimage across the scorching deserts of Pakistan. An intense spiritual quest fuelled by devotion; endured in the name of love, connection and tradition.

Synopsis

"McEnroe" is an intimate portrait of one of the most explosive and compelling sporting icons of all time. Number One in the world in four consecutive years, John's epic battles with Bjorn Borg helped define the golden era of tennis, yet huge controversy on and off the court betrayed an inner conflict. Set over one New York night, John journeys into memory to explore why a need for connection both drove him and nearly broke him. "McEnroe" features completely unseen archive from some of the biggest matches in tennis history - including the US Open and Wimbledon - as well as home video footage from John himself. Contributions from John's children and his wife Patty Smyth provide a level of intimacy that takes the film beyond a sports biopic and into the realms of something deeply confessional. Compassionate and heartfelt, featuring icons such as Billie Jean King, Bjorn Borg and Keith Richards, MCENROE is the definitive portrait of a force of nature powered by the beating heart of New York. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2022 - World premiere Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - People & Communities - International premiere

Synopsis

Two British artists: the lesbian portrait painter, Sadie Lee, and the non-binary writer, Libro Levi Bridgeman, both born on the same day. They meet to collaborate on a portrait of Libro and discuss their lives from the 1980s onwards. Now, after 3 years, Sadie is ready to uncover the painting.

Synopsis

The world's first multi-sensory augmented reality narrative experience. The game turns players into time-travelling detectives, using their sight, sound and smell to investigate the mysterious sinking of Henry VIII’s favourite warship, The Mary Rose, that claimed the lives of the 500 soldiers and sailors on board.

Synopsis

Growing old amid flickering memories and teetering on the brink of survival, Bradford Movie Makers' members pull out all the stops to save their club from its final reckoning in this quietly hilarious, profoundly moving portrait of shared artistic folly that speaks to the delusional dreamer in us all. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - International Competition - World premiere Grierson Awards 2023 - Nomination - Best Cinema Documentary

Synopsis

A euphoric record of Sheffield-based Studio Electrophonique, which nurtured a generation of superstars such as ABC, The Human League, Heaven 17, Clock DVA and Pulp. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - Rhythms - World premiere

Synopsis

In 2014, following a tip-off, a group of journalists exposed a troubled history for indigenous Sámi women, men and children. It revealed generations of negligence, abuse and suffering, supported by a mass of evidence and previously unseen archival footage. As the case goes to court, the community remains defiant against a judicial system whose attitudes highlight fissures in the purported equal treatment of all citizens. The community’s battle aims to break a vicious cycle of racism and to achieve meaningful lasting change for future generations. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - Debates - UK premiere

Synopsis

Jake 100 has built an impressive reputation and amassed a sizeable following through his status as one of the world’s best wheelie racers and tricksters. His Bike Life Circus has helped create a brand-new urban sport, its unofficial races taking place on go kart tracks, cycle parks and around industrial estates. Central to this has been the rapid growth of the ‘knives down, bikes’ up’ movement, with young riders in London amassing to take a stand against knife crime. Director Martin Read captures the energy of these events, putting audiences at the heart of the action and delivering a visceral thrill-ride of a film. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2022 - Journeys - World premiere