Projects in categories: Documentary

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A movie shot over a weekend at the Durban International Film Festival, South Africa, in July 2018 by the underground South African collective Medu African Film Ensemble (aka Medu AF). With a sense of mischief and minimal resources pooled together by its contributors, the film tells the story of Fanon - a Black female filmmaker - beset by her demons ten floors up in an oceanside hotel, gazing out over African shores during the hermetically-sealed weirdness that is the world of a film festival. Using elements of fiction and documentary, the film follows Fanon as she wrestles with what the film industry expects her to be, and not to be, as she readies herself to pitch her first film. Fanon navigates this uncharted territory, while a supporting cast of real-world, “leading, industry professionals”, seated in her hotel room but never seeming to address her directly, dish out advice straight to camera - are they apparitions or voices in her head? Behind-the-scenes shifts to front-of-scene and back again, theory blends with praxis, as it becomes less and less clear who has the reins, unsettling the foundations of the so-called proper way of doing things. Official Selection Berlinale 2019 - Forum Expanded - World premiere

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An intimate window into how virtual reality (VR) app VRChat is affecting people's social lives for the better. This whimsical documentary tells the story of a couple that fall in love inside tangible VR, as well as two friends meeting up in real life for the first time.

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A short documentary about the life of a middle aged man, suffering from schizophrenia and chronic depression.

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BEYOND 'THERE'S ALWAYS A BLACK ISSUE DEAR' captures a vital historical period shedding new light on British LGBTQ history, circa 1970s and 80s. Creating their own identities in a time when, ‘if you were black you could be either Reggae or Soul’ the cast vividly recall daring to be different.

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A reporter interviews a rough sleeper.

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Between 2011 and 2015 UK adventurer Sarah Outen traversed the globe. For her expedition London2London: Via The World, Sarah was the engine, travelling by bike, kayak and rowing boat across Europe and Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and finally the Atlantic. Sarah’s incredible four-year odyssey saw her travel over 20,000 miles. As she migrated between cultures, climates and landscapes under her own power, Sarah’s inspirational voyage was followed by thousands, hooked on her infectious humour and love of life. But travelling mostly solo, the trip took its toll, and the punishing elements, ticking clock and months of solitude pushed Sarah to the physical and mental brink. Woven out of hundreds of hours of footage from the expedition, Home intimately and unflinchingly captures Sarah’s journey: the kindness of strangers, the wonders of the wild, the savagery of the elements, the near-death experiences, the demons of her emotional trauma and PTSD, and her discovery of love for a farmer called Lucy. Home is a story of heart and soul, of hardship and joy, and one woman’s trek towards true emotional acceptance.

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A real life "superhero", a YouTuber and a camgirl explain why they choose to share -or hide- their chronic illnesses online. When you're too ill for IRL, where do you turn?

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An elderly couple search for Ausfahrt; a place they have only seen on signposts.

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11-year-old Andre and his story about his inspiration to pursue a ballet career in a one long take short film.

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Ed Accura is a black British man who develops phobia with water, and as a result wears a lifejacket everywhere he goes. Ed is torn between his friends encouraging him to learn how to swim and society dramatically dampening his confidence with stereotypes on black people and their inability to swim.

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A visionary, innovator and originator who defied categorization and embodied the word cool: a foray into the life and career of musical and cultural icon Miles Davis. Using words from Miles Davis' autobiography, this film offers an incisive insight into our understanding of the legendary musician. Newly released archival material, alongside interviews with pre-eminent historians and personal friends like Quincy Jones, illustrate a man of intensity and devotion to his craft. Despite the indignities of America during the time of segregation, nothing was going to stop Davis from realising his dream: to create a new form of musical expression. Davis worked like a physicist with his collaborators to push musical experimentation and widen the tones and lyricism of jazz - the effects of which are felt to this day. Delving into his past loves, personal relationships and addictions, a clearer portrait of Davis the man emerges. Davis is fearless and engaging throughout, and his intellectual fervor is only tempered by his insecurities. Director Stanley Nelson’s epic biopic collects the strands of a creative life and weaves them together for us to understand one of the great modern American artists like never before. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Documentary Premieres - World premiere Official Selection Hot Docs 2019 - Special Presentations Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Create Strand

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When allegations of sexual abuse by Michael Jackson involving young boys surfaced in 1993, many found it hard to believe that the King of Pop could be guilty of such unspeakable acts. In separate but parallel stories, James Safechuck (10) and Wade Robson (7) were each befriended by Jackson, who invited them into his singular, fairy-tale world as his career reached its peak. Their families were unaware of the manipulation and abuse he would subject the boys to over a period of years. Through gut-wrenching interviews with the now-adult men and their families, LEAVING NEVERLAND crafts a portrait of sustained exploitation, deception and the complicated feelings that led both men to confront their abuse only once they each had had a young son of their own. Playing out against the backdrop of our collective experience, the film documents the value of breaking a long-held silence, even when it implicates a powerful, revered figure. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Special Events programme - World premiere