Artificial Sunshine

Director: Hannah Berryman

Year: 2024

A landmark feature documentary about astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle.<br /> Eileen’s incredible journey starts with her smalltown beginnings, sees her smash through many glass ceilings, and culminates in four dramatic space shuttle missions, the last being possibly the most dangerous and most important of them all.<br /> At its heart the film is the moving human drama of one family, where a mother’s extraordinary career takes us straight to the big philosophical question of what is the level of acceptable risk in human endeavour? <br /> This film celebrates Commander Collins’ trailblazing NASA career which opened the way for women to become spacecraft pilots and commanders, and proved a perfect riposte to a previous generation of male astronauts who thought there was no place for women to lead the way in space. <br /> Official Selection DOC NYC 2024 - World premiere<br /> Official Selection CPH:DOX 2025 - European premiere

Director: Judi Alston; Andy Campbell

Year: 2024

STREETS OF CHANGE VR is a powerful virtual reality experience that brings to light the often-overlooked realities of street homelessness, challenging the stigma and stereotypes through storytelling.<br /> Rooted in real lived experiences, the film humanises rough sleepers through three intimate character stories, revealing their resilience and the harsh truths of life on the streets. Through hyper-realism, spoken word poetry, and immersive storytelling, STREETS OF CHANGE VR explores a narrative of poverty, addiction, and mental health with honesty and emotional depth.<br /> By placing viewers in the shoes of those experiencing homelessness, STREETS OF CHANGE VR aims to foster empathy, break down prejudice, and invites urgent conversations about inequality.<br /> STREETS OF CHANGE VR is a call to action amid a growing global homelessness crisis.

Director: Dan Edelstyn, Hilary Powell

Year: 2025

Two artists in Walthamstow set out to take their street off the grid, kickstarting a solar-powered energy revolution.<br /> Inspired by lockdown mutual aid initiatives, artist-activists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn decided to turn their street into an energy-generating powerhouse – a prototype for a new way of living, with the hope of galvanising a wider push towards sustainable alternatives. Directed by the duo, POWER STATION charts their turbulent journey, from pitching the idea to their neighbours and sleeping on the roof of their home to raising finance and launching a bid for a Christmas number one single. By turns funny and heartwarming, Powell and Edelstyn’s film is a vibrant portrait of their local neighbourhood, and a charming testament to the power of art in changing minds about what could be possible.<br /> Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2025