Sheffield DocFest Podcast

The popular documentarian and journalist, Stacey Dooley returned to Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017 to discuss the art of uncovering surprising and shocking stories. At the heart of Stacey's documentaries lies her passion for investigating social, economical and cultural issues affecting young people around the world. Stacy talks about her career, her campaigns against child labour and latest slate of docs for BBC3.

From blue flashing crime scenes to tense interrogations, the thirst for True Crime is insatiable. So how do content creators keep one of the longest running documentary genres fresh and exciting? How do US crime docs compare to the UK? And in a world when every move can be publicly scrutinised, how do you navigate press teams, consent and full open access from those trying to make our cities safe? A panel of filmmakers and commissioners from Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017 discuss making true crime documentary.

Supported By BAFTA

Ian Hislop, the editor of the satirical news magazine Private Eye and team captain on Have I Got News for You, came to Sheffield Doc/Fest for the first time. In conversation with the BAFTA winning actor and satirist Jolyon Rubinstein (The Revolution Will be Televised, Revolting), Ian explored the role that satire plays in documenting our world and getting to the truth, as well as discussing his new documentary exploring immigration.

Professor Green, Stephen Manderson to his friends, came to Doc/Fest to talk about his film work for BBC3; intensely personal portraits of difficult subjects like male suicide and homelessness.

With Netflix & Amazon making bold moves into the documentary space, what does this mean for an already cluttered international market? Is exclusive access and strong storytelling still enough, or do new documentary commissions need to offer something more? Is there a risk that in doing so, the authenticity of the genre takes second place to marketing and publicity demands? Or is it just the natural evolution of the genre?

Sheffield Doc/Fest and Channel 4 welcomed Oscar-winning director Michael Moore back to Sheffield, 18 years after his first visit. Voted one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People" by Time Magazine, he is widely regarded as one of the most important filmmakers working in documentary. Michael talks to Ralph Lee, Deputy Chief Creative Officer at Channel 4, about his latest film, Where to Invade Next?. which opened this year's Festival, as well as looking back over his hugely successful career. Supported by Channel 4.

This Sheffield Doc/Fest 2016 session explores the ways that filmmakers and artists are combining archive and new technologies to engage audiences across TV, cinema, VR, galleries and exhibition spaces, and what the future holds for film heritage. The panel was chaired by Rebekah Polding (BAFTA) and included Dr Stephen Smith (USC Shoah Foundation), Catherine Allen (Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel) and Lindsey Hanlon (BBC). The session was supported by Creative Skillset.

Dr Stephen Smith's keynote talk at the Alternate Realties Summit showcased New Dimensions in Testimony; ground-breaking natural language software that allows audiences to have a "virtual encounter" with the recorded image of Holocaust survivor, Pinchas Gutter, who responds in real time, powered by complex algorithms providing realistic conversation. Dr Smith discussed how he and his team compile the complex audio and visual data for this project, which will transform storytelling and archives of the future.

How do filmmakers capture political struggles? What challenges do filmmakers face in making politically-committed documentaries? How can radical films connect with audiences? This session, from Sheffield Doc/Fest 2016 explores different approaches to political filmmaking taking place in the UK, Egypt and Greece, from video-activism and feature documentary to interactive formats and fiction/documentary hybrids. The session was chaired by Steve Presence and featured Shaun Dey, Aris Chatzistefanou, Alisa Lebow, Usayd Younis and Cassie Quarless.

A powerhouse in the documentary world, Sheila Nevins has shepherded scores of the genre's best films over many years and, as President of HBO Documentaries, is one of the US's most powerful documentary executives. Sheila talks with Nick Fraser about some of the many hits in a career that has garnered nearly thirty Emmy awards.