● 50 PROJECTS CHOSEN FROM OVER 600 SUBMISSIONS
● WORK BY FILMMAKERS FROM 42 COUNTRIES TELLING STORIES FROM RIGHT ACROSS THE GLOBE
● NEW WORK FROM FIRST TIME FILMMAKERS AS WELL AS WORLD CLASS ARTISTS SUCH AS WANG XIAO SHUAI, JACOB PERLMUTTER & MANON OUIMET AND IBRAHIM OMAR
Sheffield DocFest, the UK’s leading documentary festival, one of the biggest showcases for documentaries around the globe, has announced 50 documentary projects for the 2026 MeetMarket; all works in progress at varying stages. The 2026 MeetMarket programme is a distinctive and totally varied mix of bold, vivid and socially conscious work.
The MeetMarket is an annual hub for some of the best documentary talent. It offers filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their work to leading industry voices worldwide and secure future lives for their projects, whilst providing the industry a chance to spot and support the next great documentary films.
Connecting new projects to industry partners, it provides curated meetings, roundtables and presentations with commissioning editors, funders, broadcasters and agents across organisations such as BBC Storyville, ARTE, Deutsche Welle, Netflix and Al Jazeera Documentary Channel. Previous DocFest MeetMarket shortlisted films have gone on to be selected at Cannes and Sundance Festival as well as receiving Oscar and Emmy nominations. It takes place this year on 11 and 12 June.
Drawn from the highest ever amount of submissions, the 50 projects encompass 42 countries of production and co-production. New works will be presented from renowned directors such Wang Xiao Shuai (Chinese Portrait), Jacob Perlmutter & Manon Ouimet (Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other), Bipuljit Basu (Redlight to Limelight) and Ibrahim Omar (Nothing Happens After the Revolution), whose latest film will be screened in the Director’s Fortnight competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
MeetMarket will present 24 first time directors alongside experienced producers such as Ina Fichman (Cohexistance My Ass!), Christian Popp (Cuba & Alaska), Quentin Laurent (To Hold a Mountain), Antje Boehmert (The Srebrenica Tape), Clare Stronge (Chasing the Light), Sonja Henrici (Birds of War), Peter Yam (Another Home) , Sigrid Dyekjær (Lowland Kids) and Signe Byrge Sørensen (Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other). This year’s slate includes 15 films produced and co-produced in the UK, showcasing the exceptional talent and global potential of UK filmmakers developing work in Sheffield.
The 2026 selection team consisted of 19 UK and international industry professionals with experience spans production, funding, distribution, development, festivals and more: Rea Apostolides, Henrietta Bennett, Virginia Bogliolo, Luke Brawley, Zak Brilliant, Gary Byungseok Kam, Ruby Chen, James Costa, Sophie Duncan, Soleil Gharbieh, Luis González Zaffaroni, Panuksmi Hardjowirogo, Theresa Hill, Keisha Knight, Théo Lionel, Mahdokht Mahmoudabadi, Patrizia Mancini, Neda Milanova, Raul Niño Zambrano, Sarah Spring, Romeo Umulisa, Campbell X.
Featured in the line of 50 are five ‘Rough Cuts’, first edits selected to be shown to an array of UK and international industry delegates, who will be sharing their feedback and support the projects in their next and final steps toward the release to the audience. This year these films are: Rebellion of Memory, Smoking Shores, The Stateless as Wind, Upstream, The Weight of Snow. Together, they offer a compelling look at humanity’s relationship with the natural world and provide a critical, human-centered perspective on systemic oppression
Patrizia Mancini, Industry Senior Consultant, Sheffield DocFest said: “For its 21st edition and the 2026 MeetMarket, Sheffield DocFest remains dedicated to championing diverse global voices and visions, supporting original stories across all genres. Despite a new record of 638 submissions this year—a number that made the committee’s work particularly challenging—some consistent themes emerged. Chief among these is the paramount importance and pressing need for community, demanding a fundamental reassessment of how we co-exist in our increasingly fractured and fragmented world. In this context, filmmakers, journalists, and creatives have a crucial role: to look, dig, and share stories that foster understanding, encourage reflection, and drive us toward positive change. These selected projects powerfully showcase the civic role of non-fiction storytelling, reflecting courage and resilience in the face of current societal challenges”
The MeetMarket is part of DocFest’s comprehensive talent development offering, supporting filmmakers at all stages of their careers. It ensures a vital talent pipeline that supports the industry throughout the UK and makes Docfest a powerhouse of film output in the north, that is recognised across the world.
The 2026 edition of Sheffield DocFest, ‘Realities in Motion’, will take over Sheffield from 10 – 15 June and the MeetMarket runs between 11 – 13. The first public programme has already been announced and features this year’s Festival Guest of Honour Maxine Peake, Miriam Margolyes, Chris Packham, Andrea Arnold, alongside a special event dedicated to one of the world’s most famous living documentary makers, Sir David Attenborough. The full public programme will be announced on 29 April. Alongside the MeetMarket, the full industry programme will be announced on May 6th. DocFest’s Marketplace activities are supported by the BFI UK Focus Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.
Sheffield DocFest is a key moment in the UK’s cultural calendar where audiences can experience the very best in documentary filmmaking. Each June hundreds of artists and filmmakers from all over the world descend on the North of England to present groundbreaking world premieres and talks that inspire fresh perspectives, challenge conventional thought and invite audiences to consider alternate realities. One of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects, the festival showcases the full breadth of the form across film, television, podcasts, immersive and virtual reality and art, presenting some of the most exciting creative minds from across the globe at all stages of their careers. The programme is curated from around 3000 entries worldwide and is showcased in iconic city venues and unusual spaces throughout Sheffield.
Full list of MeetMarket Projects
Anywhere but here
Production country: Sweden
Co-production country: Denmark
Director: Emilio Di Stefano
Producers: Daniéla Frykstrand (Gunilla Film AB), Elin Kamlert (Gunilla Film AB)
Bad Math
Production country: Switzerland
Co-production country: France
Director: Yuval Orr
Producers: Esther van Messel (First Hand Films), Stéphanie Lebrun (Babel Doc)
Bearwalker
Production country: United Kingdom
Director: Peter Lown
Producers: Ted John Oakes (Oak Island Films), Merit Jensen Carr (Merit Motion Pictures)
Before Our Diaspora
Production country: United Kingdom
Co-production country: France
Director: Theo Panagopoulos
Producer: Nadja Lapcevic (Varda Pictures)
Co-Producer: Estelle Robin You (Grande Ourse Films)
The Bologna Trial
Production country: Belgium
Co-production country: Italy
Director: Paolo Fiore Angelini
Producers: Thierry Detaille (Visible Film), Serena Gramizzi (BO Film SRL)
China Portrait 2
Production country: United Kingdom
Co-production country: Netherlands
Director: Wang Xiao Shuai
Producers: Jia Zhao (Muyi Film), Liu Xuan (Pretty Tales)
City Without Doors
Production countries: Syria, Qatar
Co-production country: Belgium
Director: Eyad Aljarod
Producer: Abdulrahman Alkilany (Fisheye films)
Co-Producer: Arnauld de Battice (AT PRODUCTION)
Confidential Project
The Contract
Production country: United Kingdom
Co-production country: Azerbaijan
Director: Christina Bartson
Producers: Joi Lee (Earthrise), Elijah Stevens (Space Time Films)
CREATURAMA – Epic of the Animals
Production country: Finland
Co-production countries: Estonia, Norway, Sweden
Director: Juha Suonpää
Producers: Juha Suonpää (Swamphead Oy), Liis Nimik (Klara Films OÜ)
Co-Producers: Antonio Russo Merenda (Ginestra Film), Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas (Ten Thousand Images)
Crossed
Production countries: United Kingdom, Mexico, USA
Co-production country: Denmark
Director: Carla Grande
Producers: Lucy Draper, Mariana Castro Bautista, Rita Walsh
Disruption
Production country: India
Co-production country: France
Director: Sarvnik Kaur
Producers: Monisha Thyagarajan (Awedacious Originals), Sarvnik Kaur (Snooker Club Pictures)
Co-Producers: Tayyab Madni (Picture Works Australia), Quentin Laurent (Les Films de l’oeil sauvage)
Do Not Go Gentle
Production countries: United Kingdom, USA
Director: Bowie Alexander
Producers: Michael LaPointe (Pointe Media), Chris Hamilton (Plan Nine Pictures), Charles Meunier (Plan Nine Pictures)
Eritrean Untitled Project
Production country: USA
Directors: Vanessa Tsehaye
Producers: James Costa (Bird Street Productions), Simon Kilmurry, Vanessa Tsehaye, Caroline Libresco
ExCoded
Production country: Canada
Co-production country: Italy
Director: Javier Lovera
Producers: Marc Serpa Francoeur (Better Together Films), Hannah Donegan (Better Together Films)
Flesh and Flamingos
Production country: United Kingdom
Director: Dominic Leclerc
Producer: Ameenah Ayub Allen (Bright Wire Films Limited)
Co-Producer: Sarah Mavity
The Forecasters
Production country: Belgium
Co-production countries: Spain, Greece, Netherlands, France
Directors: Hanne Phlypo, Pieter Van Eecke
Producer: Hanne Phlypo (Clin d’oeil Films)
Co-Producers: Marieke van den Bersselaar (Polar Star Films), Carles Brugueras (Polar Star Films), Rea Apostolides (Anemon Productions), Eugénie Michel Villette (Les Films du Bilboquet), Nanneke Landman (Scenery)
Goodbye, My Childhood
Production country: China
Director: jinjun yu
Producers: jinjun yu (Shanghai Golden Koi Culture Communication Co., Ltd.), Jenny Man Wu (Inadvertent Beijing Cultural Media Ltd.), Daishan Chen, Stephanie Wang (Magnolia City Pictures)
Co-Producer: Sierra Chen (Sierra Story Studio)
Holy Eye
Production countries: Sudan, Egypt
Co-production country: Canada
Director: Ibrahim Omar
Producer: Samir Essa (Bad Wasabi)
I Am Rain
Production country: Honduras
Co-production country: Colombia
Director: Laura Bermúdez
Producer: Luis Flores Alvarenga (Thau Honduras)
Co-Producer: Deimer Quintero Vertel (Archipiélago Sonoro)
In Search of the Lost World
Production country: Brazil
Co-production country: United Kingdom
Directors: Jorge Bodanzky, Morzaniel Iramari Yanomami
Producers: Nuno Godolphim (Buriti Filmes), Laís Bodanzky (Buriti Filmes), John Archer (Hopscotch Films), Daniella Rice (Forbidden Cities)
Inside the Biggest Case on Earth
Production countries: Brazil, Chile
Director: Renan Flumian
Producer: Giancarlo Nasi (Quijote Films)
Isabel Allende: The Documentary
Production country: Chile
Co-production country: USA
Director: River Autumn Finlay
Producers: Felipe Isla (Gran Montana), José Isla (Gran Montana), Marisa Torriello (Gran Montana), River Autumn Finlay
Co-Producer: Jeff Zimbalist (All Rise Films)
Lara
Production country: United Kingdom
Co-production country: Denmark
Directors: Jacob Perlmutter, Manon Ouimet
Producers: Manon Ouimet (Manon et Jacob Ltd), Jacob Perlmutter (Manon et Jacob Ltd)
Co-Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen (Final Cut for Real)
Maï & Miles – The Jazziest Story about Physics Ever Told
Production country: United Kingdom
Co-production countries: Denmark, France
Director: Lea Hejn
Producers: Sonja Henrici (Sonja Henrici Creates), Nadja Lapcevic (Sonja Henrici Creates), Lea Hejn
Co-Producers: Stéphanie Lebrun (Babel Doc), Esther Nissen (Final Cut for Real)
The Mysterious Grand Master Meng
Production country: Norway
Co-production country: Denmark
Directors: Sturla Pilskog, Inuk Silis Høegh
Producers: Christian Aune Falch (UpNorth Film), Torstein Parelius (UpNorth Film)
Co-Producers: Luna Jansen (Holy Ravioli), Valerie Montmartin (Little Big Story)
Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police
Production country: Italy
Co-production country: Latvia
Director: Simone Manetti
Producers: Raffaele Brunetti (B&B Film), Arianna Sacchinelli (B&B Film)
Co-Producer: Uldis Cekulis (VFS FILMS)
The People’s Network
Production country: USA
Director: Alyse Shorland
Producers: Darcy McKinnon (Gusto Moving Pictures), Sara Archambault (Arch + Bow Films)
Private Citizen
Production Country: Scotland
Director: Sarah Howitt
Producers: Sarah Howitt (Indelible Telly), John Archer (Hopscotch Films)
Rebellion of Memory
Production country: Switzerland
Co-production country: Peru
Director: Joël Jent
Producers: Sophia Rubischung (Aaron Film GmbH), Claudia Chávez Lévano (Amazona Producciones)
Rise Up
Production country: South Africa
Director: Matthew Robinson
Producer: Rehad Desai (Uhuru Productions)
The Sacrifice
Production country: Netherlands
Directors: Ruud Lenssen, Sander Selen
Producers: Nienke Korthof (Tangerine Tree), Willem Baptist (Tangerine Tree)
Saving Tuvalu
Production country: Australia
Co-production countries: Germany, Tuvalu
Directors: Kate Blackmore, Amelia Tovey, Kato Ewekia
Producers: Chris Kamen (Media Stockade), Rebecca Barry (Media Stockade), Madeleine Hetherton-Miau (Media Stockade), Anna-Luise Dietzel (Filmtank Studios), Michael Grotenhoff (Filmtank Studios)
Shabab, a Summer in Gaza
Production country: France
Co-production country: Denmark
Directors: Ahmed Deeb, Tamara Erde
Producers: Sigrid Dyekjær (Real Lava), Lana Deluigi (Solent Production)
Shades of Snow
Production country: United Kingdom
Co-production country: Germany
Director: Ira Putilova
Producer: Sasha Odynova (Bad Table Manners)
Co-Producer: Alex Tondowski (Tondowski Films)
Slavik’s Journey to Forever
Production country: Ukraine
Director: Vladyslav Vastlchenko
Producers: Bohdanna Semen (Babylon 13), Lukian Galkin (Babylon 13)
Smoking Shores
Production country: United Kingdom
Co-production country: France
Director: David Roland Warwick
Producer: Dewi Gregory (Truth Department)
Social Animals
Production countries: Belgium, USA, United Arab Emirates, South Africa
Director: Manuel Oteyza
Producers: Manuel Oteyza (Manny O Productions), Neil Brandt (Storyscope)
Southern Quest
Production countries: United Kingdom, USA
Director: Oliver Wheeldon
Producer: Beatriz Browne (Third Culture Studios)
The Stateless as Wind
Production countries: Iran, Afghanistan, France
Director: Samereh Rezaei
Producer: Samereh Rezaei (Jala Film)
Sudan – The Invisible War
Production country: France
Co-production countries: Norway, Estonia, Belgium, South Africa
Taxi Driver
Production country: USA
Director: Sara Chishti
Producer: Anurima Bhargava (Taxi Driver Doc LLC)
The Tree Behind the Zigzag Sign
Production country: Hong Kong
Co-production country: Taiwan
Director: Parco Lok Hang Wong
Producers: Peter Yam (70 Plus Production Company Limited), Hau Chun Chan
Co-Producer: Pony Ma (Autumn Film Production)
To Make Things Grow
Production countries: United Kingdom, Palestine
Director: Yasmin Fedda
Producer: Dan Davies (Black Leaf Films)
Turn Her On
Production countries: USA, Ireland, United Kingdom
Directors: Maeve O’Boyle, Lucy Kennedy
Producers: Lucy Kennedy (L & M Films), Maeve O’Boyle (L & M Films), Clare Stronge (Plainsong Films)
Untitled UN-Project
Production country: Germany
Directors: Anne Thoma, Julia Lemke
Producer: Antje Boehmert (Docdays Productions GmbH Berlin)
Upstream
Production country: USA
Directors: Moira Fett, Natalie Berger
Producers: Sean Weiner, Martha Gregory
The Weight of Snow
Production country: Australia
Co-production country: Chile
Director: Matias Bolla
Producer: Carolina Sorensen (People Productions)
Co-Producer: Cristian Valle Celedón (Wolf Producciones)
Welcome to Our Bathhouse
Production country: Japan
Co-production countries: Canada, France
Director: Tommaso Barbetta
Producer: Sanae Abe (Double Tommy LLC)
Co-Producers: Ina Fichman (Intuitive Pictures), Christian Popp (Tanjo Films)
Who Kissed Me in the Dark
Production country: India
Co-production country: Netherlands
Director: Bipuljit Basu
Producers: Bipuljit Basu (Bindubot Communication), Somnath Ghosh (Bindubot Communication)
Co-Producer: Harmen Jalvingh (Doxy Fixy)
About Sheffield DocFest
Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects. We champion and present the breadth of documentary form – film, television, immersive and art – in the vibrant city of Sheffield each June. We offer makers and audiences a place for inspiration, debate, development, learning and challenge. Our programming represents our core values – creativity, empathy, freedom, inclusivity and internationalism.
Sheffield DocFest is run by International Documentary Festival Sheffield, an independent registered charity (no.1184849), whose purpose is to advance the art of film, education and training in documentary filmmaking.
The 33rd edition of the festival will take place between 10-15 June 2025 in Sheffield, UK. For key dates including film entry deadlines, programme launch and marketplace activity visit https://www.sheffdocfest.com/key-dates
About the BFI National Lottery UK Focus Fund
The BFI National Lottery UK Focus Fund aims to increase the international visibility of UK screen talent and content in an industry context, and to connect UK screen professionals with their international counterparts to increase international collaboration and the impact and success of the UK screen sector’s creativity and entrepreneurship.
About the BFI
The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image.
Our mission is:
*To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers
*To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive
*To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals – delivered online and in venue
*To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding
*To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt OBE.
