Sheffield DocFest

Over the years, the festival has been held at more than 20 other venues across Sheffield and the surrounding area, including the Light Cinema, Sheffield Town Hall, Sheffield City Hall, and the DocFest Exchange on Tudor Square, developed with the Wellcome Trust. Fun is a key element, and the festival holds many parties.Chris Bond, [http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/yorkshire-living/arts/cinema/documentary-evidence-of-a-golden-age-1-5718642 Documentary evidence of a golden age as festival opens window on the world, The Yorkshire Post, 30 May 2013] The festival has gained popularity steadily over recent years.Nick Bradshaw, [https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/comment/festivals/best-sheffield-docfest-2013 The best of Sheffield DocFest 2013, Sight & Sound, 10 July 2013] DocFest screenings help many films to achieve a wider audience by attracting distribution and further screening opportunities for the films it shows.Alexandra Zeevalkink, [http://docgeeks.com/2012/10/30/sheffield-docfest-call-for-documentary-submissions%E2%80%A8/ Sheffield DocFest: call for documentary submissions , docgeeks.com, 30 October 2012]

Sheffield DocFest's "Marketplace & Talent" segment is a major part of the festival, which includes the MeetMarket for films and series to achieve funding and distribution, "Alternate Realities Market" for interactive and virtual reality projects, live pitches, and other training initiatives.

Interactive, immersive and virtual reality documentary is also a central element of the festival with interactive exhibitions and commissioned works scattered across the city, and the Alternate Realities Summit taking place over an entire day of the festival.

In addition to the festival days in June, Sheffield DocFest presents year-round workshops, screenings, labs and mentoring opportunities both in the UK and internationally.

In 1990, Peter Symes of BBC TV Features Bristol had the idea of creating a forum for British documentary filmmakers to debate and discuss their craft. In 1993, he set up a festival board which included representatives from Channel 4, United Artists, Discovery Channel, Central Independent Television and Granada Television. They chose to hold the festival in Sheffield, an English industrial town which was just beginning to develop a media and cultural sector.{{cite web|first=Kevin |last=Ritchie|url=http://realscreen.com/2013/06/12/docfest-celebrates-its-second-decade/ |title=DocFest celebrates its second decade|website=realscreen.com|date= 12 June 2013}}

File:Sheffield International Documentary Festival 1994.png File:Sheffield International Documentary Festival 1994 Programme.png

The first Sheffield International Documentary Festival was held in 1994, formatted as an international film festival and conference for documentary professionals.'20th Anniversary for Sheffield DocFest', Regional Film and Video, 1 June 2013 It included a film programme, one or two masterclasses, and a party.'Quidnunc', Sheffield Telegraph, 6 June 2013 It lasted two days and mainly attracted London-based filmmakers and producers, plus several international commissioners and distributors.

Over the next eight years, the festival continued, with around 475 to 700 delegates attending, and total audiences reaching around 2000. The Festival became an opportunity for London-based independent filmmakers to talk to commissioners at the BBC and Channel 4, who were otherwise difficult to reach. Success at the Festival might mean landing a job for the coming year.

In 2005, DocFest attracted more than 600 mostly UK delegates and enjoyed almost 9,000 screening and session admissions. However, with changes in the factual television marketplace, it was time for DocFest to move from a primarily craft-based event and increase its marketplace activity. The chairman at the time, Steve Hewlett, visited the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) where he met its director Heather Croall, who had a background in filmmaking and had founded the cross-platform storytelling event DigiDocs. He invited Croall to come and work for the festival, where she was subsequently Festival Director and CEO until early 2015, turning around the Festival's fortunes.

The 1990s rise in international co-productions meant that British producers could no longer rely solely on one big broadcaster for their entire budget, and instead had to look abroad to piece together financing for their films. To internationalise the Festival and help filmmakers achieve this financing, Croall introduced the MeetMarket pitching forum, where filmmakers pitch their ideas to funders in one-to-one meetings. MeetMarket was developed with the help of Karolina Lidin, Marketplace Executive Producer since 2008. In 2003, she developed the very first MeetMarket with Croall at AIDC, which was later brought to Sheffield in 2006.

Croall also introduced the digital-focused Summit and Crossover Market, now Alternate Realities Talent Market, which – like the MeetMarket – pairs buyers and commissioners with game designers, technologists, producers, digital agencies and filmmakers, all looking to tell stories in the interactive realm.

In 2007, Hussain Currimbhoy joined as programmer.{{cite web|first=Paul |last=Banks|url=http://www.theknowledgeonline.com/the-knowledge-bulletin/post/2013/05/09/What-films-really-make-Sheffield-DocFests-Hussain-Currimbhoy-cry |title=Fav docs of Sheffield DocFest's programmer|website=The Knowledge|date= 9 May 2013}}

DocFest was an early advocate of crowdfunding as a source of finance for documentary filmmakers, and in 2010 staged its first festival-based crowdfunding pitching event, which was also an industry first.{{cite web|first=Alexandra |last=Zeevalkink|url=http://docgeeks.com/2012/10/04/sheffield-docfest-launches-crowdfunding-campaign/ |title=Sheffield DocFest launches crowdfunding campaign|website= docgeeks.com|date= 4 October 2012}}{{cite web|first=Jennifer |last=Merin|url=http://documentaries.about.com/od/documentaryfestivals/a/Sheffield-Doc-Fest-S-Crowdfunding-Initiative.htm |title=Sheffield Doc Fest's Crowdfunding Initiative|website= about.com|access-date=10 October 2012}} The campaign was launched on Indiegogo with a goal to raise $25k for the Festival to help stage special events.{{cite web|first=Ian |last=Sandwell|url=http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sheffield-doc/fest-launch-indiegogo-crowdfunding-initiative/5047357.article |title=Sheffield DocFest launch Indiegogo crowdfunding initiative|website=ScreenDaily|date= 4 October 2012}} They exceeded their target.Ben Unwin, [http://docgeeks.com/2012/11/18/documentary-festival-reaches-own-crowdfunding-target/ Documentary festival reaches own crowdfunding target], 18 November 2012

In 2011, the Festival moved from November to June, to better fit into the industry calendar and ensure better weather and lighter evenings for visitors.

From 2012, selected highlights from the Festival have often played at the BFI Southbank in London.{{cite web|first=Chris |last=Patmore|url=http://www.moviescopemag.com/featured-editorial/packed-schedule-for-sheffield-docfest-announced/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102161022/http://www.moviescopemag.com/featured-editorial/packed-schedule-for-sheffield-docfest-announced/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-11-02 |title=Packed schedule for Sheffield DocFest announced|website=moviescopemag.com|date= 10 May 2013}} The Festival began producing its own film projects, including From the Sea to the Land Beyond in 2012 and The Big Melt in 2013.

From 2014, the Festival became recognised by the Academy Awards as an Oscar-qualifying festival in the Best Documentary (Short Subject) category with the DocFest Short Doc Award Winner eligible to enter for consideration. Many DocFest Short Doc Award-winning films have gone on to be shortlisted for Oscars.

In 2014, DocFest presented films including Beyond Clueless and Love Is All at Latitude Festival,{{cite news|first=Elisa|last=Bray|title=A Festival For All The Senses|newspaper=The Independent|date= 12 July 2014}} with Sigur Ros scored archive film The Show of Shows: 100 Years of Vaudeville, Circuses and Carnivals, Montage of Heck, Sounds of the Cosmos and a number of shorts also featured in 2015. This partnership continued, and in 2017 DocFest brought a selection of virtual reality projects to Latitude for the first time, alongside a curated programme of shorts.{{cite news|url=https://www.latitudefestival.com/line-up/artist/sheffield-docfest|title=Sheffield DocFest|last=admin|date=4 July 2017|work=Latitude Festival|access-date=15 December 2017}}

In 2014, there were some high-level staff changes. Deputy Director Charlie Phillips left to head up the documentary arm of The Guardian, with director of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival Melanie Iredale taking up the position.{{cite web|first=Adam |last=Benzine|url=http://realscreen.com/2014/09/08/docfest-hires-iredale-as-phillips-currimbhoy-depart/|title=DocFest hires Iredale as Phillips, Currimbhoy depart|website=Realscreen|date= 8 September 2014}} Director of Programming, Hussain Currimbhoy, left for Sundance Film Festival, with former Executive Content Adviser at Independent Television Service (ITVS) Claire Aguilar becoming Head of Programming & Industry Engagement.{{cite web|first=Sarah |last=Cooper|url=http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/claire-aguilar-joins-sheffield-doc/fest/5080981.article |title=Claire Aguilar joins Sheffield DocFest|website=Screen International|date= 12 December 2014}} Croall returned to Australia to become the Artistic Director and CEO of the Adelaide Fringe.{{cite web|first=Michael|last=Rosser|url=http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sheffield-doc/fest-director-to-step-down/5081453.article/ |title=Sheffield DocFest director Heather Croall to step down|website= screendaily.com|date= 5 January 2015|access-date= 1 June 2015}}

Following Heather's departure, Crossover Labs Director Mark Atkin stepped in as acting director for the 2015 Festival, before Liz McIntyre of Discovery Networks joined as CEO & Festival Director from 1 September 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/sheffield-doc/fest-hires-liz-mcintyre/5086796.article |title=Sheffield DocFest hires Liz McIntyre|website= broadcastnow.co.uk|date= 21 April 2015|access-date= 1 June 2015}}

During McIntyre's appointment, the Festival championed diverse and pluralist voices, inclusiveness and accessibility, for example creating a crèche service and introducing British Sign Language interpreted talks,{{cite news|url=https://wftv.org.uk/sheffield-docfest-introduces-childcare-for-delegates/|title=Sheffield DocFest Introduces Childcare for Delegates – Women in Film & TV|date=8 November 2015|work=Women in Film & TV|access-date=15 December 2017}} Dementia-friendly screenings,{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/view/accessibility|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=15 December 2017}} Doc/Dinner for championing diverse talent within the industry,{{cite news|url=http://www.reggieyates.com/news/article/sheffield-doc-fest-dinner|title=Sheffield DocFest Dinner|last=Yates|first=Reggie|work=Official Reggie Yates|access-date=15 December 2017}} and the From Door to Doc scheme, affording reduced rate entry to screenings for hard-to-reach areas of Sheffield.{{cite web|url=https://www.shu.ac.uk/campaigns/catalyst/june|title=June Events {{!}} Sheffield Hallam University|website=www.shu.ac.uk|access-date=15 December 2017}}

In 2016, there were high-level staff appointments. Luke Moody, formerly of BRITDOC (now Doc Society) joined as Director of Film Programming, replacing Head of Programming & Industry Engagement Claire Aguilar.{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/territories/uk-ireland/sheffield-doc/fest-appoints-director-of-film-programming/5110430.article|title=Sheffield DocFest appoints director of film programming|work=Screen|access-date=15 December 2017}} Former Dogwoof Distribution Manager Patrick Hurley joined as Head of Marketplace & Talent, replacing Marketplace Manager Anna Parker.{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/sheffield-doc/fest-appoints-patrick-hurley-as-head-of-marketplace/5111367.article|title=Sheffield DocFest appoints Patrick Hurley as head of marketplace|work=Screen|access-date=15 December 2017}} From BBC, Dan Tucker joined as Curator of Alternate Realities.{{cite news|url=http://realscreen.com/2016/12/05/sheffield-docfest-names-creative-curation-team/|title=Sheffield DocFest names creative curation team|access-date=15 December 2017}}

In 2018, following the delivery of the 25th anniversary Festival, Liz McIntyre stepped down as CEO & Festival Director.{{cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=15 August 2018 |title=Elizabeth McIntyre Steps Down As CEO Of Sheffield Doc/Fest After Three Years |url=https://deadline.com/2018/08/elizabeth-mcintyre-steps-down-as-ceo-of-sheffield-doc-fest-after-three-years-1202445756/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Deadline }} Deputy Director Melanie Iredale stepped up as Interim Director to lead the 2019 edition, whilst the organisation began the search for a new director. Following the 2019 edition, Director of Film Programming Luke Moody resigned, challenging tensions between the board and the programme's internationalism in comments made to BFI's Sight & Sound magazine.{{cite web |date=16 July 2019 |title="The chimney needs sweeping": Luke Moody on the end of his tenure programming Sheffield Doc/Fest {{!}} Sight & Sound |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/comment/festivals/sheffield-doc-fest-2019-film-programme-latin-american-outreach-luke-moody-resignation |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=British Film Institute }}

In 2019, it was announced that the organisation had successfully applied for charitable status. After 26 years operating as a subsidiary of Sheffield Media & Exhibition Centre (SMEC), the organisation became an independent registered charity.{{cite web |date=21 January 2021 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival |url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/817-we-are-now-a-registered-charity |access-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121074954/https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/817-we-are-now-a-registered-charity |archive-date=21 January 2021 }} At the same time, it was announced that Chair of the Board of Trustees, Alex Graham, would step down following more than nine years of service{{cite web |title=Alex Graham exits as Sheffield Doc/Fest chair as event gains independent charity status |url=https://realscreen.com/2019/11/26/alex-graham-exits-as-sheffield-docfest-chair-as-event-gains-independent-charity-status/ |access-date=16 August 2023}} and that former co-director of Portuguese film festival DocLisboa, Cíntia Gil, would join the Festival as Director.{{cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=5 July 2019 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest Appoints DocLisboa's Cíntia Gil As Festival Director |url=https://deadline.com/2019/07/sheffield-doc-fest-appoints-doclisboas-cintia-gil-as-festival-director-1202642259/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Deadline }} Regarding the move to charitable status, Gil said "To become a charity is an opportunity that will provide us with the space for public service, both in the interest of filmmakers, artists and the public...Sheffield Doc/Fest is a festival committed to the values of freedom, social engagement and collective development of the arts, therefore the purpose of our work becomes even clearer with this new status."

Gil oversaw the curation of the 2020 Festival which was due to take place in June of that year, but was cancelled in its original form due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the film programme moved to online screenings with the Festival's pitching forums, the MeetMarket and Alternate Realities Talent Market, also taking place online. The Festival also committed to hosting a series of Autumn film screenings and community engagement activities in Sheffield, when cinemas reopened in late 2020.{{cite web |date=27 October 2020 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival |url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/833-statement-regarding-covid-19 |access-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027171317/https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/833-statement-regarding-covid-19 |archive-date=27 October 2020 }}

In 2020, the Festival appointed Alex Cooke as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Cooke is CEO & Executive Producer and one of the co-founders of Renegade Pictures. From 1997 to 2001 she was the Festival Programmer for Sheffield DocFest, programming films and masterclasses.{{cite web |date=16 January 2021 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival |url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/842-alex-cooke-returns-to-sheffield-doc-fest-as-chair-of-the-board-of-trustees |access-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116141445/https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/842-alex-cooke-returns-to-sheffield-doc-fest-as-chair-of-the-board-of-trustees |archive-date=16 January 2021 }}

Despite the pressures of programming during a pandemic, the Festival returned to cinemas for its 28th edition in June 2021. Then in August 2021, it was announced that, following two years as Festival Director, Cíntia Gil had stepped down.{{cite web |last=Grater |first=Tom |date=19 August 2021 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest Director Cíntia Gil Steps Down Due To "Artistic Differences" |url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/sheffield-doc-fest-director-cintia-gil-steps-down-artistic-differences-1234817803/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Deadline }} Director of Partnerships Sylvia Bednarz acted as Interim Managing Director as the Festival moved towards planning for the 2022 edition.

Later in 2021 the Festival appointed Clare Stewart, former director of Sydney Film Festival (2007–2011) and BFI London Film Festival (2012–2018), as Interim CEO. Stewart joined to steer the 2022 Festival and work alongside the Board of Trustees to develop 'a new, long-term strategy for the Festival',{{cite web |title=Announcing our 2022 Leadership Team {{!}} Sheffield DocFest |url=https://www.sheffdocfest.com/news/announcing-our-2022-leadership-team|date=26 October 2022 |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=www.sheffdocfest.com }} which included the introduction of a new joint-leadership model, developing the roles of Managing and Creative Director to lead the Festival.{{cite web|first=Andrew|last=Tracy |title=Sheffield DocFest adopts new leadership model, ups Zambrano to creative director |url=https://realscreen.com/2022/08/18/sheffield-docfest-adopts-new-leadership-model-ups-zambrano-to-creative-director/|website=realscreen.com|date=18 August 2022 |access-date=15 August 2023}} Under Stewart's leadership, the Festival appointed Raul Niño Zambrano, previously Senior Film Programmer of IDFA, as Head of Film Programmes and the Festival celebrated a predominantly in-person edition following the pandemic. After the 2022 Festival, Zambrano was promoted to Acting Creative Director, as the Festival began its search for a Managing Director.{{cite web |title=Announcing Raul Niño Zambrano as Acting Creative Director for 2023 {{!}} Sheffield DocFest |url=https://www.sheffdocfest.com/news/announcing-raul-nino-zambrano-acting-creative-director-2023 |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=www.sheffdocfest.com }}

Following Stewart's term as Interim CEO, the Festival appointed Annabel Grundy, formerly of BFI, as Managing Director{{cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=3 November 2022 |title=Sheffield DocFest Hires BFI Executive Annabel Grundy as Managing Director |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/global/sheffield-docfest-annabel-grundy-managing-director-1235422069/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Variety }} to work alongside Zambrano under the joint-leadership model developed by Stewart. In the weeks before the 2023 Festival, in which the organisation celebrated its 30th edition, Zambrano was promoted to the permanent role of Creative Director "following a successful year as Acting Creative Director".{{cite web |title=Announcing Raul Niño Zambrano as Creative Director of Sheffield DocFest {{!}} Sheffield DocFest |url=https://www.sheffdocfest.com/news/announcing-raul-nino-zambrano-creative-director-sheffield-docfest |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=www.sheffdocfest.com }}{{cite web |last=Carey |first=Matthew |date=13 June 2023 |title=Raul Niño Zambrano Appointed Sheffield DocFest's Creative Director After Year In Interim Role |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/raul-nino-zambrano-appointed-sheffield-docfest-creative-director-news-1235413546/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Deadline }}

The 32nd Sheffield DocFest will take place between 18-23 June 2025. The Film programme will comprise of 116 films (82 features and 34 shorts) selected from over 2753 entries. The lineup features 51 world premieres, 16 international premieres, eight European premieres, and 39 UK premieres from 68 countries. The latest productions joining the line up include the World Premieres of Live Aid at 40 – When Rock’N’Roll Took on the World and Trade Secret, a gripping expose of the polar bear fur trade.

The 30th Sheffield DocFest took place between 14–19 June 2023. The Film programme comprised 122 films (86 features and 36 shorts), including 38 World Premieres, 19 International Premieres, 10 European Premieres, 47 UK Premieres and 8 retrospective films, from 52 countries of production with 43 languages represented. 15 projects were exhibited in the Alternate Realities programme, and 48 projects were presented in the MeetMarket pitching forum. The Festival expanded its offering to include a theatre production, live podcast events, as well as premieres of new TV series.{{cite web |date=10 May 2023 |title=Wham!' Documentary To Make World Premiere At Sheffield, As DocFest Reveals 30th Edition Lineup |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/wham-documentary-sheffield-docfest-30th-edition-lineup-announcement-news-1235361971/ |accessdate=12 May 2023 |website=Deadline}}

The World Premiere of Paul Sng's Tish opened the Festival at Sheffield City Hall, the film had previously pitched at the 2021 MeetMarket. The Festival also celebrated the work of renowned Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Banietemad as Guest of Honour, screening a retrospective of her work as well as the World Premiere of her short film Narratives ad Hominem. To complement the retrospective, the Festival also screened a selection of titles which offered different perspectives on Iran, including films by Mania Akbari and Mehran Tamadon.

The Talks & Sessions programme welcomed guests such as Munya Chawawa, David Olusoga, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Laura Whitemore and David Harewood. Following the success of the 2022 talent initiative led by Asif Kapadia, the Festival welcomed filmmaker Kevin Macdonald as mentor for the Filmmaker Challenge 2023.{{cite web |last=Carey |first=Matthew |date=17 May 2023 |title=Oscar Winner Kevin Macdonald To Join Sheffield DocFest's 30th Edition As Filmmaking Mentor As UK Event Reveals Full Industry Program |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/sheffield-docfest-industry-program-announcement-kevin-macdonald-filmmaking-mentor-news-1235369526/ |access-date=17 August 2023 |website=Deadline }} The initiative challenged six early-career filmmakers to make a documentary in one day, drawing from the Festival's tagline for the 30th edition 'Sparking Curiosity'.

The 29th Sheffield DocFest took place between 23–28 June 2022, and was the first predominantly in-person edition since the pandemic, and saw industry delegates taking meetings and participating in pitching sessions in-person for the first time since 2019. The Festival attracted 25,424 in-person admissions and 4,899 online admissions, and welcomed 2,188 delegates from 69 countries.

The Festival opened with the UK premiere of Moonage Daydream by Brett Morgan at Sheffield's City Hall, where Ziggy Stardust performed 50 years prior. The programme included 135 films from 55 countries, 38 world premieres, 22 international premieres, 11 European premieres and 46 UK premieres. 29 projects were exhibited in the Alternate Realities programme, and 39 projects were pitched at the MeetMarket. The Festival saw the World Premiere of Werner Herzog's The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katie and Maurice Krafft; Yorkshire title A Bunch of Amateurs by Kim Hopkins won the Audience Award, Sansón and Me by Rodrigo Reyes took the top prize in International Competition, and Rosa Ruth Boesten's Master of Light which had previously pitched at the MeetMarket in 2019, won the First Feature Competition award.

Award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia was welcomed as Guest Curator for 2022, and curated a selection of films for the programme which had had significant impact on his journey as a filmmaker. Kapadia also spearheaded a talent initiative which challenged six filmmakers to make a short documentary in and around Sheffield, during the festival. The initiative was supported by Amazon Studios, Canon and The Kurious.{{cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Nick |date=16 June 2022 |title=Sheffield announces Focus: Filmmaker Talent, an initiative of Guest Curator Asif Kapadia |url=https://businessdoceurope.com/sheffield-announces-focus-filmmaker-talent-an-initiative-of-guest-curator-asif-kapadia/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Business Doc Europe }}

As part of its Special Programmes section, the 2022 Festival celebrated the work of Ukrainian documentary makers and kicked off the British Council and Ukrainian Institute's UK/Ukraine Season of Culture.{{cite web |title=UK/Ukraine Season of Culture |url=https://www.britishcouncil.org.ua/en/programmes/arts/uk-ukraine-season-of-culture |website=British Council}} The programme Ukraine focus: 'Password: Palianytsia' included a selection of films by Ukrainian filmmakers that were due to screen at Docudays UA festival, which was postponed due to the Russian invasion on Ukraine, a Docudays UA curated screening and talk, a delegation of 24 visiting Ukrainian-filmmakers supported by British Council, amongst film events.{{cite web |title=Sheffield DocFest has announced a special Ukraine focus, with Password: Palianytsia |url=https://www.britishcouncil.org.ua/en/programmes/arts/uk-ukraine-season-of-culture/sheffield-docfest |website=British Council}}

Notable guests featured in the Talks & Sessions programme included: Pratibha Parmar, Asif Kapadia and editor Chris King, Nainta Desai, Charlie Craggs, Ellie Simmonds, Will Young and Clive Myrie.

The Community Programme made links across the Film, Alternate Realities, and Industry programmes, and collaborated with local audiences to broaden engagement across the Festival. Amongst its events, the programme included a group walk and discussion on the right to roam and the UK's history of trespass, an art therapy workshop, and also saw the Festival support 12 first-time, local filmmakers with free passes to attend the Festival.{{cite web |date=30 August 2022 |title=2022 Sheffield DocFest Festival Report by Sheffield DocFest – Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/sheffielddocfest/docs/docfest_2022_festival_report_2022_1_ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=issuu.com }}

The 28th Sheffield DocFest took place between 4–13 June 2021, in a hybrid format online, physically in Sheffield, and in 16 partner cinemas across the UK. In-person film screenings in Sheffield took place in Showroom Cinema and in the historic 1920s cinema Abbeydale Picture House. Exhibitions took place across S1 Artspace, Site Gallery and the Sheffield Hallam University Performance Lab.

The Festival opened with the European premiere of Summer of Soul by Questlove, and closed with the World Premiere of The Story of Looking by Mark Cousins which had previously pitched at the MeetMarket. The programme, led by Gil, included: 191 films from 2431 submissions, 49 world premieres, 20 international premieres, 10 European premieres, and 45 UK premieres across 64 countries with 47 languages represented.{{cite web |date=29 July 2021 |title=Sheffield DocFest 2021 Festival Report by Sheffield DocFest – Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/sheffielddocfest/docs/sdf_report_spreads |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=issuu.com }}

The film programme included a guest curated retrospective on Black British Cinema which saw curatorial contributions from Mark Sealy, We Are Parable, Campbell X (dir. Stud Life), Judah Attille, Karen Alexander and George Amponsah. The film programme also welcomed a new Northern Focus strand for 2021, curated by the Festival's then Industry Programme Producer Manon Euler, Film Programme Coordinator Owen Jones and Film Programme Producer Mita Suri. The strand spotlighted films and filmmakers from the northern counties of England and included amongst its selection Kim Flitcroft's Tales from a Hard City, a documentary set in Sheffield which first premiered at the Festival in 1995.

Speakers in the Festival's Talks & Sessions programme included David Olusoga, Lydia Lunch, Mark Cousins, Betsy West and Julie Cohen amongst others.

The DocFest Exchange programme, supported by the Wellcome Trust, explored the world through a non-human centred lens. The programme was curated by Jamie Allan and drew influences from the evolutionary theory that life evolved through symbiosis, organisms coming together to form other organisms.{{cite web |date=3 June 2021 |title=Sheffield DocFest 2021 Festival Catalogue by Sheffield DocFest – Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/sheffielddocfest/docs/sdf_catalogue_1_1 |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=issuu.com }} The programme included talks and workshops, as well as film screenings including titles from the Karrabing Film Collective an indigenous filmmaking group from the Northern Territory, GUNDA by Viktor Kossakovsky, as well as a one-off 35mm screening of Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou's 1996 documentary Microcosmos.

The Festival also developed its Community Programme in partnership with people, artists and organisations based-in or from Sheffield. The programme featured 9 dedicated community screenings, 3 live performances, 6 online workshops and 1 in-person workshop. The Festival partnered with Sheffield-based Migration Matters Festival, the UK's largest festival about Sanctuary and refugees, to bring free mobile broadband and online festival passes to refugees and those seeking asylum in Sheffield. The Community Programme offered free or discounted tickets to those who needed support to attend and from low-income background, in an effort to tackle social isolation.{{cite web |date=29 July 2021 |title=Sheffield DocFest 2021 Festival Report by Sheffield DocFest – Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/sheffielddocfest/docs/sdf_report_spreads |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=issuu.com }}

The 27th Sheffield DocFest was due to take place between 4–9 June 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was cancelled in its original form and some of the planned films and activities moved to an online format.

The programme included 115 films, from 50 countries, representing 49 spoken languages; 31 world premieres, 15 international premieres, 5 European premieres and 40 UK premieres; 20% of the programme featured first-time filmmakers.{{cite web |date=10 August 2020 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival |url=https://www.sheffdocfest.com/articles/850-sheffield-doc-fest-unveils-2020-official-selection |access-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810113547/https://www.sheffdocfest.com/articles/850-sheffield-doc-fest-unveils-2020-official-selection |archive-date=10 August 2020 }} Films were available to watch online on the Festival's video-on-demand platform Doc/Player for industry delegates, and a selection of titles were made available to UK audiences via the Sheffield Doc/Fest Selects streaming platform.

The Festival's Q&As, panels and industry sessions all moved to a virtual format, and an Artist Spotlights series launched online to highlight makers and projects selected in the Alternate Realities programme. The Festival's pitching forums, the MeetMarket and Alternate Realities Talent Market, also took place online.

During the Autumn of 2020, when cinemas temporarily reopened following lockdown, the Festival hosted a number of weekend screenings and Q&As to bring films from the official selection to audiences in Sheffield.

The 26th Sheffield DocFest was held between 6–11 June 2019, and attracted 28,098 admissions, up 9% from the previous year, with 3,489 industry delegates visiting from 59 countries.{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/sheffielddocfest/docs/docfest_2019_festival_report_master|title = Sheffield DocFest 2019 Festival Report| date=11 July 2019 }}

The Festival opened at Sheffield City Hall with the UK premiere of Diego Maradona by Asif Kapadia. The programme featured more than 200 documentaries with 36 world premieres, 19 international, 12 European and 91 UK premieres. The films were chosen from a submission pool of 2548 from 52 countries around the world. Programme included "The Rest by Ai Weiwei, Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin by Werner Herzog, Midnight Family by Luke Lorentzen, Earth by Nikolaus Geyrhalter, One Child Nation by Nanfu Wang, About Love by Archana Atul Phadke, and For Sama by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts.

Alternate Realities programme featured 28 projects and included Subconscious Sensibilities – an exhibition of virtual and augmented reality, games, interactive documentaries and large-scale digital installations at Site Gallery. "Converging Sensibilities" at the Hallam Performance Lab was a collection of 360° documentaries presented as a VR Cinema. VR experiences at the festival included: "Echo" by Georgie Pinn, "Le Lac" by Nyasha Kadandara, "Algorithmic Perfumery" by Frederik Duerinck, and "Spectre" by Bill Posters and dr. Daniel Howe – a Sheffield DocFest commission, in partnership with Site Gallery, British Council and MUTEK, with support from Arts Council England.

More than 200 speakers shared their own experiences at the 26th Sheffield DocFest. The Talks & Sessions programme included: Werner Herzog, Paul Greengrass, Jenn Nkiru, Asif Kapadia, Chidera Eggerue, Stacey Dooley, Rodney P, Michael Dapaah, Jeremy Deller and Paddy Wivell. Industry sessions programme included "My Big Break" featuring Roxy Rezvany, Ellie Flynn and Eliza Capai discussing their career highs and lows; and "Breaking the Class Ceiling" with Danny Leigh, Fiona Campbell, Kieran Yates, Billy Porter, Mia Bays and Paul Sng exploring barriers for entry to the industry.

More than 300 Decision Makers from more than 30 countries attended the 2019 Festival, including executives from Netflix, Arte, BBC, Channel 4, Cinereach, Doc Society, Dogwoof, Altitude, Submarine Entertainment, ESPN, National Geographic, POV, RYOT, Artangel, Passion Pictures and Pulse Films. Over two days, 87 teams took approximately 1,650 match-made meetings with the Decision Makers in the MeetMarket and Alternate Realities Talent Market.

The 25th edition of Sheffield DocFest was held between 7–12 June 2018.

The 2017 event took place from 9–14 June. A record total of 72,146 audiences attended, including 3,397 industry delegates who travelled from 54 countries, 36,008 public audiences, and virtual audiences experiencing the Festival through livestream.{{cite news|url=https://issuu.com/sheffdocfest/docs/sdf_festival_report_2017_low_res|title=Sheffield DocFest Festival Report 2017|work=issuu|access-date=15 December 2017}}

The film programme hosted a record 182 films with 35 world premieres, 21 international, 24 European and 73 UK premieres. The film programme boasted premieres including: Daisy Asquith's Queerama, the Opening Night Film, scored by John Grant; Laura Poitras' new Julian Assange documentary Risk; Whitney 'Can I Be Me' from Nick Broomfield; and Winnie from Pascale Lamche, which originated in DocFest's MeetMarket.{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/sheffield-doc/fest-unveils-2017-line-up/5117378.article|title=Sheffield DocFest unveils 2017 line-up|work=Screen|access-date=15 December 2017}}

The Alternate Realities programme featured 26 projects, 12 of which had world premieres, 1 international, 5 European and 8 UK. VR experiences at the festival included: Chasing Coral: The VR Experience, presented in a 360 dome, which accompanied the feature documentary in the film programme; Unrest VR, which accompanied the feature film Unrest; and Future Aleppo by Alex Pearson and Marshmallow Laser Feast, a commission by DocFest, in partnership with FACT, and with support from Arts Council England.

The Talks & Sessions programme included big-name speakers Lenny Henry, Peter Greenaway, Ian Hislop, Stacey Dooley, Nick Broomfield and Louis Theroux. Industry sessions included: a panel about making your film Oscar-ready, featuring Tom Oyer from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; a sessions with God's Own Country director Francis Lee for the Northern Talent Talk; a free public interview with YouTube sensation Elijah Quashie aka The Chicken Connoisseur; and two sessions with editor Walter Murch.

In 2017, the reinvention of all film strands to concisely represent the creative vision of the Festival was seen. The new strands featured in 2017 were: Doc/Vision, Doc/Adventure, Doc/Expose, Doc/Love, Doc/Think, Doc/Rhythm, Focus/Industry, featuring work-in-progress pieces, and Focus/India, featuring a collection of documentaries from that year's focus country of choice, to mark 70 years after Partition.{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/sheffield-doc/fest-looks-to-expand-creative-scope/5118882.article|title=Sheffield DocFest looks to expand creative scope|work=Screen|access-date=15 December 2017}}

Also in 2017 was the use of new venue, The Light Cinema on the Moor, offering 3 luxury cinema screens.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/preview-sheffield-doc-fest-2017-from-joe-cocker-to-jo-cox-20-must-things-to-see-and-do-1-8582788|title=PREVIEW: Sheffield DocFest 2017 from Joe Cocker to Jo Cox – 20 must things to see and do|work=The Star|access-date=15 December 2017}}

Following the 2017 Festival, nine virtual reality works from the Alternate Realities exhibition were chosen to tour Latin America as part of DocFest's Realidades Alternativas tour with support from British Council. The tour visited festivals DocMontevideo in Uruguay, DocSP in Brazil, and Noviembre Electrónico in Argentina.{{cite web|url=https://creativeconomy.britishcouncil.org/blog/17/06/11/announcing-realidades-alternativas-latin-america/|title=Announcing Realidades Alternativas in Latin America|website=British Council {{!}} Creative Economy|access-date=15 December 2017}}

Notable screenings and events included:

• The world premiere Opening Night Film Queerama from director Daisy Asquith and with a soundtrack from John Grant, Alison Goldfrapp, and Hercules & Love Affair, chronicling 50 years after the decriminalization of homosexuality in the UK through the BFI archive. The Opening Night event included a Q&A with Asquith and Grant, hosted by Campbell X, and a performance from Grant{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/festivals/sheffield-docfest-to-open-with-world-premiere-of-queerama-1202025006/|title=Sheffield DocFest to Open With World Premiere of 'Queerama'|last=Mitchell|first=Robert|date=6 April 2017|work=Variety|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• Closing Night honoured MP Jo Cox with Closing Night Film Jo Cox: Death of an MP by director Toby Paxton, a discussion about her legacy, and a Great Get Together held on Tudor Square to encourage Festival-goers and the public to unite and remember
• A livestream of the UK Premiere of Nick Broomfield's Whitney 'Can I Be Me', featuring a Q&A with Broomfield and radio presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford, and a live tribute performance by Michele John, all broadcast live to 130 cinemas across the UK
• The return of Desert Island Docs, featuring Northern film star Maxine Peake as she discussed her favourite documentaries and the influence they hold on her life and work
• Joe Cocker: Mad Dog with Soul saw a sold-out screening in the iconic Leadmill, where Joe Cocker frequently performed
• The introduction of Docs 'til Dawn, showcasing rare cult documentaries after midnight. 2017's Docs 'til Dawn programme included Adam Curtis' HyperNormalisation, with an introduction from Curtis himself
• A retrospective looking back 50 years at 1967: The Summer of Love and Discontent, featuring films such as Allan King's Warrendale, Far from Vietnam produced by Chris Marker and directed by French New Wave filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard, Alain Resnais, Agnès Varda, Joris Ivens, William Klein and Claude Lelouch, and a rare screening of Edouard 'Yves' de Laurot's Silent Revolution/Black Liberation
• Immersive live cinema for the European premiere of Florian Habicht's Spookers, shown in the 1920s Abbeydale Picture House and featuring a fright-night cast of performers staged in the building{{cite news|url=https://i-d.co/article/10-must-see-films-at-the-sheffield-doc-fest/|title=10 must-see films at the sheffield doc fest|date=23 May 2017|work=I-d|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• The world premiere of Jamaican Dancehall competition film Bruk Out! from director Cori Wapnowski, including a follow-up dancehall dance class held by the film's protagonist Ale Camara at the DocFest Exchange on Tudor Square and the Channel 4 Party at Code featuring a performance from dancers featured in the film{{cite news|url=https://www.vimooz.com/2017/05/21/sheffield-docfest-docrythm-film-lineup/|title=Sheffield DocFest Unveils Music + Dance Films in Doc/Rythm Lineup|date=21 May 2017|work=VIMOOZ|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• A work-in-progress special preview of 8 Minutes from the Alexander Whitley Dance Company, combining contemporary dance with NASA visuals from BAFTA-winning artist Tal Rosner, ahead of the Sadler Wells premiere in July
• The Alternate Realities Summit returned with a full day of panel sessions and keynote speakers, featuring Google's Jessica Brillhart, The Guardian{{'}}s VR Deputy Editor Nicole Jackson, Amnesty International UK's Che Ramsden, and Robin McNicholas from Marshmallow Laser Feast on using the latest technology to create projects like Future Aleppo and including a surprise Skype from Future Aleppo's 13-year-old inspiration Syrian refugee Mohammed Kteish{{cite news|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/102778-documentary-goes-alternate-reality-at-sheffield-docfest-2017/|title=Documentary Goes 'Alternate Reality' at Sheffield DocFest 2017 {{!}} Filmmaker Magazine|last=Pritchard|first=Tiffany|work=Filmmaker Magazine|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• The European premiere of VR installation Munduruku: The Fight to Defend the Heart of the Amazon by Grace Boyle (The Feelies), James Manisty (Alchemy VR) and Pete Speller (Greenpeace), which went on to win the Alternate Realities Audience Award at DocFest 2017, and then further tour Latin America with DocFest's international VR tour 'Realidades Alternativas' with support from British Council{{cite news|url=http://alchemyvr.com/case-study/sheffield-international-documentary-festival/|title=Munduruku – Sheffield Doc{{!}}Fest, Sheffield UK |work=Alchemy VR|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• Live VR experience DOOM ROOM hosted in Theatre Delicatessen mixed performance art with virtual reality in a UK premiere from Danish artist Mads Damsbo (source)
• The return of DocFest Exchange developed with Wellcome, offering elements of the film, Alternate Realities, and talks programmes for free to the public
• Years and Years frontman Olly Alexander on his new documentary Growing Up Gay and his personal struggle with mental health in the LGBTQ+ community
• Nick Broomfield in conversation with Louis Theroux for The BBC Interview, held at the sold-out Crucible Theatre
• The introduction of the Craft Summit presented by Documentary Campus, featuring industry heavyweights that dissect the art of documentary filmmaking. Speakers included editor Walter Murch, Field of Vision's Charlotte Cook and Ben Steele on serialised documentaries, Balz Bachmann and Nainita Desai on composing, and directors from the 2017 film programme Julia Dahr (Thank You for the Rain), Shaul Schwarz (Trophy) and Egil Håskjold Larsen (69 Minutes of 86 Days) on directing and cinematography{{cite web|url=http://www.documentary-campus.com/event/id__30/|title=Craft Summit: The Art of Documentary Filmmaking in partnership with Sheffield DocFest : Documentary Campus e.V.|website=documentary-campus.com|access-date=15 December 2017}}

The 2016 event took place from 10–15 June. A total of 32,769 audiences attended, including 3,534 industry delegates who travelled from 60 countries, and 29,235 public audiences, both figures a record increase on 2015.{{cite news|url=https://issuu.com/sheffdocfest/docs/sheffield_docfest_festival_report_2|title=Sheffield DocFest 2016 Report|work=issuu|access-date=15 December 2017}}

The film programme hosted a record 160 films with 27 world premieres, 15 international, 19 European and a whopping 52 UK premieres from 49 different countries. Audiences were attracted to big filmmaking names from the documentary world including US director Michael Moore – whose film Where to Invade Next opened the Festival – Louis Theroux, Palme d'Or winning director Ken Loach, and legendary filmmakers D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.{{cite news|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/preview-sheffield-docfest-2016|title=Preview: Sheffield DocFest 2016|publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=15 December 2017}}

Women and LGBT+ subjects feature prominently throughout the Festival's selection, making up two of the festival's strands, plus a retrospective honouring Chantal Akerman. The speakers represented in the Talks & Sessions programme were 45% female.

The newly renamed Alternate Realities programme featured 14 immersive media experiences in Millennium Gallery, and 12 virtual reality documentaries in Site Gallery, The Space and Union Street. The Alternate Realities Summit was a day-long event with a focus on virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and mixed reality. The morning session saw a keynote from Ramona Pringle and Bina48, an artificially intelligent robot, while the afternoon session saw a keynote from Google's Jessica Brillhart.{{cite news|url=http://www.dinamagazine.com/film/sheffield-docfest-programme-launch-2016/263|title=Sheffield DocFest: Programme Launch 2016|last=Hallam|first=Patricia|date=5 May 2016|work=DINA Magazine|access-date=15 December 2017}} Also, 2016 saw the inaugural Alternate Realities Commission, supported by site Gallery and Arts Council England.{{cite news|url=http://realscreen.com/2016/02/23/sheffield-docfest-launches-vr-commission/|title=Sheffield DocFest launches VR commission|access-date=15 December 2017}} Darren Emerson's Indefinite (previously Invisible) won the £5,000 prize and had its World Premiere at the Festival.{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/films/6079|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=15 December 2017}} Indefinite, about the detention of immigrants in Britain, was later featured by The New York Times.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/opinion/indefinite-immigrant-detention-opdocs-vr.html|title=Opinion {{!}} For Immigrants, the Threat of Indefinite Detention|last=Wang|first=Cecillia D.|work=The New York Times |date=19 December 2016 |access-date=15 December 2017}}

In 2016, came the introduction of the DocFest Exchange on Tudor Square developed with Wellcome, which hosted a series of public talks, including an interview with This is England director Shane Meadows.{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/festivals/shane-meadows-joins-sheffield-doc/fest-line-up/5104606.article|title=Shane Meadows joins Sheffield DocFest line-up|work=Screen|access-date=15 December 2017}}

Notable screening and events included:

• The UK premiere of Michael Moore's Where to Invade Next opened the Festival at Sheffield City Hall, attended by Moore for a post-screening Q&A which was live streamed to more than 120 cinemas nationwide.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/19/michael-moore-where-to-invade-next-world-hope|title=The world can be a source of hope, not of needless military invasions {{!}} Owen Jones|last=Jones|first=Owen|date=19 May 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 December 2017|issn=0261-3077}}
• The UK premiere of The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger closed the Festival with a sell-out screening at Showroom Cinema, attended by directors Tilda Swinton and Bartek Dziadosz{{cite web|url=http://www.ourfaveplaces.co.uk/events/film/doc-fest-2016|title=DocFest 2016|website=Our Favourite Places – The Sheffield Culture Guide|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• Live performances accompanied film screenings including: a performance by protagonist and famous street dancer Storyboard P following the world premiere of Storyboard P, a stranger in Sweden;{{cite web|last=Sheffield DocFest|title=A Stranger in Sweden: post screening Q&A & performance|website=YouTube |date=25 January 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-S5LOn6HLY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/S-S5LOn6HLY |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=15 December 2017}}{{cbignore}} a solo set by Princess Shaw following the UK premiere of Presenting Princess Shaw;{{cite web|last=Sheffield DocFest|title=Sheffield DocFest 2016: Q&A following the screening of Presenting Princess Shaw|website=YouTube |date=16 January 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85CrLMO6Ua4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/85CrLMO6Ua4 |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=15 December 2017}}{{cbignore}} and Where You're Meant to Be was screened in Abbeydale Picture House, followed by a set from Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat and the Bothy Ballad singers.{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/what-s-on/top-10-things-you-must-see-at-sheffield-doc-fest-1-7953986|title=Top 10 things you must see at Sheffield DocFest|work=The Yorkshire Post|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• Following the UK premieres of Strike a Pose and Kiki, the Vogue, Strike a Pose Party invited Madonna backup dancer Kevin Stea, New York ballroom leader Twiggy Pucci Garcon, and a house of voguers to O2 Academy{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/films/5982|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• USC Shoah Foundations' New Dimensions in Testimony had its World pwemiere as part of the Alternate Realities Exhibition, showcasing groundbreaking technology in natural language processing software through a hologram of Holocaust Survivor Pinchas Gutter.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/18/holocaust-survivor-hologram-pinchas-gutter-new-dimensions-history|title=The virtual Holocaust survivor: how history gained new dimensions|last=McMullan|first=Thomas|date=18 June 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 December 2017|issn=0261-3077}} The project was awarded both the Alternate Realities Interactive Award and Audience Award for Interactive Project. It was also featured in the Alternate Realities Summit, with creator Dr Stephen Smith presenting a keynote, joined by Gutter himself on stage{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/alternate-realities-where-were-heading-ai-robots-vr-helen-nias/|title=Alternate Realities: where we're heading with AI, robots and VR|last=Nias|first=Helen|date=22 September 2016|publisher=LinkedIn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620134848/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/alternate-realities-where-were-heading-ai-robots-vr-helen-nias/|archive-date=20 June 2018|url-status=dead}}
• Sir David Attenborough came to the Festival for the first time, seeing a sold-out talk at the Crucible Theatre, which was live broadcast to the Outdoor Screen on Tudor Square{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/wildlife-film-making-legend-sir-david-attenborough-wows-sheffield-doc-fest-1-7962473|title=Wildlife film-making legend Sir David Attenborough wows Sheffield DocFest|work=The Star|access-date=15 December 2017}}
• Ken Loach held a packed Q&A following Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach{{cite web|last=Sheffield DocFest|title=Sheffield DocFest 2016: Versus The Life and Films of Ken Loach – Q&A with Ken Loach|website=YouTube |date=1 August 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ishUPG3xO7o |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/ishUPG3xO7o |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=15 December 2017}}{{cbignore}}
• D. A. Pennebaker was honoured with a retrospective, and also attended the UK premiere of his film Unlocking the Cage. The legendary documentary maker was also featured in conversation with collaborator Chris Hegedus at the Crucible Theatre
• Joanna Lumley delivered a packed talk at Crucible Theatre{{cite web|last=Sheffield DocFest|title=Sheffield DocFest 2016: The Absolutely Adventurous Joanna Lumley in Conversation|website=YouTube |date=22 August 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPTI7KiGOgo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/PPTI7KiGOgo |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=15 December 2017}}{{cbignore}}
• Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan returned to the Crucible Theatre, where he has won five World Championship titles, to discuss his favourite documentaries{{cite web|last=Sheffield DocFest|title=Sheffield DocFest: Ronnie O'Sullivan in Conversation|website=YouTube |date=3 August 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYx9wM5zKkw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/IYx9wM5zKkw |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=15 December 2017}}{{cbignore}}

The 22nd Festival ran for six days, 5–10 June. More than 20 venues were used to host films, sessions, interactive exhibitions and networking events, with the full programme announced on the morning of the general election on 7 May.{{cite web|url=http://docgeeks.com/2015/05/07/sheffield-docfest-2015-aims-for-bigger-better-and-more-interactive/ |title=Sheffield DocFest aims for bigger, better and more interactive in 2015|website=DocGeeks|date= 7 May 2015}} A record number of audiences attended the festival, with 3,422 festival delegates and 27,917 members of the public.

A total of 148 films was shown, of which a record breaking 31 were world premieres, including Sean McAllister's hotly anticipated A Syrian Love Story, Brian Hill's The Confessions of Thomas Quick, and Jake Witzenfeld's Oriented, 41 UK premieres, 13 international premieres, and 19 European premieres.{{cite web|first=Michael |last=Rosser|url=http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sheffield-doc/fest-unveils-2015-line-up/5087486.article |title=Sheffield DocFest unveils 2015 line-up'|website=Screen Daily|date=7 May 2015}} Nearly 50% of the film programming was headed up by female filmmakers, with 73 of the films either produced or directed by women filmmakers.{{cite web|first=Alex |last=Ritman|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sheffield-doc-fest-female-presence-801201 |title=Sheffield DocFest Touts Strong Female Presence|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date= 9 June 2015}}

Notable screenings and events included:

• The UK premiere of Joshua Oppenheimer's The Look of Silence at Showroom Cinema opened the Festival with sell out screenings in both Screens 3 and 4.
• Opening Night continued at Sheffield City Hall with the world premiere of archive film The Show of Shows: 100 Years of Vaudeville, Circuses and Carnivals directed by Benedikt Erlingsson and scored by Georg Hólm and Orri Páll Dýrason of Sigur Rós and the Head of the Pagan Church in Iceland and godfather of Icelandic music, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson.{{cite news|first=Ben |last=Green|url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/what-s-on/cinema/sheffield-doc-fest-2015-full-programme-announced-1-7247314 |title=SHEFFIELD DOCFEST 2015: Full programme announced|newspaper=The Star|date= 11 May 2015|access-date= 3 November 2015}} The film features never before seen footage from fairgrounds, circuses, variety performances, vaudeville and more, from the very birth of film to the present day, including footage from The University of Sheffield's National Fairground Archive.
• A special screening of Jessica Edward's bio-doc Mavis! documenting the life of Mavis Staples was held in the classic Victorian Sheffield Botanical Gardens.
• Sheffield Repertory Orchestra performing Gustav Holst's The Planets live to a screening of interplanetary odysseys and commissioned visuals by Sheffield creative design agency Human and commentary from astronomer Paul Crowther.
• A 'Women in Docs' strand celebrating films with women on screen and behind the lens.
• War Work: 8 Songs with Film, a master work of poetic and musical archive composed and directed by Michael Nyman, and performed by Michael Nyman Band and Hilary Summers to commemorate the First World War.{{cite web|first=Caroline |last=Frost|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/05/07/sheffield-doc-fest_n_7230490.html |title=Idris Elba's 'Mandela, My Dad And Me' One Of The Highlights At This Year's Sheffield Documentary Festival|website=HuffPost|date=7 May 2015|access-date= 3 November 2015}}
• A retrospective of British activist filmmaker John Akomfrah.
• A closing night event including screening of Monty Python – The Meaning of Live by Roger Graef and James Rogan, with Michael Palin in attendance for a post-screening Q&A and book signing.
• The Ideas & Science strand, supported by the Wellcome Trust, focusing on creativity and innovation at the heart of documentary, digital and interactive.
• An "Interactive at Sheffield" exhibition presented by Crossover Labs, featuring 16 interactive documentaries held at Millennium Gallery.
• A dedicated virtual reality arcade at Site Gallery featuring 9 projects on a collection of Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard.{{cite web|first=Jamie |last=Feltham|url=http://vrfocus.com/archives/16309/sheffield-docfest-2015-shows-vr-at-its-most-humanising-empowering-and-emotive/ |title=Sheffield DocFest 2015 Shows VR at its Most Humanising, Empowering and Emotive|website=VR Focus|date= 9 June 2015|access-date= 3 November 2015}}
• FINAL DAYS by British artist Heather Phillipson, a specially commissioned installation at Castle House, a defunct department store in the heard of Sheffield. Supported by Arts Council England, presented in partnership with University of Sheffield and Serpentine Galleries.

There were 83 sessions, talks and masterclasses, with speakers including Davina McCall, Nicky Campbell, Jon Snow, Lucy Worsley, Philippa Perry, Ian Katz, Charlotte Moore, and Robin Ince.

The Festival expanded from five days to six and for the first time began on a Saturday. Screenings took place across a wider range of more unusual venues in Sheffield and the Peak District.Kelly Anderson, [http://realscreen.com/2013/09/12/sheffield-docfest-expands-sets-2014-dates/ Sheffield DocFest expands, sets 2014 dates], Real Screen, 12 September 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2014 There were 130 films shown, of which 21 were world premieres, 24 UK premieres, and 12 European premieres.Kevin Ritchie, [http://realscreen.com/2014/05/09/scorsese-longinotto-woolcock-to-premiere-docs-in-sheffield/ Scorsese, Longinotto, Woolcock to premiere docs in Sheffield], Real Screen, 9 May 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014Eric Eidelstein, [http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-21st-annual-sheffield-documentary-festival-will-showcase-a-new-scorsese-film-conference-sessions-marketplace-opportunities-and-more The 21st Annual Sheffield Documentary Festival Will Showcase a New Scorsese Film, Industry Sessions and More], indiewire.com, 8 May 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014{{cite web|first=Ian |last=Youngs|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27606355 |title=Sheffield DocFest: War crimes, pop stars and skaters|website=BBC News|date=6 June 2014|access-date= 4 August 2014}}

World premieres included Martin Scorsese's documentary about The New York Review of Books, The 50 Year Argument; Alex Holmes' Stop At Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story; The Last Man On The Moon, about former astronaut Eugene Cernan who also attended the Festival; One Rogue Reporter, written and directed by former 'Daily Star' reporter Rich Peppiatt; and Brilliant Creatures: Rebels of Oz.{{cite news|first=Vanessa |last=Thorpe|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/31/australians-1960s-swinging-london-culture-greer-james-humphries-hughes |title=The Australians who set 60s Britain swinging|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 31 May 2014|access-date= 4 August 2014}}

Notable screenings and events included:

• The European premiere of Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets directed by Florian Habicht,{{cite news|first=Henry |last=Barnes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/08/sheffield-docfest-2014-martin-scorsese-50-year-argument |title=Sheffield DocFest to host first public screening of Scorsese documentary|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 8 May 2014|access-date= 4 August 2014}} telling the story of Pulp's final concert in Sheffield in 2012 and including a simulcast and live satellite Q&A with the band, broadcast to 120 cinemas across the UK and Ireland.{{cite news|first=|last=Charles Gant|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/jun/10/22-jump-street-uk-box-office-film-comedy |title=22 Jump Street triples original's first weekend take at UK box office|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 10 June 2014|access-date= 4 August 2014}}{{cite web|first=Alicia |last=Tan|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-06-02/pulp-head-home-for-premiere-of-documentary-at-sheffield-doc-fest |title=Pulp head home for premiere of documentary at Sheffield Doc Fest|website=Radio Times|date= 2 June 2014|access-date= 4 August 2014}}
• The premiere of Kim Longinotto's Love Is All at Chatsworth House with a soundtrack by Richard Hawley, combining film material from the BFI National Archive with original music in a similar vein to previous DocFest projects From the Sea to the Land Beyond and The Big Melt.
• Saint Etienne performing a live score to How We Used To Live, Paul Kelly's documentary about vanishing London.
• Summer Camp performing a live soundtrack to Guardian writer Charlie Lyne's film essay Beyond Clueless, about 90s teen movies.
• A 'Hell on Wheels' strand of cycling films to celebrate the Tour de France visiting Yorkshire.{{cite news|first=Helen |last=Pidd|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/jun/09/cycling-documentary-slaying-the-badger-greg-lamond-bernard-hinault-lance-armstrong |title=Hell on wheels: cycling documentaries at Sheffield DocFest|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 9 June 2014|access-date=4 August 2014}}
• Nightly screenings in the Peak Cavern including Thomas Balmes' Happiness.
• A spotlight on South Africa including Miners Shot Down about the Marikana miners' strike.
• A retrospective of experimental Greek-French director Agnès Varda.
• An 'Interactive at Sheffield' exhibition presented by Crossover Labs, featuring 15 interactive documentaries delivered through devices including the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headset. This included the first documentary videogames to be shown at the Festival, Riot and Papers, Please.[http://www.indiewire.com/article/sheffield-documentary-festival-to-present-15-boundary-pushing-interactive-documentaries Sheffield Documentary Festival to Present 15 Boundary-Pushing Interactive Documentaries as part of Interactive at Sheffield], indiewire.com, 6 May 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014
• Immersive documentary Door into the Dark.Charlotte Harding, [http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/20124/1/how-to-get-lost How to get lost], Dazed. Retrieved 4 August 2014

Speakers included Peter Bazalgette, Jeremy Deller, Brian Eno, Sue Perkins, Grayson Perry, John Pilger, Jon Snow, and Ondi Timoner.

There were 82 conference sessions and masterclasses, and a record number of pitch opportunities for filmmakers worth £200,000.Manori Ravindran [http://realscreen.com/2014/03/10/sheffield-docfest-launches-producer-school-pitch-competitions/ Sheffield DocFest launches producer school, pitch competitions], realscreen.com, 10 March 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014

In 2013, there was a record number of films and delegates.Jennifer Merin, [http://documentaries.about.com/b/2013/06/16/sheffield-docfest-2013-celebrating-20-years.htm Sheffield DocFest 2013 – Celebrating 20 Years!], about.com, 16 June 2013 Delegate numbers rose by 18% to 3,129.[http://nowthenmagazine.com/issue-64/filmreel-1/ Film Reel] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213155646/http://nowthenmagazine.com/issue-64/filmreel-1/ |date=13 December 2013 }}, nowthenmagazine.com, July 2013 There were a record 18 international delegations including representatives from Armenia, Canada, Jordan, Morocco, the Netherlands, the State of Palestine, Russia, South Africa, and South Sudan, attending the Festival with a special focus on factual filmmaking in their regions.Alexandra Zeevalkink, [http://www.kftv.com/blog/2013/06/13/Networking-at-Sheffield-DocFest Networking at Sheffield DocFest], KFTV, 13 June 2013

Over 20 countries were presented by 250 buyers and decision makers.

Film submissions topped 2,000 for the first time.Daniel Dylan Wray, [https://www.theguardian.com/film/the-northerner/2013/may/09/sheffield-docfest-documentary-festival-2013 Sheffield DocFest hopes to rekindle last year's Oscar magic], The Guardian, 9 May 2013 Films shown numbered at least 200, of which there were 77 feature length documentaries,'Five Best Revivals', The Independent, 8 June 2013 33 shorts, 10 interactive projects and one art installation. There were 18 world premieres,Julie Farmer, 'Centre Stage', First For Business, 1 June 2013 12 UK premieres, and 5 European premieres. A record 14 film screening at DocFest were developed and funded through MeetMarket,Pippa Considine, [http://www.televisual.com/news-detail/Sheffield-DocFest-highlights-for-2013_nid-2797.html Sheffield DocFest highlights for 2013], televisual.com, 10 May 2013 including Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing which went on to win the Audience Award.

World premieres included Basically, Johnny Moped, Emptying The Skies, Everybody's Child, A Fragile Trust: Plagiarism, Power & Jayson Blair at the New York Times, Here Was Cuba, Mirage Men, Notes from the Inside with James Rhodes, Particle fever, Plot for Peace, Project Wild Thing, Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic, The Big Melt, Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington, The Man Whose Mind Exploded, The Road to Fame, The Secret Life of Uri Geller – Psychic Spy?, Thin Ice, and To Let The World In.

European premieres included After Tiller, Dirty Wars, and Pandora's Promise.

UK premieres included The Act of Killing and The Crash Reel.{{cite web|first=Barry |last=Walsh|url=http://realscreen.com/2013/05/09/pussy-riot-a-punk-prayer-to-open-sheffield-docfest/ |title='Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer' to open Sheffield DocFest|website=realscreen.com|date=9 May 2013}} The Act of Killing went on to win a Bafta and was named best film of 2013 by The Guardian.[http://film.britishcouncil.org/our-projects/spotlight/2014/hussain-currimbhoy Hussain Currimbhoy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805134045/http://film.britishcouncil.org/our-projects/spotlight/2014/hussain-currimbhoy |date=5 August 2014 }}, British Council, 2 June 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.

Film strands included Behind the Beats, Best of British, Cross-Platform, Euro/Doc, First Cut, Global Encounters, New York Times Op-Docs, Queer Screen, Resistance, Shorts, The Habit of Art, and This Sporting Life.

A new strand, Films on Film, screened a notable film with a documentary about it, for example The Exorcist (Director's Cut) with The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist, and John Waters' Female Trouble with I Am Divine. This strand aimed to attract a wider mix of people, and was supported by Lottery funding through the BFI's Film Festival Fund which provides extra resources to help grow film festival audiences.[http://www.screendaily.com/news/pussy-riot-film-to-open-doc/fest/5054794.article Pussy Riot film to open Sheffield DocFest], screendaily.com, 9 May 2013

The DocFest Retrospective strand celebrated the work of Japanese filmmaker Shōhei Imamura.

More than 75 directors were present and took part in Q&A sessions.[http://www.thestar.co.uk/what-s-on/cinema/star-studded-line-up-for-documentary-festival-1-5755467 Star-studded line-up for documentary festival], The Star, 11 June 2013

Notable screenings and events included:

• Three opening night films:
• The Big Melt, a documentary film about Sheffield's steel industry by Martin Wallace with a live soundtrack from Jarvis Cocker and more than 50 musicians.[http://www.nme.com/news/pulp/70766 Pulp's Jarvis Cocker to perform at Sheffield premiere of steel documentary 'The Big Melt{{'}}], NME, 10 June 2013
• An in-cave screening of The Summit, a climbing documentary by Nick Ryan about the quest to reach the peak of K2. This was screened at Peak Cavern, a cave known as the 'Devil's Arse', in the Peak District.Jane Faram, 'Sheffield DocFest', digyorkshire.com. Retrieved 4 June 2013
• The European premiere of Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer followed by a Skype interview with Katya Samutsevich, one of the members of Pussy Riot.Mark Moran, [http://www.pictureville.net/2013/05/pussy-riot-punk-prayer-to-open.html Pussy Riot film to open Sheffield's DocFest 20], pictureville.net, 9 May 2013
• A live soundtrack performance of Songs from the Shipyards by Mercury Prize-nominees The Unthanks.Mark Perkins, 'The Unthanks: Songs from the Shipyards', Exposed, 12 June 2013
• A look behind-the-scenes of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? series.'The Diary', Yorkshire Life, 1 June 2013
• A day of events centred on the Ken Loach documentary The Spirit of '45.[http://dogwoof.com/blog/post/the_spirit_of_45_day_announced_for_sheffield_doc_fest/13900 'The Spirit of '45 Day announced for Sheffield DocFest'], 8 May 2013
• TEDxSheffield, a fringe event which took place the day before the Festival.Cristina A Gonzalez, [http://www.indiewire.com/article/sheffield-doc-fest-2013-lineup 20th Sheffield DocFest Unveils Lineup; To Open With Three Docs Including 'Pussy Riot], Indiewire.com, 9 May 2013
• The Howard Street outdoor screen which showed films for free for 12 hours each day during the Festival.Ellen Beardmore, Once in a lifetime' chance to see films', The Star (Sheffield)'', 30 May 2013
• Blast Theory's interactive online game I'd Hide You.Liat Clark, [https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-02/20/sheffield-blast-theory City-wide manhunt turns Sheffield into digital stage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016171940/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-02/20/sheffield-blast-theory |date=16 October 2015 }}, wired.co.uk, 20 February 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014
• Doc/Feast, a street food market made up of local foodie businesses,'Street Food Feast', Sheffield Telegraph, 6 June 2013 plus a special DocFest ale.

There were 80 conference sessions and masterclasses, and 300 speakers. Notable speakers included Adam Buxton, Melvyn Bragg, Jonathan Franzen, Uri Geller, Ira Glass, Alex Graham, Janice Hadlow, Jay Hunt, Ross Kemp, Mark Kermode, Sir Trevor McDonald, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Walter Murch, Miranda Sawyer interviewing Michael Palin, Sue Perkins, Captain Sensible, and Alan Yentob.Ryan Finnigan, [http://www.noripcord.com/features/film-and-tv/docfest-2013-preview DocFest 2013 Preview], noripcord.com, 6 June 2013'Docfest', Exposed magazine, 1 May 2013Laura Davies, 'Indian Summer', Exposed magazine, 1 June 2013'Sheffield DocFest', The Yorkshire Post, 8 June 2013'Hot Tickets, The Observer, 2 May 2013'Top News', Broadcast, 21 June 2013Ian Soutar, 'Film critic Mark exorcising 25 years of fear', Sheffield Telegraph, 6 June 2013

A total of 2,657 delegates from 67 countries attended the Festival, and general admissions were 20,079.

Notable screenings and events included:

• The debut of From The Sea To The Land Beyond, a documentary by Penny Woolcock with a live soundtrack performance by British Sea Power.Pete Martin, [http://nowthenmagazine.com/issue-64/live/ British Sea Power] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213155736/http://nowthenmagazine.com/issue-64/live/ |date=13 December 2013 }}, nowthenmagazine.com, July 2013
• A surprise performance by Sixto Rodriguez, the star of opening night film Searching for Sugar Man, which went on to win an Oscar for Best Documentary.

Speakers included Gareth Malone and Tim Pool.Laura Davies, 'What's Up, Doc', Exposed magazine, 1 June 2013

In 2011, the Festival moved from November to June, right off the back of the November 2010 Festival. The Festival opened with Morgan Spurlocks' POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and featured box-office hit Senna, Alma Har'el's debut Bombay Beach, an Albert Maysels retrospective, and Oscar-winning director Barbara Kopple's Gun Fight.{{cite web|url=http://edendale.typepad.com/weblog/2011/06/sheffield-docfest-2011-head-programmer-hussain-currimbhoy-on-the-move-to-june-and-this-years-hidden-.html|title=Sheffield DocFest 2011: Head Programmer Hussain Currimbhoy on the Move to June and This Year's Hidden Gems|website=All these wonderful things|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2011/jun/17/sheffield-doc-fest-2011-highlights|title=The best of Sheffield DocFest 2011|last=Leigh|first=Danny|date=17 June 2011|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 December 2017|issn=0261-3077}}

The Sheffield DocFest Awards honour the best documentaries from the DocFest programme, and are judged by industry professionals.

• Sheffield DocFest Audience Award voted for by audiences, the award is given to feature films in the programme.
• Grand Jury Award for the International Competition honours films that best display strong artistic vision and courageous storytelling. This award is Academy Award® accredited.{{cite web |title=ACADEMY AWARDS QUALIFYING FESTIVALS |url=https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/95th_full_qualifying_festival_list.pdf}}
• Grand Jury Award for the International Short Film Competition honours the best creative approach to documentary under 40 minutes. This award is Academy Award®, BAFTA and BIFA-accredited.{{cite web |title=BAFTA Qualifying Festivals |url=https://awards.bafta.org/sites/default/files/images/short_film_qualifying_festivals_list.pdf}}{{cite web |title=British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) Qualifying Festivals |url=https://storage.googleapis.com/bifa-film/web/2023/08/BIFA-2023-QUALIFYING-FESTIVAL-LISTS.pdf}}
• Grand Jury Award for the International First Feature Competition honours the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising talent.
• Grand Jury Award for the International Alternate Realities Competition honours the best innovative non-fiction work.
• Tim Hetherington Award presented in association with Dogwoof, this award was introduced in 2013 to honour photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington. The award recognises a film and filmmaker that best reflects the legacy of Tim Hetherington, who was committed to humanitarian and social concerns throughout the world. It includes a cash prize and is decided by a jury including Tim's mother, Judith Hetherington.
• Youth Jury Award is selected by some of the UK's most passionate young documentary lovers. The jury is made up of five young people aged 18–23, who take part in a series of workshops with industry professionals ahead of the festival.

• Inspiration Award, introduced in 2009, which celebrates a figure in the industry who has championed documentary and helped get great work into the public eye.
• In The Dark Audio Award, introduced in 2014 to highlight global creativity and innovation in audio storytelling.{{cite web |title=About the Award {{!}} In The Dark |url=http://www.inthedarkradio.org/about-the-award/ |access-date=15 August 2023 }}{{cite news|first=Vicky|last= Frost|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/audio/2014/jun/07/podcasting-documentary |title=Sheffield DocFest 2014: Love and Radio – audio|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 7 June 2014|access-date= 4 August 2014}}
• Illuminate Award supported by Wellcome, exploring the screen chemistry between human storytelling and scientific understanding.{{cite web |title=Doc/Fest Exchange |url=https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/people-and-projects/grants-awarded/docfest-exchange |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Wellcome }}
• Environmental Award given to the documentary that best addresses or raises awareness of the environmental challenges faces by the world.
• Art Doc Award, championing bold, new creative forms of non-fiction cinema and artists' films.{{cite web |date=24 July 2018 |title=2018 Sheffield DocFest Industry Catalogue by Sheffield DocFest – Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/sheffielddocfest/docs/2018_sheffield_docfest_industry_catalogue |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=issuu.com }}
• New Talent Award, discovers and honours the future of documentary film, celebrating new talent and fresh perspectives.
• Student Doc Award, for films made as part of tertiary course work at UK and international universities, judged by a panel of industry experts.
• Alternate Realities Interactive Award, awarded to projects that exhibit originality in their approach to form, storytelling and delivery.
• Alternate Realities Virtual Reality Award, celebrating virtual reality documentary as a flourishing creative genre awarding the project that displays excellence in factual storytelling as well as technical ingenuity.
• Innovation Award

• The Whickers' Film & TV Funding Award, presented annually at Sheffield DocFest by [https://www.whickerawards.com/about/ The Whickers] since 2016,{{cite web |title=The Whickers {{!}} Film and TV Award Previous Winners |url=https://www.whickerawards.com/apply/film-and-tv/previous-winners/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=The Whickers }} this prize is awarded to an emerging filmmaker from anywhere in the world with the most promising pitch for a director-led documentary.
• EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Film, presented at Sheffield DocFest in 2012 and 2013 by the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. All female-directed films in the festival programme were eligible for the award.{{cite web |date=22 June 2012 |title=AWFJ Presents EDA Awards at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2012 – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS |url=https://awfj.org/blog/2012/06/22/awfj-presents-eda-awards-at-sheffield-docfest/ |access-date=15 August 2023 }}{{cite web |date=16 June 2013 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest 2013: AWFJ Jury Duty – Katherine McLaughlin Reports – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS |url=https://awfj.org/blog/2013/06/16/sheffield-doc-fest-jury-duty-katherine-mclaughlin/ |access-date=15 August 2023 }}
• The first ever Peter Wintonick Award, which celebrates activist filmmaking, in honour of the late Canadian documentary filmmaker and friend of the festival Peter Wintonick{{cite web |date=19 August 2014 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival |url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/218-sheffield-doc-fest-2014-awards-announced |access-date=15 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090559/https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/218-sheffield-doc-fest-2014-awards-announced |archive-date=19 August 2014 }} was awarded in 2014.
• Creative Leadership Award, launched in 2016 to highlight an influential individual's contribution to the international documentary industry.{{cite web |last=Rosser |first=Michael |date=2016-05-25|title=HBO's Sheila Nevins to receive Sheffield Doc/Fest honour |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/hbos-sheila-nevins-to-receive-sheffield-doc/fest-honour/5104332.article |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=Screen }}
• Award for Unsung Hero in Factual TV, launched in 2016, honouring a vital, under-the-radar contribution to British factual television.{{cite web |date=5 October 2016 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival |url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/428-sheffield-doc-fest-2016-award-winners |access-date=15 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005125815/https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/428-sheffield-doc-fest-2016-award-winners |archive-date=5 October 2016 }}
• Jerwood First Cuts Award

{{cite web |date=20 June 2023 |title=Maciek Hamela's In the Rearview triumphs at Sheffield DocFest |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/445169/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Cineuropa – the best of european cinema }}

{{cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=29 June 2022 |title='Sansón and Me,' 'Master of Light' Win Sheffield Doc/Fest |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/global/sheffield-doc-fest-winners-2022-1235305848/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Variety }}

{{cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Nick |date=13 June 2021 |title=Sheffield DocFest winners announced |url=https://businessdoceurope.com/sheffield-docfest-winners-announced/ |access-date=16 August 2023 |website=Business Doc Europe }}

In 2020, the Festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and screenings moved online. No awards were placed during this year.

{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/midnight-family-wins-top-prize-at-2019-sheffield-doc/fest/5140329.article|title='Midnight Family' wins top prize at 2019 Sheffield DocFest}}

{{cite web|url=http://edn.network/news/news-story/article/sheffield-docfest-announces-award-winners-2018/?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=220&cHash=bdff8c5010f67d6478919a31ed92cdd7|title = Edn.network}}

{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/city-of-ghosts-wins-top-prize-at-sheffield-doc/fest-2017/5119048.article|title='City Of Ghosts' wins top prize at Sheffield DocFest 2017|work=Screen|access-date=18 December 2017}}

{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/428-sheffield-doc-fest-2016-award-winners|title=Sheffield DocFest 2016 Award Winners|access-date=3 January 2016}}

The awards were held on 10 June 2015 at the Crucible Theatre.

The awards were held on 12 June 2014. For the first time, the award-winning documentary short automatically qualifies for consideration for the Academy Awards.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Roger Graef.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27811419 Harold Evans film Attacking The Devil wins Sheffield DocFest award], BBC News, 12 June 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014

The awards were held on 16 June 2013, and presented by Jeremy Hardy.

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists also presented a Special EDA Award to Sheffield DocFest's Festival Director, Heather Croall, naming her 2013's Ambassador of Women's Films.{{cite web|first=Michael |last=Rosser|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/act-of-killing-wins-at-doc/fest/5057403.article |title=The Act of Killing takes top prize at Sheffield DocFest |website= screendaily.com|access-date= 16 June 2013}}{{cite web|first=Jennifer |last=Merin|url=http://documentaries.about.com/od/recommendeddocumentaries/a/Sheffield-Doc-fest-2013-Award-Winners.htm |title=Sheffield DocFest 2013 – Award Winners}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213160509/http://documentaries.about.com/od/recommendeddocumentaries/a/Sheffield-Doc-fest-2013-Award-Winners.htm|date=13 December 2013}}, about.com. Retrieved 16 June 2013

The awards were held on 17 June 2012.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Albert Maysles.

Sheffield DocFest's film programme showcases international documentaries and new works of non-fiction.

The Film programme includes:

• More than 150 screenings of feature, mid-length and short documentaries and works of non-fiction each year.
• Q&As with the filmmakers and protagonists of the films.
• A strand of panels corresponding to the main programme, featuring filmmakers and protagonists of the films, including sessions, workshops, and pitching competitions.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/preview-sheffield-doc-fest-2017-from-joe-cocker-to-jo-cox-20-must-things-to-see-and-do-1-8582788|title=PREVIEW: Sheffield DocFest 2017 from Joe Cocker to Jo Cox – 20 must things to see and do|work=The Star|access-date=18 December 2017}}
• Free outdoor screenings of U-rated documentaries.{{cite news|url=http://www.clashmusic.com/film/live-report-sheffield-international-documentary-film-festival|title=Live Report: Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival|work=Clash Magazine|access-date=18 December 2017}}
• A series of films In Competition for prestigious awards.{{cite news|url=http://realscreen.com/2017/06/13/city-of-ghosts-unrest-take-sheffield-docfest-awards/|title='City of Ghosts', 'Unrest' take Sheffield DocFest Awards|access-date=18 December 2017}}

Sheffield DocFest runs a number of programmes focused on new media development in interactive and immersive projects and virtual reality, titled Alternate Realities.

The Alternate Realities programme includes:

• The Alternative Realities Summit, which is a full day of sessions exploring the digital revolution in broadcasting. Delegates can network with representatives from the film and TV industry, which have included keynote speakers such as Google's Jessica Brillhart,{{cite web|url=http://streamdaily.tv/2016/06/15/sheffield-16-inside-the-alternate-realities-summit/|title=StreamDaily » Archive » Sheffield '16: Inside the Alternate Realities Summit|website=streamdaily.tv|access-date=18 December 2017}} BBC North's Richard Deverell, Frank Rose, Steven Johnson and Katerina Cizek from Highrise. The day includes breakout sessions and round table discussions.
• The Alternative Realities Market, which is a pitching event for interactive and digital projects run in a similar way to the festival's MeetMarket. It took place for the first time in 2013, when 27 project teams pitched to 85 cross-platform decision makers.Nicola Lees, [http://www.tvmole.com/2013/06/hidden-treasure-secret-sources-of-documentary-funding Hidden Treasure: Secret Sources of Documentary Funding], tvmole.com, 25 June 2013
• A strand of Alternative Realities panels during the main Festival conference programme, which includes sessions, commissioning editor panels, workshops, project showcasing, and cross-platform pitching competitions.
• The Alternative Realities Exhibition, which shows and hosts interactive and VR including those commissioned especially for the Festival. This is also a space where delegates can meet and network.
• Meet the Maker sessions, which allow audiences to meet the artists behind the projects featured in the exhibition for informal Q&As.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BVUXp0rDmG8/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BVUXp0rDmG8 |archive-date=24 December 2021 |url-access=limited|title=Instagram post by Sheffdocfest • Jun 14, 2017 at 11:27am UTC|website=Instagram|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{cbignore}}

In 2017, Alternate Realities at Sheffield DocFest was awarded Arts Council England NPO status, helping the programme to grow even further.{{cite web|url=http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/NPO|title=National Portfolio: 2018–22 {{!}} Arts Council England|website=www.artscouncil.org.uk|access-date=18 December 2017}}

Sheffield DocFest's Talks & Sessions programme features high-profile speakers, industry creatives, and documentary talent in a variety of discussions, large public talks, commissioning question panels, interviews, and showcasing sessions.

Past high-profile speakers include Sir David Attenborough,{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/wildlife-film-making-legend-sir-david-attenborough-wows-sheffield-doc-fest-1-7962473|title=Wildlife film-making legend Sir David Attenborough wows Sheffield DocFest|work=The Star|access-date=18 December 2017}} Louis Theroux,{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/nick-broomfield-whitney-houston-can-i-be-me-kurt-and-courtney-biigie-and-tupac-a7791001.html|title=Nick Broomfield on his new Whitney Houston documentary and its impact|date=15 June 2017|work=The Independent|access-date=18 December 2017}} Nick Broomfield, Stacey Dooley,{{cite web|url=https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/sheffield-docfest-stacey-dooley-talks|title=Sheffield Theatres: Sheffield DocFest: Stacey Dooley Talks...|website=sheffieldtheatres.co.uk|access-date=18 December 2017}} Joanna Lumley,{{cite news|url=https://hannahmchaffie.com/2016/06/27/sheffield-docfest-staff-highlights/|title=Sheffield DocFest: Staff Highlights.|date=27 June 2016|work=Reel Insights|access-date=18 December 2017}} Reggie Yates, Walter Murch,{{cite news|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/comment/festivals/creation-self-destruction-walter-murch-sheffield|title=From creation to self-destruction: Walter Murch at Sheffield DocFest 2013|publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=18 December 2017}} Michael Moore, Kim Longinotto,{{cite news|url=http://filmlondon.org.uk/news/2015/june/julianne_rooney_at_sheffield_docfest|title=Julianne Rooney at Sheffield DocFest|access-date=18 December 2017}} Tilda Swinton,{{cite news|url=https://syfn.org/events/sheffield-doc-fest/|title=Sheffield Doc Fest |work=SYFN – South Yorkshire Film Network|access-date=18 December 2017}} D. A. Pennebaker, John Akomfrah,{{cite news|url=https://spiritofmarckarlin.com/2015/08/13/essay-film-sheffield-docfest-2015-john-akomfrah-in-conversation/|title=Essay Film – Sheffield DocFest 2015: John Akomfrah in Conversation|date=13 August 2015|work=marckarlin|access-date=18 December 2017}} Brett Morgan,{{cite web|url=https://www.gigwise.com/features/102070/brett-morgan-interview-on-kurt-cobain-montage-of-heck|title=Brett Morgan on Montage of Heck and the secrets of filmmaking|website=gigwise.com|access-date=18 December 2017}} Sue Perkins,{{cite web|url=https://www.dialogues.org/interview/08/18/2014/sheffield-doc-fest-2014-sue-perkins-my-life-in-television/1482345174|title=Sheffield DocFest 2014: Sue Perkins – My Life in Television|website=Dialogues|access-date=18 December 2017}} and Joan Rivers.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/nov/04/sheffield-doc-fest-joan-rivers|title=Sheffield DocFest's glitz masks downsized aspirations|last=Cox|first=David|date=4 November 2010|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 December 2017|issn=0261-3077}}

File:Meetmarket.jpg

MeetMarket & Alternate Realities Market is a documentary pitching event held at Sheffield DocFest, where filmmakers pitch their project ideas one-on-one to UK and international broadcasters, funders and distributors.

Former Festival Director Heather Croall introduced MeetMarket to DocFest in 2006 and developed it as an alternative to public pitching (where filmmakers pitch to a large audience).Michael Rosser, [http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/heather-croall-sheffield-doc/fest/5057158.article Heather Croall, Sheffield DocFest], screendaily.com, 10 June 2013 Each meeting is match-made and scheduled with relevant Decision Makers. Each year there are approximately 65 projects, which hold many one-to-one across two days.Michael Rosser, [http://www.screendaily.com/news/sheffield-meetmarket-draws-record-pitches/5053496.article Sheffield DocFest's MeetMarket draws record pitches], screendaily.com, 2 April 2013 In 2017, the event was attended by 330 Decision Makers.

Since its introduction, nearly 10,800 meetings have taken place for 609 documentary and digital projects (as of July 2017).

All meetings held at MeetMarket have been requested by both parties, meaning it's more likely for a deal to be made. While the focus is on achieving funding and distribution, participants also benefit from advice on production, distribution, exhibition, marketing and outreach. Filmmaker Guy Davidi said "Pitching in intimate round-table sessions was a big comfort. It reduces tension and competitiveness and makes the whole thing much more relaxed and fun. We have created important connections and in one case it led directly to an investment."[http://sheffdocfest.com/attachments/177268/MeetMarket_Report_2006-2012.pdf MeetMarket report 2006-2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523163548/http://sheffdocfest.com/attachments/177268/MeetMarket_Report_2006-2012.pdf|date=23 May 2013}}, Broadcast, 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2014

In 2017, 63 projects from 22 countries, including new films from Michael Moore, Mark Cousins, Kim Longinotto, Dionne Walker, Laura Poitras, and Jerry Rothwell, and 24 Alternate Realities projects were selected, including works from Charlotte Mikkelborg, Richard Nockles, and INK Stories. 330 Decision Makers took part, including representatives from Submarine, BBC Earth VR, Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Film Board of Canada, VICE, and Pulse Films.{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/michael-moore-kim-longinotto-dionne-walker-projects-set-for-doc/fest-market/5117237.article|title=Michael Moore, Kim Longinotto, Dionne Walker projects set for DocFest market|work=Screen|access-date=18 December 2017}}

In 2016, 64 projects from 27 countries were chosen to participate, including new films from Orlando von Einsiedel, Jennifer Brea, Mike Lerner, Stefan Kloos, Nick Fraser, Christoph Jorg, David Letterman, Al Morrow, Jeanie Finlay, Andre Singer, Amir Amiriani, and Catherine Allen. 25 Alternate Realities Market projects were chosen, including works from Katharine Round, Alex Pearson, Darren Emerson, and Jennifer Brea. 313 Decision Makers took part in the MeetMarket, Alternate Realities Market and various other Marketplace initiatives from organisations including Red Bull, Canal+, Al Jazeera, Discovery, National Geographic, Google, and Netflix.{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sheffield-doc/fest-unveils-meetmarket-2016-projects/5103185.article|title=Sheffield DocFest unveils MeetMarket 2016 projects|work=Screen|access-date=18 December 2017}}

In 2015, 64 projects from 19 countries were chosen to participate in MeetMarket from 600 submissions, including new films from John Akomfrah, Lindsey Dryden and Maheen Zia. 300 executives, distributors, commissioners, funders, advisors and buyers across documentary and digital media took part in the MeetMarket and Marketplace activity including The Guardian, BBC, Arte, Dogwoof and Channel 4.

In 2014, 64 projects were chosen to participate in MeetMarket, including new films from Franny Armstrong, William Karel, and Stanley Nelson Jr. 290 investors, commissioners and production partners took part including commissioners from Netflix, Dazed, Vice, Vimeo and Nowness and distributors Oscilloscope Laboratories, Dogwoof and PBS.

In 2013 MeetMarket attracted more than 600 applications. More than 60 projects from 18 countries were chosen to participate. Filmmakers included Franny Armstrong, Marshall Curry, Jeanie Finlay, Alex Gibney, Phil Grabsky, Brian Hill, Viktor Kossakovsky and Joshua Oppenheimer. The selection also included six cross-platform projects.

MeetMarket films and Alternate Realities Market projects are tracked for success across awards and other film festivals. Films and projects have gone on to win awards at Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA, Hot Docs and DocFest.

Notable films to achieve funding through MeetMarket include Unrest and Unrest VR,{{cite web|url=http://www.creativeeuropeuk.eu/news/projects-announced-meetmarket-and-alternate-realities-market-2017|title=Projects announced for MeetMarket and Alternate Realities Market 2017 {{!}} Creative Europe Desk UK|website=www.creativeeuropeuk.eu|access-date=18 December 2017}} Notes on Blindness and Notes on Blindness: Into Darkness,{{cite news|url=http://www.notesonblindness.co.uk/regular/1462012-jen-and-pete-at-meetmarket/|title=Jen and Pete at MeetMarket – Notes on Blindness|date=15 June 2012|work=Notes on Blindness|access-date=18 December 2017}} Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, Searching for Sugarman, Jeanie Finlay's The Great Hip Hop Hoax,http://realscreen.com/2013/06/13/docfest-13-finlay-reveals-the-great-hip-hop-hoax/, Kelly Anderson, 'DocFest '13: Finlay reveals "The Great Hip Hop Hoax"', realscreen.com, 13 June 2013 Ping Pong, 5 Broken Cameras, and God Loves Uganda.{{cite web|first=Michael |last=Rosser|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/doc/fest-delegates-up-18/5057525.article |title=Sheffield DocFest delegates up 18%|website= screendaily.com|date=19 June 2013|access-date= 27 January 2014}}

The Marketplace plays host to further initiatives, such as pitches and prize competitions. Pitched projects are selected from an open call, cover a range of topics, and offer funding, in-kind support and Festival Pass prizes.

Previous pitches include:

• The BFI Film Fund
• The Whicker's World Foundation Film & TV Award, offering £80,000 to the winning pitch
• BBC Northern Docs Pitch
• The Guardian Pitch
• VICE Rule Britannia Pitch
• The Channel 4 First Cut Pitch
• Virgin Money Shorts Competition{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/view/pitches|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=18 December 2017}}

The Marketplace also holds All Year training initiatives, including Future Producer School. Future Producer School, created by Sheffield DocFest and Bungalow Town Productions, has successfully run every year since its launch in 2014. Aimed at emerging producers currently working in the industry, the primary outcome of Future Producer School is to develop industry partnerships and provide industry knowledge and experience to up-and-coming producers that have the ambition to become international feature documentary producers.{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/437-future-producer-school?tag=funding|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=18 December 2017}} Notable alumni include Eloise King, Julia Nottingham, Lindsey Dryden, and Sky Neal.{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/334-future-producer-school-alumni?tag=funding|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=18 December 2017}}

On-Screen Talent Market is a Sheffield DocFest initiative to connect charismatic subject-specialists with producers, commissioners, and other Decision Makers looking for fresh faces for their programmes. The programme includes an intensive morning training programme giving insight into the industry via first-hand encounters with established professionals, and is designed for the experts to hone their skills in presenting themselves to the media. This is followed by an afternoon of match-made one-to-one meetings between the talent and television executives. The programme is designed and delivered in collaboration with the Academic Ideas Lab.{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/459-on-screen-talent-market-2017|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=18 December 2017}}

Doc/Dinner allows a group of emerging filmmakers to dine with industry executives to exchange ideas and expertise, hosted by Yates. In 2017, execs from the BBC, Channel 4, VICE, Pulse Films and The Guardian met with 20 young filmmakers.{{cite news|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/doc/dinner-provides-wake-up-call/5119010.article|title=Doc/Dinner provides 'wake-up' call|work=Broadcast|access-date=18 December 2017}}

DocFest hosts a number of international and national delegations each year, including delegations from Norway,{{cite web|url=https://nordiskpanorama.com/en/industry/year-round/nordic-delegations/sheffield-docfest/|title=Sheffield DocFest {{!}} Nordisk Panorama|website=nordiskpanorama.com|access-date=18 December 2017}} Scotland,{{cite news|url=https://www.scottishdocinstitute.com/2011/02/20/scottish-delegation-at-sheffield-docfest-2011/|title=Scottish Delegation at Sheffield DocFest 2011 – Scottish Documentary Institute|date=20 February 2011|publisher=Scottish Documentary Institute|access-date=18 December 2017}} Palestine,{{cite news|url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/british-council-welcomes-palestinian-delegation-to-doc/fest/5104789.article|title=British Council welcomes Palestinian delegation to DocFest|work=Screen|access-date=18 December 2017}} Indonesia, Jordan, Cuba and Wider Europe.{{cite web|url=http://film.britishcouncil.org/calendar/2016/sheffield-docfest|title=British Council Film: Sheffield DocFest|website=film.britishcouncil.org|access-date=18 December 2017}}

Each year, DocFest hosts parties, social industry and networking drinks and events during the Festival including the annual Guilty Pleasures Party held at both DocFest{{cite web|url=http://www.exposedmagazine.co.uk/archived/the-guilty-pleasures-party/|title=The Guilty Pleasures Party – Exposed Magazine|website=exposedmagazine.co.uk|date=10 June 2014|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{cite web|first=Heather |last=Croall|title=Sheffield Docfest- Last song of the Saturday Party: DJ Guilty Pleasures|website=YouTube |date=17 June 2011|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWMzNBNy0KQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/SWMzNBNy0KQ |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{cbignore}} and in Amsterdam at IDFA.{{cite web|url=http://dochouse.org/online/news/our-idfa-highlights|title=Our IDFA highlights {{!}} DocHouse|website=dochouse.org|access-date=18 December 2017}}

Social events are themed around the programme; for example, in 2017 this included: the I Will Always Love Docs Party, celebrating the premiere of Whitney: Can I Be Me;{{cite news|url=https://dogwoof.com/blogs/2017/best-of-doc-fest|title=Our Best of DOCFEST 2017|work=Dogwoof – Documentary distribution|access-date=18 December 2017}} a Great Get Together lunchtime picnic celebrating the life and legacy of Jo Cox MP, before the premiere of Closing Night Film Jo Cox: Death of an MP;{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/video-preview-sir-lenny-henry-louis-theroux-and-ian-hislop-to-speak-at-sheffield-doc-fest-1-8525951|title=VIDEO PREVIEW: Sir Lenny Henry, Louis Theroux and Ian Hislop to speak at Sheffield DocFest|work=The Star|access-date=18 December 2017}} and in 2016, the Vogue – Strike a Pose Party, celebrating the premieres of Strike a Pose and Kiki.{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/what-s-on/top-10-things-you-must-see-at-sheffield-doc-fest-1-7953986|title=Top 10 things you must see at Sheffield DocFest|work=The Yorkshire Post|access-date=18 December 2017}}

Each year also sees the Awards Ceremony usually hosted at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, honouring the best documentaries of the Festival.

Each Festival sees dozens of networking drinks hosted by partners, sponsors and supporters, such as Image Nation Abu Dhabi, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Shooting People, and many more.{{cite web|url=https://sheffdocfest.com/social_events|title=Sheffield DocFest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival|website=sheffdocfest.com|access-date=18 December 2017}}

DocFest activities outside of the five-day festival include:

• Films, for example DocFest presents which takes a selection of the Festival's film programme around the UK, and screenings at Latitude Festival.'Theatre, cabaret and 3D show', Eastern Daily Press, 18 July 2013
• Alternate Realities Tours across the UK to various venues and Latitude Festival and internationally. In 2017, DocFest toured Latin America with the 'Realidades Alternativas' exhibition.{{cite web|url=https://argentina.britishcouncil.org/programas/artes/realidades-alternativas|title=Realidades Alternativas {{!}} British Council|website=argentina.britishcouncil.org|language=es|access-date=18 December 2017}}
• Talks & Sessions across various film festivals, featuring members of the DocFest staff.{{cite web|url=http://www.docmontevideo.com/tvs_participantes/sheffield-docfest/|title=Sheffield DocFest|website=DocMontevideo.com|access-date=18 December 2017}}
• Marketplace & Talent, including ongoing mentoring programme for filmmakers.
• Networking events for filmmakers.
• A structured internship and volunteer programme for young people.

• Annabel Grundy, appointed Managing Director in 2022 under a new joint-leadership model{{cite web |title=Announcing our new Managing Director: Annabel Grundy {{!}} Sheffield DocFest |url=https://www.sheffdocfest.com/news/announcing-our-new-managing-director-annabel-grundy |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=www.sheffdocfest.com }} working alongside Creative Director, Raul Niño Zambrano.
• Melanie Iredale, Deputy Director 2014–2018 and later appointed Interim Director in 2019{{cite web |title=Wishing goodbye – and congratulations! – to Deputy Director Melanie Iredale {{!}} Sheffield DocFest |url=https://www.sheffdocfest.com/news/wishing-goodbye-and-congratulations-deputy-director-melanie-iredale |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=www.sheffdocfest.com }}
• Liz McIntyre, 2015–2018
• Heather Croall, 2006–2014
• Brent Woods, 2002–2005Tim Dams, [http://www.screendaily.com/woods-steps-down-as-sheffield-documentary-fest-director/4024644.article Woods steps down as Sheffield Documentary fest director], screendaily.com, 6 October 2005
• Kathy Loizou, 1996–2001[http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/festival-head-quits/1135592.article Festival Director Quits], Broadcast, 25 January 2002
• Paula Shirley, 1995
• Midge MacKenzie, 1994

• Alex Cooke (Chair), 2019–present{{cite web |date=28 September 2020 |title=Sheffield Doc/Fest: Sheffield International Documentary Festival |url=https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/842-alex-cooke-returns-to-sheffield-doc-fest-as-chair-of-the-board-of-trustees?tag=news |access-date=15 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928191356/https://sheffdocfest.com/articles/842-alex-cooke-returns-to-sheffield-doc-fest-as-chair-of-the-board-of-trustees?tag=news |archive-date=28 September 2020 }}
• Brian Woods (Deputy Chair) 2016–present
• Alex Graham, 2011–2019
• Steve Hewlett, 2005–2011{{cite web|first=Adam |last=Benzine|url=http://realscreen.com/2011/06/20/wall-to-walls-graham-to-chair-sheffield-docfest/ |title=Wall To Wall's Graham to chair Sheffield DocFest|website= realscreen.com|date= 20 June 2011}}
• Christo Hird, 2000–2004{{cite news|first=Havana |last=Marking|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2006/nov/02/northernexposurewhysheffiel |title=Northern exposure: Why Sheffield DocFest matters|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 2 November 2006}}
• Roger James, 1997–2000{{cite web|first=Andy |last=Fry|url=http://realscreen.com/1999/12/01/27505-19991201/ |title=Sheffield hits its stride|website= realscreen.com|date= 1 December 1999}}
• Marian Bowan, 1996
• Peter Symes, 1994–1995

• Stephen Bowen
• Jo Clinton-Davis
• Gali Gold
• Daniel Gorden
• Fozia Khan
• Jennifer Kimber
• Derren Lawford
• Lucy McDowell
• Sacha Mirzoeff
• Zoe Mumba
• Beejal-Mayer Patel
• Helen Scott

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheffield Doc Fest}}

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