{"id":941196,"date":"2026-05-06T09:06:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T09:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/941196\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T09:06:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T09:06:16","slug":"sheffield-docfest-industry-program-bbc-storyville-boss-huw-edwards-doc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/941196\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheffield DocFest Industry Program: BBC Storyville Boss, Huw Edwards Doc"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe Sheffield DocFest<\/a>\u00a0has revealed its 2026 industry program, completing the lineup for its 33rd edition, which is taking place June\u00a010-15, with a promise to \u201ccombine urgent global issues and conversations with the practical realities of working in documentary today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tEvents will cover topics ranging from conflict reporting, citizen journalism, inclusivity, accessibility and environmental sustainability to the evolving role of AI<\/a> and political suppression. <\/p>\n

\n\tAmong a broad lineup of speakers, Nevine Mabro, the BBC\u2019s new head of doc strand Storyville<\/a>, and Fiona Campbell, the BBC\u2019s director of factual, will discuss their commissioning strategy, while Academy Award-nominated directors Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory) and Sara Dosa (Time and Water) will give masterclasses. \u201cA behind-the-scenes look at Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards<\/a>,\u201d a docudrama for U.K. broadcaster 5, is also planned.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis year\u2019s industry lineup for documentary makers consists of 41 sessions, including ones focused on craft on live pitches, as well as the return of the popular Marketplace and Talent Meetings.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe are creating a unique space where the artistry on screen directly informs the vital industry dialogues of today,\u201d said Raul Nino Zambrano, creative director of Sheffield DocFest<\/a>. \u201cFrom deep-dive sessions on activism and emerging technologies to our dedicated Production Hub, we are ensuring that our industry delegates are not just observers, but active participants in the shifting landscape of global documentary
storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Mimi Poskitt, managing director at the fest: \u201cSheffield DocFest has always been a center for dazzling creativity, but we are also immensely proud of the role the festival plays in facilitating the business of the industry, whether that\u2019s procuring funding, making deals, or finding the right co-production partners. From our Meetmarket and the vital discussions generated by our highly-targeted expert industry and craft sessions, to welcoming key delegations from across the world, as well as new initiatives bringing the broader factual community together, such as our inaugural Production Hub, we continue to build on this role.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTake a look at select sessions set for the Sheffield DocFest industry program 2026 below.<\/p>\n

\n\tHuman Rights Film Festivals: From Grassroots to Global (and Back Again)
\u201cHuman rights film festivals are facing growing political pressure and shrinking support. This session
explores how grassroots and established models can learn from each other.\u201d
Speakers: Brenda Dankar (Co-Founder, Freedom Film Network \u2013 Malaysia) Anna Har (Co-Founder,
Freedom Film Network \u2013 Malaysia) Julie Nederkoorn (Movies That Matter \u2013 The Hague, Netherlands)
Fourth speaker to be announced
Moderator: Heather Haynes (Documentary Consultant & Programme Consultant for Sheffield DocFest)<\/p>\n

Silenced: How Power Adapts to Suppress Women
\u201cAs women speak out, power pushes back. Three urgent documentaries explore the legal, cultural and
systemic forces working to silence women across the world.\u201d
Speakers: Jen Robinson (Human Rights Lawyer, Subject of Silenced) B\u00e0rbara Mestanza (Director, Filthy)
Gabriela D\u00edaz Arp (Director, Matinino) Sophie Argent (Solicitor & Co-Founder of Creators Counsel)<\/p>\n

\n\tGoalhanger Greenroom Session: How Ideas Become Podcasts
\u201cA behind-the-scenes look at how podcast ideas are developed and commissioned \u2013 from the team behind Goalhanger\u2019s shows.\u201d
Speakers: Nicole Logan (Executive Producer, Goalhanger) India Dunkley (Producer, Goalhanger)<\/p>\n

\n\tBeyond the Algorithm: The Rise of YouTube Documentary
\u201cAs audiences shift away from legacy media, YouTube is becoming a powerful, and deeply contested, space for documentary storytelling. But what happens to truth when we rely on platforms built for engagement?\u201d
Speakers: Ben Zand (Investigative Filmmaker, Journalist and Founder of Zandland) Andrii Kotliar (Producer, Time Machine Maidan \u2013 Babylon\u201913) Additional speakers to be announced.
Moderator: Marianna Spring (BBC Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent)<\/p>\n

\n\tFrom Headline to Screen: When Real Stories Become Drama
\u201cA behind-the-scenes look at Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, and the ethical, creative and legal tightrope shaping sensitive, high-stakes storytelling.\u201d
Speakers: Guy Davies (Commissioning Editor, Factual, 5) Paul Testar (Commissioning Editor, Drama, 5) Mark Burt (Writer) Louise Kentleton (Factual Producer).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Sheffield DocFest\u00a0has revealed its 2026 industry program, completing the lineup for its 33rd edition, which is taking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":941197,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8817],"tags":[748,393,4884,522,1620,31670,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-941196","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sheffield","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-international","12":"tag-sheffield","13":"tag-sheffield-docfest","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116526841141191358","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/941197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=941196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=941196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}