Sheffield DocFest 2011

Exceptional documentaries from around the world.

View other Sheffield DocFest Films by strand: Arts Docs, Bent Doc, Cross Platform Docs, Doc/EU, Doc/UK, Music Docs, Protest Docs, Short Docs, Why Poverty?

Salesman Salesman
Salesman and The Interrupters
The Art Of Remembrance (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Raul Paz Pastrana)
A documentary looking at the creation of sculptures in honour of lost loved ones for Mexico's Day of The Dead.
Bob And The Monster (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Keirda Bahruth; Stars: Bob Forrest, Steven Adler, Courtney Love, Flea, Iris Berry)
Musician Bob Forrest talks about his days with Thelonius Monster and his struggle with heroin addiction.
Bombay Beach (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Alma Har'el)
Experimental documentary about residents who live on the shores of the Salton Sea.
Beats, Rhymes And Life (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Michael Rapaport; Stars: Michael Rapaport, Mos Def, Ludacris, Common, Q-Tip, Pharrell Williams, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Ghostface Killah, Angie Martinez, Ahmir-Khalib Thompson, Phife Dawg, De La Soul, Pete Rock, Jarobi White)
The story of the rise and influence of one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time, the collective known as A Tribe Called Quest.
Becoming Chaz (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato; Stars: Chaz Bono, Cher)
Born with a female anatomy, the child of musicians Sonny and Cher, Chaz Bono is now transitioning to live as a man, and he discusses his experiences in this very personal documentary.
Mrs Carey's Concert Mrs Carey's Concert
Mrs Carey's Concert and Becoming Chaz
Cave Of Forgotten Dreams (Caves of Forgotten Dreams) (Year: 2010; Director: Werner Herzog; Writer: Werner Herzog; Stars: Charles Fathy, Werner Herzog)
An exploration of the Chauvet caves in Southern France where the oldest known human paintings can be found.
The Chair (Country: US; Year: 1962; Director: Robert Drew)
A fly on the wall look at a lawyer desperately trying to save his client's life with only a few hours to go before the time set for execution.
Cinema Palestine (Country: Canada; Year: 2011; Director: Tim Schwab)
A documentary exploring the work of generations of Palestinian artists and filmmakers, especially those involved with political protest.
Client 9 (Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer) (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Alex Gibney; Writer: Alex Gibney; Stars: Eliot Spitzer, Kim Allen, Wrenn Schmidt, Michael Schwendeman, Laura Somma), Official Site
A profile of the man who, potentially, could have been president, and the scandal that bought about his downfall.
Ecumenopolis: City Without Limits (Country: Turkey, Germany; Year: 2011; Director: Imre Azem)
Istanbul is developing at a startling rate, with little regard for hygiene or safety. 70% of its buildings are considered unsafe, and it's situated on top of a fault line.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and Client 9
Encounters At The End Of The World (Country: US; Year: 2007; Director: Werner Herzog; Stars: Werner Herzog), Official Site, Trailer
The infamous director Werner Herzog visits the Antarctic, determined not to make a movie about penguins.
Give Up Tomorrow (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Michael Collins), Official Site
Echoes of Errol Morris in the case of Paco Larrañaga
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Morgan Spurlock)
A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement is financed and made possible by branding, advertising and product placement.
Grey Gardens (Country: US; Year: 1976; Director: Albert Maysles, David Maysles , Muffie Meyer, Ellen Hovde)
A portrait of two ageing, reclusive New York socialites, members of the Kennedy clan.
Guerrillera (Country: UK; Year: 2010; Director: Elle Sillanpaa)
A cleaner talks about her past working with Colombian guerrillas, educating peasants about human rights.
Cave Of Forgotten Dreams Cave Of Forgotten Dreams
Cave Of Forgotten Dreams and Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
Gun Fight (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Barbara Kopple)
An exploration of the politics of gun control in the US.
Hit So Hard: The Life And Near Death Story Of Patty Schemel (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: P. David Ebersole; Stars: Patty Schemel, Courtney Love)
A portrait of the Hole drummer featuring extensive video diary material and exploring her addiction to heroin.
The Hollywood Complex (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Dan Sturman, Dylan Nelson)
A visit to a special apartment complex and training centre for would-be child stars.
If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Marshall Curry; Writer: Marshall Curry)
The Earth Liberation Front is a radical environmental group that the FBI calls America's 'number one domestic terrorist threat'. Daniel McGowan, an ELF member, faces life in prison for two multi-million dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies. But who is really to blame?
Inside Job (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Charles Ferguson; Writer: Chad Beck, Adam Bolt; Stars: Matt Damon), Official Site
Documentary examining the US economic meltdown, which suggests it was no accident.
Bob And The Monster Bob And The Monster
Bob And The Monster and Gun Fight
The Interrupters (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Steve James; Writer: Alex Kotlowitz), Official Site
A story of ex-gang members who are now protecting their communities from the violence they themselves once employed.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (Country: US; Year: 2011; Director: Jon M Chu; Stars: Justin Bieber)
A documentary following the young star in the run-up to a Madison Square Garden concert.
Life In Movement (Country: Australia; Year: 2011; Director: Bryan Mason, Sophie Hyde; Stars: Tanja Liedtke), Official Site
A look back at the career of a talented dancer and choreographer tragically killed at the age of just 29.
Louisiana Story (Country: US; Year: 1948; Director: Robert J. Flaherty)
A study of Robert J Flaherty and Richard Leacock's remarkable filmmaking technique.
Mrs Carey's Concert (Country: Australia; Year: 2010; Director: Bob Connolly, Sophie Raymond; Stars: Karen Carey), Official Site
The determined Mrs Carey prepares her pupils to deliver the concert of a lifetime at the Sydney Opera House.
Inside Job Inside Job
Inside Job and Life In Movement
Muhammed & Larry (Muhammed And Larry) (Country: US; Year: 1980; Director: Albert Maysles, Bradley Kaplan; Stars: Muhammed Ali)
A documentary exploring the relationship between two famous boxes, with its elements of mentoring and rivalry.
Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times (Country: US; Year: 2011; Writer: Kate Novack, Andrew Rossi)
Unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.
Peace (Country: Japan, United States, South Korea; Year: 2010; Director: Kazuhiro Soda)
The personal story of an ageing Japanese couple dedicated to helping others and of one of their clients, a former soldier with lung cancer who still smokes Peace cigarettes.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Country: United States; Year: 2011; Director: Morgan Spurlock; Stars: Morgan Spurlock)
The filmmaker sets out to finance a documentary about product placement in the movies by making his own product placement deals with major companies.
Reagan (Country: US, UK; Year: 2011; Director: Eugene Jarecki)
The enigmatic career of one of the revered architects of the modern world – icon, screen star, and two-term president Ronald Reagan.
Encounters At The End Of The World Encounters At The End Of The World
Encounters At The End Of The World and The Hollywood Complex
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery Of The Toynbee Tiles (Country: US; Year: 2010; Director: Jon Foy)
An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the US and South America.
Running Fence (Country: US; Year: 1978; Director: Albert Maysles, David Maysles)
Two artists endeavour to build a miles-long fence of white fabric across northern Canada.
Salesman (Country: US; Year: 1969; Director: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin)
Following four door-to-door salesmen around the States in the late Sixties.
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (Country: Australia; Year: 2011; Director: Matthew Bate; Writer: Matthew Bate; Stars: Mike Mitchell, Daniel Clowes, Henry S. Rosenthal, Mitchell Deprey, Eddie Guerriero, Ivan Brunetti, Peter Haskett, Raymond Huffman), Official Site
Two men record their loudmouthed neighbours, share their foul ramblings, and accidentally make them into underground stars.
Siddehshwari Devi (Country: India; Year: 1990; Director: Mani Kaul)
A portrait of the famous singer, exploring her childhood influences and her dedication to Krishna.
Bombay Beach Bombay Beach
Bombay Beach and Beats, Rhymes And Life
Wiebo's War (Country: Canada; Year: 2010; Director: David York; Stars: Wiebo Ludwig)
A look at devout Christian Wiebo Ludwig's battle against gas and oil companies, his retreat from society and the mysterious death that occurred on his land.
News

59th New York Film Festival early bird highlights Futura, Jane By Charlotte, James Baldwin: From Another Place and The Velvet Underground

More news and features

Playing Now

Eye For Film continues to support festivals both locally and across the world. At the moment, we're covering:

Abertoir

DOC NYC
New York's celebration of factual film

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
One of the largest film gatherings in northern Europe

French Film Festival
The UK's longest running celebration of Francophone cinema

London Korean Film Festival

In the Archive


Archive of festival coverage.

Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2018.

Coverage of the lynchpin German festival.