Sheffield DocFest

Sheffield International DocFest was on our calendar again this year, with Dr Erinma Ochu guest curating The Exchange, the public programme at the heart of the festival. Everyday of the festival the Exchange hosts a range of in conversations, panel discussions and special screenings inspired by films and immersive and interactive projects from across the Doc/Fest programme

This year’s curatorial focus was on rethinking how we can live together in a time of planetary uncertainty and opened with a session, linking the planet’s health to our health. Inspired by the convergence of social, environmental and digital movements audiences got to hear from filmmakers, artists, commissioners, scientists, journalists, comedians, academics, community organisers and activists.

Highlights included a special screening of The Age of Stupid and panel sessions focused on why food matters, with contributions filmmaker, Victoria' Solano (Sumercé), artist, Maya Chowdhry, economist Professor Bhavani Shankar and Sheffield Climate Alliance’s Rick Watson. Salford’s Professor Andy Miah and Dr Maria Panagiotidi featured alongside Afrofuturist and designer, Florence Okoye, chaired by Dr Stevienna de Saille to critique ideas around Living with Robots informed by the documentary, Hi, AI by Isa Willinger.

The full programme is available here and was supported by Wellcome.

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