Billy Idol, female war field medics on the frontlines in Ukraine, a marriage agency matching North Korean women and South Korean men, a whistleblower in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the aftermath of Brexit, and Indian sex workers who begin making short films – those are just some of the topics to be featured in documntaries screening during the 32nd edition of Sheffield DocFest next month.

Overall, the festival in the north of England will screen 116 films, 82 features and 34 shorts. It will feature 51 world premieres, 16 international premieres, eight European premieres, and 39 U.K. premieres from 68 countries of production.

Among big names, Billy Porter will attend as executive producer of I Was Born This Way, Sam Pollard and Daniel Junge’s celebration of the life of Carl Bean, from a tough childhood through to his musical success and queer rights advocacy.  

It will feature in the Sheffield fest’s Rhythms section, along with the likes of Jonas Åkerlund’s Billy Idol Should Be Dead, in which the rock icon, his family, friends, and collaborators reflect on “his tumultuous career, personal life and lasting impact on global popular culture.”

Of course, political themes and conflicts will also be in focus, for example in the festival’s People & Community strand where Amber Fares’ Coexistence, My Ass! will screen. “Comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi turns satire into resistance, employing humor to expose hard truths about the relationship between Israel and Palestine – where coexistence feels like a bad joke,” reads a synopsis of the film.

And the Rebellions section will include David Borenstein’s Mr. Nobody Against Putin. “A primary school teacher in Russia becomes an unlikely whistleblower as he goes undercover to document propaganda and militarization inside Russia’s school system,” according to its description.

“At Sheffield DocFest, we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire change and create an alternate future,” said Mimi Poskitt, Sheffield DocFest’s managing director. “And this is what DocFest 2025’s program is all about: coming together to learn and be inspired to take action. In planning this year’s edition, we reflected deeply on where we can make a real difference — how, in an environment where filmmakers are facing ever greater challenges, our festival can be a place where documentaries thrive.”

Added Raul Niño Zambrano, Sheffield DocFest’s creative director: “This year, we’ve brought together some of the most powerful shorts, documentary features, series, podcasts, talks, and immersive works from across the globe to transform the city of Sheffield into a truly unique space where perspectives meet, just as our tagline proudly proclaims. Our 2025 program delves into urgent, creative, and cutting-edge stories — from activism and climate justice, to queer perspectives and powerful journeys through archival treasures.”

The 32nd edition of the Sheffield DocFest takes place June 18-23.

Check out the lineup for its international competition and its international first feature competition below.

International Competition
Cuba & Alaska – Yegor Troyanovsky – Ukraine, France, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
Two female medics in Ukraine’s army, whose lives are captured via phone and body-cam footage, navigate the chaos of war with bravery, humour and friendship.

Factory (Gong Chang) – Hao Zhou – Macau, 2025 (World Premiere)
Acclaimed director Hao Zhou journeys into one of China’s vast factories around the time of the pandemic to detail the impact of global supply chains and coercive business practices on workers’ lives.

The Gas Station Attendant – Karla Murthy – USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
A daughter reflects on her South Asian father’s life, his never-ending pursuit of the American dream, and the human capacity to love and survive.

North South Man Woman – Morten Traavik, Sun Kim – Norway, Latvia, South Korea, 2025 (World Premiere)
North Korean women meet South Korean men in a fascinating and often surprising look at love, business and geopolitics.

Shards of Light – Mila Teshaieva, Marcus Lenz – Germany, Ukraine, 2025 (World Premiere)
War has ravaged the Ukrainian city of Bucha, whose residents have endured unimaginable hostility and suffering. If hope remains a faint glimmer, the will to survive still shines through in this powerful and unflinching film.

Still Pushing Pineapples – Kim Hopkins – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A melancholic yet heartfelt story of the former singer of pop band Black Lace and his journey on the road with his aging mother and his partner, as he aims for a comeback.

Welded Together – Anastasya Mirashnichenko, Anastasiya Zinovieva – France, Netherlands, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
A young welder confronts her fractured past to protect her sister, forging a future from sacrifice, resilience and the spark of second chances.

Yanuni – Richard Ladkani – Austria, Brazil, USA, Canada, Germany, 2025 (International Premiere)
In this love story and urgent call to action, an Indigenous couple risk everything to defend the Amazon and their unborn child’s future.

International First Feature Competition (supported by Netflix)
Blue Has No Borders – Jessi Gutch – United Kingdom, 2025 (World Premiere)
A young filmmaker is determined to know her neighbours in the port town of Folkestone. But in the aftermath of Brexit, building new relationships isn’t easy.

The Broken R (Rotacismo) – Ricardo Ruales Eguiguren – Ecuador, Italy, 2025 (World Premiere)
This intimate journey about self-acceptance follows Ricardo, a 24-year-old man born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, who has struggled to pronounce the letter R since birth.

Carmela and the Walkers (Carmela y los Caminantes) – Luis Herrera, Esteban Coloma – Ecuador, 2025 (World Premiere)
As the world appears increasingly intolerant of “outsiders,” an Ecuadorian woman welcoming Venezuelan migrants into her home is a moving reminder of our capacity for warmth and humanity.

Comparsa – Vickie Curtis, Doug Anderson – Guatemala, USA, 2025 (World Premiere)
In a Guatemalan town, two fiery sisters channel their grief and anger into a local street performance to protest against gender-based violence in the country.

December (Grudzień) – Grzegorz Paprzycki – Poland, Lithuania, Qatar, 2025 (World Premiere)
Amid December’s festive glow, refugees remain hidden in forests along the Poland-Belarus border. This powerful documentary gives voice to their silent cries.

A Little Gray Wolf Will Come (Dolazi mali sivi vuk) – Zhanna Agalakova – Croatia, Netherlands, France, 2025 (World Premiere)
On the eve of the war in Ukraine, a Russian journalist from pro-Kremlin TV channel brings her rebellious and Westernized teenage daughter on a journey through Putin’s Russia.

​​Lullaby For The Mountains (Օրոր Լեռների Համար) – Hayk Matevosyan – Armenia, USA, 2025 ​(World Premiere)
In this hypnotic odyssey, the ancient monasteries of Armenia’s highlands bear traces of epochs past. Landscapes give way to soundscapes, and the shadowy depths within.

Redlight to Limelight – Bipuljit Basu – India, Finland, Latvia, 2025 (World Premiere)
A high-spirited group of Indian sex workers and their families begin making short films to transform their own lives and inspire others.

International Short Film Competition
Alboroque – Sabrina Fernández Casas – Switzerland, Spain, 2025 (World Premiere)
To protect their villages and restore biodiversity to the landscape of Galicia, a unique collective unites to fight invasive plants and municipal neglect.

Animal Eye – Carlo Nasisse – USA, Costa Rica, 2024 (International Premiere)
Scientists and philosophers confront the limits of their own vision through the eyes of animals.

A Colour I Named Blue (​色をこえて青を見る) – Sybilla Patrizia – Japan, 2025​ (European Premiere)
Two Japanese indigo dyers embark on an inner journey: one finding his own shade of blue, the other discovering new meaning through his color blindness.

The Dam (La Presa) – Manuel Ojeda, Cuba, 2025 (World Premiere)
A mysterious fish, rumoured to be three metres long, swims behind a dam. Tingo is obsessed with catching this shadowy creature and proving everyone wrong.

Faith (La Fede) – Antonio Napoli – Italy, 2025 (World Premiere)
According to an ancient Neapolitan proverb, ‘More things happen in a day than in an entire century’. For the city of Naples, that day is today.

From The Mountain We See The Mountain (Desde La Montaña Vemos La Montaña) – Julián García Long – Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
In the mist of the Patagonian Andes, an indigenous forest is recovering from a fire, with animals and humans emerging from a landscape scarred by colonisation.

In A Whisper (Dans un Souffle) – Catarina Gonçalves – Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
A breath caught on ice … This film traces the commitment and quiet resilience behind the graceful façade, as figure skater Nina Pinzarrone prepares to perform.

My Name Is Oil – Igor Smola – Azerbaijan, Singapore, 2025 (World Premiere)
On a platform in the middle of the sea, the industrial machinery of an oil rig attempts to send out a warning of an impending catastrophe.

Oscurana – Violeta Mora – Honduras, Hungary, Portugal, Belgium, 2025 (World Premiere)
When darkness falls, the walking begins in this vital, visceral evocation of the experience of migrants undertaking a hazardous journey on foot across the US border.