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Sheffield DocFest: 2006 Programme Highlights Announced

The Sheffield DocFest, the 7-day event bringing together everyone from first time filmmakers to established producers and directors to discuss the art of documentary, kicks off in just four months. The festival has announced details of its programme for this year, showcasing some of the greatest international talent working in the documentary genre today.

The creator of some of the most talked about UK documentaries, Paul Watson will accompany the World Premiere of his latest film, Making a Documentary, MAD (working title), to Sheffield. The documentary presents a savage portrait of Dickensian poverty and alcoholic abuse in Blarite time. The acclaimed filmmaker will also present a masterclass this year, which will be sure to be one of the most controversial sessions in the festival.

UK Premieres include Joe Angio’s How To Eat Your Watermelon In White Company (And Enjoy It), which follows the life of the talented, inspirational, renegade, womanizer Melvin van Peebles and Wide Awake, Alan Berliner’s (Nobody’s Business, The Sweetest Sound) uniquely personal tour through his life-long obsession with insomnia. Anna Bucchetti’s Dreaming by Numbers takes the audience to a century-old lottery office in Naples, where everyone drops by to place a bet. It gives an insight into the superstitious belief in the power of numbers and in Blockade, Sergei Loznitsa (Landscape) newly assembles Russian archive footage about the siege of Leningrad during World War II, transcending the historic events to deliver a breathtaking reanimation of reality.

This year's film programme will also include a special strand curated by legendary filmmakers Nick Broomfield and Kim Longinotto.

The 2006 industry sessions programme is stronger than ever. For the second year, the festival will host the The Sharp End – aimed at programme makers hungry for commissioning, co-production and distribution information. A record number of EP’s and buyers will be participating, including Angus MacQueen, Debra Zimmerman and Barbara Truyen, Christoph Jorg, Nobue Isobe and many more.

A new marketplace initiative at Sheffield this year will be the MeetMarket, an opportunity to have scheduled one on one pitch meetings with the many buyers attending the festival, coordinated by the DFG.

This year’s Channel 4 Interview is with Stephen Lambert, Chief Creative Officer of RDF Media. As the creator of hit shows like Wife Swap and Faking It the festival will look back at Lambert’s contribution to British factual television, during his distinguished career that spans over 16 years.

Few broadcasters can claim to have given the world two-flagship strands that continually reach the summit of innovation and original documentary form. This year, Sheffield celebrates BBC documentary slots Arena and Storyville, in the A Doc Is For Life – Not Just For Television masterclass featuring Nick Fraser (Storyville) and Anthony Wall (Arena).

DocFest 2006 is also hosting two special events for newcomers breaking into the film industry. Student’s DocDay Afternoon (DDA) is aimed at A Level and higher education students. Presented in association with RESfest and FourDocs, DDA gives students unprecedented access to some of the best names in the industry. Newcomers Day also offers a fantastic opportunity for the next generation of documentary makers to meet and get hands-on advice from industry experts. A 9-month paid Researcher placement in BBC Documentaries, courtesy of BBC New Talent, is up for grabs.

The 2006 Sheffield Doc/Fest, will run from Monday October 30 until Sunday 5th November. For more information, see here.

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