Tag Archives: Film

Love is in the air at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017

This year’s Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival features a collection of documentary love stories, including US production For Ahkeem. Directed by Jeremy Levine and Landon Van Soest, the film tells the coming-of-age story of 17-year old Daje who is determined to turn her life around after a rough upbringing in St Louis. The film explores themes of teenage proverty, education and hope. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke with the directors at a question and answer session at the Light Cinema.

Doc/Fest 2017 gears up for June launch

Doc/Fest, Sheffield’s international documentary film festival, is set to deliver another spectacular programme of events for indie and documentary film fanatics. With over 170 films on show, the festival will include immersive and interactive documentaries using virtual reality and other technologies to tell factual stories. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Dan Tucker, curator of alternative realities, and Luke Moody, director of film for Doc/Fest. The festival takes place 9-14 June at venues across the city.

Theatre Delicatessen invites public to talk about sex

The ‘Let’s Talk about Sex’ festival features musical, film screenings, discussions and cabaret, with the public invited to join the conversation. Theatre Delicatessen promises a fun and safe environment in which embarrassment can be put to one side and everyone will be talking about sex. Highlights include ‘Buzz the Musical’, a history of the vibrator, and a new version of The Vagina Monologues, presented by Shefest. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!

Veteran Bafta winning actor Sir John Hurt has died

Tributes have poured in for the Chesterfield born actor, known for his roles in Alien and The Elephant Man, who has died at the age of seventy-seven. Hurt, who had been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer since 2015, was describe by US director Mel Brooks as “cinematic immortality”. He recently starred as Father Richard McSorley in Jackie, the biopic of the wife of President John F Kennedy’s. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke to Martin Carter, lecturer in stage and screen at Sheffield Hallam University and presenter of the Film Show on Sheffield Live! about the loss to the film community.

Award for community cinema that puts audience in the picture

Handmade Cinema was awarded Most Innovative Organisation at the Voluntary Action Sheffield Make a Difference Awards for transforming the way young people watch films. The community cinema, founded in 2012, engages with it’s audience by creating a real life feel around the chosen film, allowing children and parents to take part in craft, film-making and other activities based on the film’s theme and ideas. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Ellie Ragdale, creative director at Handmade Cinema.

Film festival marks Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transforming Cinema film festival is being held at venues across Sheffield this weekend to coincide with Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, 20 November. The film festival, produced by E.D.E.N Film Productions, brings together speaker events and films on trans issues and productions from the LGBTQ community. Transgender Day of Remembrance, is an annual memorial to those murdered as a result of trans-phobia, and highlights the violence faced by the transgender community. In Sheffield there will be a vigil at 6pm in Hallam Square. Shamaan Freeman-Powell spoke to festival organiser Claire Watkinson of E.D.E.N. Film production and film producer Taylor Le Fin.

A Total Thug up Yorkshire Feature film

A total thug up. The name of a film about to hit online store’s. A deal struck with the online giant Amazon. The feature film by Terry Turner and Steve Call was created in the wonderful locations of Yorkshire. Sheffield Live caught up with the Yorkshire man, Mr Turner.

Sheffield Director showcases new documentary

Yorkshire filmmaker has made a documentary that highlights what families go through after having a still born baby. Debbie Howard has been working on ‘Still Loved’ for about three years. The film follows seven families who each tell their stories. Debbie met most of the families whilst producing her previous short film, ‘Peekaboo.’ She decided to make the feature length documentary to reach a wider audience.

Street Film Festival raises awareness of addictions

The ‘Recover Street Film Festival’ has been to a number of cities, showcasing short films showing how people have recovered from addictions. The festival aims to raise awareness of drug and alcohol related problems. But instead of showcasing the films in a cinema, they were screened on Fargate. Shoppers were invited to grab a pair of headphones and watch the videos.

Adventure film fest back and supporting Sheffield Hospitals Charity

Tickets for the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival go on sale from this week from the Showroom Cinema – and the 9th ShAFF is set to be the biggest yet.

More than 100 films will be screened at this year’s ShAFF, taking place from 4 – 6 April 2014, thanks to additional venue space at Sheffield Hallam University’s Pennine Lecture Theatre and more screenings at Red Bull’s outdoor Cityscape Cinema at the amphitheatre.

Sheffield Adventure Film Festival launched the ShAFF 2014 trailer on BMC TV this week ahead of its cinematic screening at the Best of ShAFF 2013 at the Showroom Cinema on Thursday 13 February and YouTube release on Tuesday 18th February.

There were over 200,000 views of the 2012 and 2013 ShAFF trailers; this year’s was been produced by Peak District adventure and outdoor photographer and filmmaker Lukasz Warzecha and his Polished Project colleague Wojtek Kozakiewicz.  The soundtrack is ‘Life in Glorious Stereo’ by Sheffield band Screaming Maldini.

You can watch the trailer here:

The expanded programme includes more family-friendly Young Adventurer sessions and a dozen feature-length films as well as ShAFF’s popular Adrenaline, Spirit of Adventure and specialist sports film sessions.

It also includes more cycling films as part of ShAFF’s ‘Tour de Cinema’ partnership with DocFest as part of the Yorkshire Festival in the run up to the Tour De France.

A suggested donation of £1 from every ticket sold will go towards supporting Sheffield Hospitals Charity raising the £5,000 that is needed to provide a satellite blood fridge in the resuscitation room of the Emergency Department at the Northern General Hospital’s Major Trauma Centre.

Festival Director Matt Heason said:  “Lukasz and Wojtek have done a cracking job taking over the reins of producing the ShAFF trailer from Alastair Lee and it’s fitting that it opens with Leo Houlding in Al’s new film ‘The Last Great Climb’.

“We’re particularly proud to be supporting Sheffield Hospitals Charity, especially as ‘Risk and Reward’ is a theme that reoccurs in so many of this year’s films.  We’re also grateful to Screaming Maldini for letting us use another of their tracks.  Their energetic, soaring orchestral sound is a perfect backdrop for the incredible footage that we’re privileged to screen.”

Nick Cox from Screaming Maldini said:  “We’re delighted and honoured to be involved with this amazing film festival for the second year running.  Seeing our music set to such incredible feats of human endurance, strength and death-defying bravery makes us feel immensely proud while at the same time immensely physically inadequate!”

Sheffield Hospitals Charity Director, David Reynolds said: “ShAFF is a hugely successful event so I’m delighted that the festival is supporting Sheffield Hospitals Charity this year and the delivery of emergency care. I’d like to urge everyone attending the event to please support our fundraising efforts to supply a satellite blood fridge.  Having immediate access to this facility is vitally important for severely injured patients, who are losing blood. No time will be lost collecting blood from elsewhere within the hospital which means you can be sure that every penny donated will have a direct impact on the care of patients at a time when they need it the most.”

What next?

  • we’re featuring ShAFF on this Friday’s Business Live show – 9am on Friday 14 February – tune in then!
  • visit the ShAFF website
  • watch the trailer above
  • Anyone who wishes to support the fundraising to provide a blood fridge can visit sheffieldhospitalscharity.org.uk or or donate via Paypal
  • There are two more Best of ShAFF 2013 screenings – at 8.15pm on Thursday 13th Feb and Thursday 13th March – details here