Doc’n Roll Festival returns this October

The music documentary festival returns for its 9th year with a dazzling programme of feature films and shorts, all focused on the wonderful world of music.

The music documentary festival returns for its ninth year with a dazzling programme of feature films and shorts, all focused on the wonderful world of music.

Doc’n Roll will open its ninth year with a screening of A Film About Studio Electrophonique. James Taylor’s documentary examines Sheffield’s music scene and how it was the birthplace of bands like The Human League, ABC, Heaven 17, Def Leppard, Clock DVA and Pulp. Doc’n Roll’s founders say they’re aiming to “to help us navigate a world full of constant upheaval and adaptation” with this year’s programme. The programme consists of 23 feature films and 9 shorts. There’s also three world premieres to get stuck into; Lee Fields: A Faithful Man, Energy: A Documentary about Damo Suzuki and Trip: A Journey Into the World of Psychedelic Sight and Sound.

Fuck It Up will play at this year’s Doc’n Roll festival

Six documentaries will compete for the Doc’n Roll Jury Award for Music Doc of the Year. The competing films are:

This is National Wake
Lee Fields: A Faithful Man
Get It Back: The Story of Cymande
Rewind and Play: Thelonious Monk
God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines: Detroit Techno
What You Could Not Visualise: Rema-Rema

The festival is also on tour as films will be screened around the UK. Participating cities are: Birkenhead, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. “This year, we are ensuring that our UK touring programme has a 50/50 gender balance, as part of our commitment to helping first and second-time female directors tour their films in the UK. I hope this plays a part in inspiring female filmmakers to see that music,” says co-founder and director of Doc’n Roll, Vanessa Lobon Garcia.

TRIP: A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF PSYCHEDELIC SIGHT & SOUND will receive it’s world premiere

Lobon Garcia also notes that special care has been taken this year to make the programme accessible for hearing impaired visitors as well as blind audience members where possible. “Some of this year’s films will be available to watch with subtitles and audio description, and this year all our shorts will be subtitled, to spread the opportunity to watch a great selection of films as widely as possible.” The full programme of Doc’n Roll can be found here as well as ticketing information. Doc’n Roll runs from October 27 – November 13.