The Creative Nonfiction Film Weekend will make its first appearance at the Genesis Cinema in London from 30 August to 1 September, aiming to broaden the scope of documentary filmmaking in the UK.
The festival has been established in response to the perceived limitations within the UK’s current documentary ecosystem, which largely centres on traditional broadcast formats. The festival’s director has expressed a desire to showcase a more diverse range of documentaries, highlighting films that are character-driven, politically engaged, and that push the boundaries of conventional filmmaking.
The program for the festival includes eight feature films, with four making their UK premieres: Searchers (Pacho Velez, 2021), Cette Maison (Miryam Charles, 2022), I Didn’t See You There (Reid Davenport, 2022), and My First Film (Zia Anger, 2024). Other screenings include i hate myself 🙂 (Joanna Arnow, 2013), I See the Stars at Noon (Saeed Taji Farouky, 2005), Miguel’s War (Eliane Raheb, 2021), and A Still Small Voice (Luke Lorentzen, 2023).
In addition to film screenings, the festival will feature a live cinema performance titled As Mine Exactly by filmmaker Charlie Shackleton. This performance blends virtual reality with traditional film techniques, providing a one-on-one immersive experience where a mother and son revisit a significant medical event from their past.
The festival will also host post-film discussions with filmmakers Pacho Velez, Saeed Taji Farouky, and Kellen Quinn, among others. These discussions are designed to foster dialogue between filmmakers and audiences.
The event will conclude with a charity raffle in the cinema’s courtyard, raising funds for an asylum seeker associated with the festival. The raffle will be accompanied by complimentary drinks and snacks, offering attendees a final opportunity to connect and reflect on the festival’s offerings.
