BRISTOL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 2026
4–6 September 2026

A new documentary film festival comes to Bristol this September.

Across three days, Bristol Documentary Film Festival brings together bold, surprising and deeply human documentary cinema from Bristol, the UK and around the world — from feature documentaries to shorts and micro-docs.

The inaugural programme has been selected for films that do more than simply inform: distinctive filmmaking, remarkable characters, unexpected worlds and stories that stay with you long after the credits roll.

Expect screenings, filmmaker Q&As, conversations, awards and the chance to discover exceptional documentary work that you may not otherwise get the opportunity to see on the big screen.

< u>FRIDAY 4 SEPTEMBER — RUNNING ORDER< /u>

11:00 — WHAT WE KEEP — The Station

Lost Harmonies — 13 min — Dir. Sima Gonsai.
Bromeliad — 3 min 45 sec — Dir. Harvey Mountford.
Mother Company — 18 min — Dirs. Alexander Raptotasios & Konstantinos Thomaidis.
Goldmine — 14 min 41 sec — Dir. Adrian Fisk.
The Skyline — Dir. Kirk Jackson.

12:35 — AGAINST TIME — The Station

An Exercise in Perspective — 10 min — Dir. Reuben Armstrong.
Houston’s Whitebeam — 12 min 58 sec — Dirs. Alex Darby & Jake Morris.
We Are All Artists — 12 min 15 sec — Dir. Simon Ratigan.
The Artist at 100 — 20 min 44 sec — Dir. Erica Gianesini.

13:45–15:15 — SOUTH WEST DOCUMENTARY MEET-UP — The Station

A chance for filmmakers, documentary lovers and people working across the South West film community to meet, talk and connect.

18:30–20:15 — THE GROUND BENEATH US — The Cube

Raider — 2 min 34 sec — Dir. Greg Jenkins.
Rush — 4 min 55 sec — Dir. Lizzie Atherton.
Kikuyu Land — feature — Dirs. Andrew H. Brown & Bea Wangondu.

20:40–22:45 — MORE THAN HUMAN + Q&A — The Cube

DART — 5 min 56 sec — Dir. Emma George.
Bloomin’ Octopus! — 4 min 48 sec — Dir. David Palfrey.
In the Path of Giants — feature — Dirs. Fayed Khan & Kirsty Anna Wells.
Followed by filmmaker Q&A.

We want our first year to be a celebration of documentary cinema with a brilliant Bristol audience at its heart.

The full programme is now live and tickets are on sale.

FULL PROGRAMME + TICKETS:
bristoldocfest.com

Instagram: @bristoldocfest