Student film-makers will be scene at Doc/Fest

The organisers of Sheffield Doc/Fest have hailed a new £30,000 University relationship that will see students gain valuable work experience behind the scenes at one of the world's leading documentary festivals.

Sheffield Hallam University has become a major sponsor of the festival this year and will repeat the role at next year's festival, joining the likes of the US Embassy and Getty Images.

The University will receive free full Festival passes to the event for filmmaking students and staff, with students on the MA International Documentary Production and MA Film and Media Production given access to sessions featuring the world’s leading documentary talent  and the opportunity to meet industry insiders.

Meanwhile, A Time For Invention, a symposium of radical filmmaking curated by University lecturers Esther Johnson, Steve Sprung and Virginia Heath, will further celebrate the link between academia and filmmakers.

Campbell Glennie, business and development director at Sheffield Doc/Fest, said: "Linking with Sheffield Hallam for this year's Doc/Fest will give students an incredible boost to their careers.

"They will be given an unrivalled opportunity to gain valuable behind-the-scenes access, giving them the chance to mix with and learn from the most important people working in documentary today.

"This partnership is especially important to us as it gives students, the next generation of talent, such great access to industry."

Brian Tweedale, head of Sheffield Hallam's media and communication department, said: "This is an important new relationship for Sheffield Hallam - especially for the media, arts and communication department who have been closely involved with the festival for many years.

"Sheffield Doc/Fest is one of the highlights of the world's film calendar and it is tremendous for our students and staff to be so closely associated with it."

About Doc/Fest:

Sheffield Doc/Fest is the UK's premier documentary and digital media festival. It is the place to see world and UK premieres of the best creative documentaries from the cinema, television and online arenas, and to hear from and meet filmmakers at Q&A sessions. Highlights of the film programme are honoured with an award programme including the Sheffield Special Jury, Crossover Innovation, Green, Youth Jury, Inspiration, Student Doc, Short Form and Audience Awards. In 2012, 2,657 delegates from 67 countries attended the Festival and it attracted over 20,000 members of the film-loving public. In 2013 Sheffield Doc/Fest takes place from 12-16 June. www.sheffdocfest.com/registration

For press information contact: Laurie Harvey on 0114 225 2621 or email pressoffice@shu.ac.uk