We work with schools, colleges and universities from across the UK and around the world to bring students to the festival each year to engage with documentary film and art.
If you are thinking of bringing your school, college, or university to the festival, and want to find out how to make that possible, find out more below.
2025 Festival
Our 32nd Edition of Sheffield DocFest will take place 18 - 23 June 2025.
For School Groups (Ages 11+): School Screenings and VR Tour
Our 2025 programme will include a number of screenings open exclusively to school groups, followed by a Q&A on careers in the film and TV industry which will help your students to understand more about working in documentaries and/or film.
There will also be an opportunity to tour our Virtual Reality cinema, and try out technology exploring new types of documentary through VR headsets.
If you’re interested in bringing students from your school, please get in touch with us by emailing getinvolved@sheffdocfest.com
For College and University Groups: Student Passes
Our Student Passes offer the exact same festival access as all of our passes, including:
World Premieres - Premieres of some of the most hotly anticipated documentaries of the year before they hit the cinemas and streamers.
Top Talent - Live discussions with industry leaders including directors, producers and famous faces from film, TV and podcasts. Previous guests include David Attenborough, Stacey Dooley and Idris Elba.
Parties and Networking - Spaces to connect with ambitious new talent and decision makers within the industry, maybe even over a round of karaoke.
Pitches - Experience the anticipation of live pitches from emerging non-fiction talent.
Immersive VR Experiences - Explore the boundaries of technology and storytelling and widen your perspective of documentary formats.
Our Student Passes have Concession pricing at almost 50% off the price of a full-price Standard Industry Pass at £175.00 + VAT - Available from 12 August 2024 until 17.00 BST on 4 June 2025.
Group Passes
Under our group student pass offer, for every 10 passes you purchase, you will receive 1 free pass.
Please email registration@sheffdocfest.com for more information.
As part of purchasing a group student pass, you will be sent our Student Road Map and will also be invited to join a Student Webinar ahead of the festival (details below.)
Individual Passes
Want to head to DocFest independently of your college, university, or other HE institution? To register for individual student passes, click here.
Proof of status required (Valid student card)
Student Road Map
Each year we produce a student roadmap which explains how to navigate the festival as a student or first time filmmaker. Students will be signposted to relevant events throughout the festival programme including screenings, industry talks and networking events.
For our 2024 student road map, click here.
Student Webinar
After our Industry Programme Launch in May 2025, students can attend our virtual webinar in which members of the team will talk them through the Sheffield DocFest programme, explain how to make the most of their time at the festival and signpost relevant events to attend.
UK and International Student Delegations
Want a more tailored experience for your students? We can create a bespoke package for you and your cohort to make the most of the festival. To find out more about what we can offer, contact us at partnerships@sheffdocfest.com
Year Round Activity
Our work doesn’t only happen during the six days off the festival - find out more about how to get involved with DocFest all year-round below.
Guest Lectures from the DocFest team
We offer in-person and online talks to students studying a range of topics. If you are interested in one of our team members talking to your students, please get in touch by emailing getinvolved@sheffdocfest.com
Student placements and work experience
We currently work with different educational organisations to offer structured student placements and work experience as part of the curriculum.
If you are a student who needs employability credits as part of your course, or if you are an educator looking for opportunities for your students to gain valuable employability skills as part of their course in a film festival setting, get in touch by emailing getinvolved@sheffdocfest.com
Click here for information about volunteering as part of our DocCrew during the festival.
