THE 12th EDITION OF THE DOC’N ROLL FILM FESTIVAL IS ON NOW
THE FESTIVAL FEATURES THE WORLD PREMIERE OF NASH THE SLASH RISES AGAIN
In a world that feels increasingly fractured, Doc’n Roll Film Festival – “the Glastonbury of music movie fests”, according to Time Out – returns for its 12th edition with a lineup of films celebrating artists who refuse to bend, break or conform. From punk to jazz and blues, house and electronica to soul, art-rock to industrial, Celtic folk and Cuban nueva trova to queer chart pop, this year’s programme spotlights fearless creative spirits who have shifted the cultural landscape.
From world premieres including How Tanita Tikaram Became a LIAR, Pieces of Heaven: Porridge Radio, Rockers Don’t Stop: The Revival of Rockers Revenge, and Sound of a Dream: Lee Burridge, to international premieres exploring legends including Dónal Lunny, Lebanon Hanover, Pablo Milanès and Dean Johnson, the festival brings together stories of rebellion, resilience, transformation and joy.
The festival kicks off at the Barbican with the UK premiere of I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock’s wry, pugnacious and frequently hilarious cinematic memoir, and will go on to spotlight DIY spirit, independent music and marginalised voices during the whole of its 18-day run. This year’s programme includes 20 feature films and 8 shorts, with 6 World premieres, 12 UK premieres and 2 London premieres in a celebration of music on screen: loud, vital and unafraid. BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, Rio Cinema and are included amongst ten festival venues.
Recently hailed by Forbes magazine for the lifeline it offers to independent music filmmakers and its ability to build a “loyal, like-minded community of viewers”, Doc’n Roll will be taking selected docs from the 2025 London programme on the road this autumn.
Vanessa Lobon Garcia, director and co-founder of Doc’n Roll Film Fest, says: “We’re delighted to bring Doc’n Roll back again this year to the passionate, diverse, and dedicated audiences who continue to support and inspire us. To have the opportunity to present a lineup of documentaries of this calibre in London and Dublin is a dream; it’s what keeps us going, year after year. In the current climate, operating as a totally independent film festival is a rare thing; it makes Doc’n Roll as unique as the films we programme.”
Colm Forde, programmer and co-founder of Doc’n Roll Film Fest, adds: “This year’s programme reflects our DIY spirit and our commitment to giving a platform to the charismatic, compelling, unforgettable talents outside the mainstream. As an independent festival, we take pride in working against the grain, and we’re thrilled to showcase filmmakers and musicians whose bold creativity aligns with our ethos.”
Doc’n Roll Jury Award – Best Music Doc of 2025
Six films in this year’s lineup are in competition for the Doc’n Roll Jury Award for Music Doc of the Year, judged by a panel of music and film industry luminaries:
- Jeremy Deller (Artist)
- Kate Hutchinson (Journalist, broadcaster and DJ)
- Melissa Auf der Maur (Musician)
- Pauline Black (Musician, actor, writer)
- Raul Niño Zambrano (Sheffield DocFest Creative Director)
- Vic Galloway (Broadcaster, writer and music journalist)
The shortlisted films in competition for the Best Doc Award are:
- I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol
- How Tanita Tikaram Became a LIAR
- Monk In Pieces
- Move Ya Body: The Birth of House
- The Big Johnson
- Boy George & Culture Club
Film Dates
View the full schedule HERE.
Doc’n Roll Film Festival Links
Main Photo Credit: Paul Till | Background Photo Credit: Side Three Media Inc
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