Discover the next wave of documentary filmmakers at this gathering of bold, boundary-pushing non-fiction storytelling. 

Join us for an evening of standout films from four rising artists: Dorothy Allen-Pickard, Jessi Gutch, Alice Russell and Myrid Carten. Followed by an in-depth conversation led by Lindsay Poulton, Editorial Director of Film & TV and Head of Documentaries at The Guardian.

The films from visionary artists introduce sharp contemporary perspectives, illuminating the evolving landscape and compelling future of documentary film.

The artists have been selected by leading industry figures: Asif Kapadia (Filmmaker), Danny Leigh (Chief Film Critic, Financial Times), and Lindsay Poulton (The Guardian), who said: 

‘It’s been a great pleasure to join the jury of the Arts Foundation Futures Awards 2026 for Film. Independent documentary is a powerful artform as well as a tool for truth, empathy and dialogue, but independent filmmaking is increasingly at risk. Despite the challenging landscape, I was really encouraged by the range and extraordinary artistry of filmmakers across the UK. All the shortlisted filmmakers demonstrate a clear artistic purpose and such a confident command of their craft. Dorothy Allen-Pickard brings a remarkable clarity of vision to her filmmaking, while creating generous space for her collaborators and subjects to shape the work alongside her. Myrid Carten’s moving and captivating work carries a strong sense of momentum and creative ambition. Alice Russell has found a distinctive voice through her impactful first feature, and Jessi Gutch’s filmmaking style is grounded and inventive.”

Programme:

We Did Not Consent, dir. Dorothy Allen-Pickard
Undercover police officers have infiltrated UK activist networks and forged relationships with individual women for over 50 years, some fathering children with them. Now, three women – disguised by theatrical masks – who were targeted by ‘spy cops’ seek to take charge of their own stories, restaging emblematic scenes and reclaiming the narrative.

Blue Has No Borders, dir. Jessi Gutch 
In the aftermath of Brexit, building new relationships isn’t easy. In Folkestone, which refugees attempt to reach from France daily, tensions are rife. Old traditions die hard, voices struggle to be heard, and the notion of British identity is regularly asserted and contested. An ode to participatory filmmaking and forging messy friendships in your own backyard, an extract from Blue Has No Borders illustrates how spending time with people is in itself an act of hope.

If the Streets Were on Fire, dir. Alice Russell 
As youth violence rises in London, a wild and rebellious community of young people tear up the city’s streets in the name of ‘knives down, bikes up’. Their already precarious existence is jeopardised when they are forced away from the safe spaces of central London. And extract from If the Streets Were on Fire shows London from an exhilarating, rarely seen perspective. 

A Want in Her, Myrid Carten 
When her mother goes missing somewhere in Ireland, artist Myrid Carten returns from London to find her. The search takes her into a feuding family, a contested house, and a history that threatens to take everyone down, including herself. An extract from A Want In Her - an immersive, first-person account of the cost of love, and how difficult it can be to escape.

The recipient of the £20,000 Arts Foundation Film Fellowship will be announced at an awards ceremony in February.