MA Documentary Public Showcase

Welcome to the MA Documentary Public Showcase! Join us at the Northern Film School, Leeds School of Arts, Leeds Beckett University for an exciting showcase of thought-provoking documentaries created by our talented students. Immerse yourself in a diverse range of storytelling and gain insight into pressing social issues. These films are thoughtful, creative, and deeply engaging explorations of the world around us. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with the power of visual storytelling, with a filmmakers Q&A . Show your support for these emerging filmmakers, grab your friends and come along for an inspiring day!

Info: Transgender people gather together to explore their relationship to the medical establishment in the UK. Sifting through political agendas and a history of objectification they begin to uncover a network of voices which span a hundred years of activism and archive. *Content Trigger Warning - discussions of transphobia, discussions of intersexism, discussions of medical trauma*

Info: The Mother Country was a promise, mis-sold to hundreds of thousands of British Citizens of the Commonwealth when they were given the freedom to travel anywhere within the Commonwealth in 1948 by the British Nationality Act. The minimisation of a generation of people to the name of one of the many ships that travelled here may have causes for concern after shocking discoveries made, that are hidden in plain sight, about that one particular vessel. *Content Trigger Warning - Potentially distressing material and topics discussed*

Info: Endurance Horse Riding is a reflective documentary exploring the world of high-altitude endurance riding in northern Pakistan through the experiences of a group of riders. Set against vast and demanding landscapes, the film examines the patience, discipline, and responsibility required to ride and care for horses in extreme conditions.
Originally planned as an observational journey captured in real time, the film evolved through unexpected challenges that reshaped its direction. Through memory and personal reflection, it reveals the emotional and physical realities of endurance beyond the surface of the sport.
At its core, the film is not just about riding it is about resilience, adaptation, and the bond between human and animal. It explores what endurance truly demands, and what it gives back: a deeper sense of purpose, connection, and inner strength beyond the journey itself.

Info: In a modern Chinese metropolis, the present is often portrayed through a grand narrative of developmentalism, a state-sanctioned “hard truth” that restricts the field of possibilities and effectively erases inconvenient histories like the Cultural Revolution and the COVID-19 protests. When the present is thus constrained, the past cannot be recalled through conventional means; it becomes a ghostly residue. Drawing on Gilles Deleuze’s time-image, the film employs a contemplative cinematic style—long takes, static frames, and a wandering protagonist—to create an “interconnected ecology of memory.” Rather than traditional reenactments, personal recollections from various generations manifest as supernatural dislocations within the mundane. A sudden power outage or a subtle shift in light acts as a temporal rupture, signaling the "spectral presence" of those silenced by progress. These are not moments of horror, but of ontological drift, where the past refuses to stay buried.

Info: Stitching Silence is an observational documentary set in the remote valleys of Chitral, where life
unfolds through quiet gestures and enduring traditions.
Following artisan women, Shu weavers, and a lone shepherd, the film captures a rhythm
shaped by craft, labour, and landscape. Without narration, it invites the audience to experience
a world where silence carries meaning, and where cultural memory lives through hands,
textures, and time.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Leeds School of Arts, Leeds Beckett University, Portland Way, Leeds, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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