Sheffield Doc/Fest Director Elizabeth McIntyre to Exit

By Robert Mitchell

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Sheffield Doc/Fest announced Wednesday that Elizabeth McIntyre is stepping down from her role as CEO and festival director after three years in the post. The world-renowned festival celebrated its 25th anniversary edition in June.

Alex Graham, chair of , said McIntyre was leaving the festival “in great shape.” The festival will begin its search for a new director in September. The new appointee will oversee the 2019 edition of Sheffield Doc/Fest, which will run from June 6 to 11.

“I am immensely proud of what Liz has achieved these last three years,” said Graham. “Her professionalism and vision have created a fertile environment for her talented senior team to deliver increasingly pioneering and compelling festival programs, widely celebrated by both industry and public audiences.”

The festival, which began in 1994 with 42 films screened over just two days, has grown into the U.K.’s leading and an internationally recognized documentary festival. It now spans six days, screening more than 200 films and embracing innovations such as VR. This year’s 25th anniversary edition, which ran June 7-12, featured 188 main program features and shorts as well as 55 free screenings, 27 interactive and immersive projects, 12 special events and 87 talks and industry sessions. Of the films screened in 2018, Doc/Fest boasted 39 world premieres, 18 international premieres, 26 European premieres and 75 U.K. premieres.

Total ticket sales for the 2018 Sheffield Doc/Fest were up 16% year-on-year. The festival welcomed 3,444 industry delegates from 55 countries in 2018, up 1.4% from 2017, while public attendees numbered 25,597 – a rise of 7.3%.