The 12th Doc’n Roll Film Festival Showcases Films on the Birth of House, Queer History and More

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 line-up 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 pugnacious and frequently hilarious cinematic memoir, and will go on to spotlight DIY spirit, independent music and marginalised voices during the whole of its 17-day run.

This year’s programme includes 21 feature films and 8 shorts, with 7 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 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.

“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 line-up 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.”

Vanessa Lobon Garcia, director and co-founder of Doc’n Roll Film Fest

“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.”

Colm Forde, programmer and co-founder of Doc’n Roll Film Fest

For the full info about the festival, including the shortlist for the Doc’n Roll Jury Award – Best Music Doc of 2025 and the festival’s short film programme head here.

Founded in 2013 Doc’n Roll Films is a female-led film agency that platforms and champions marginal voices in the music and arts industries; we are passionate about DIY spirit, independent film and music of all genres. Our mission is to celebrate music and arts subcultures by providing a unique platform to support creative, compelling and unforgettable documentaries that celebrate the performers, labels, scenes and stories.

Doc’n Roll Film Festival is the UK and Ireland’s premier documentary film festival dedicated to music and arts subcultures, celebrating the power of stories told through sound and vision. Founded in 2014, it champions independent filmmaking and provides a platform for under-the-radar music and arts documentaries that deserve to be seen and heard.

With premiere screenings, director Q&As, and special events across the UK, Ireland, New York, Amsterdam and beyond, Doc’n Roll connects passionate audiences with films that explore diverse genres, cultures, and untold stories. The festival’s mission is simple: to amplify bold filmmaking that champions marginal voices across the music and art industries while connecting with subcultures fans everywhere.

In 2017, owing to strong demand from both filmmakers and audiences, Doc’n Roll Films expanded to include a boutique UK event cinema, distribution, and world sales arm. We excel in finding theatrical, non-theatrical and direct-to-consumer routes to market for independent music documentaries across the globe.