Doc’n Roll Film Festival – “the Glastonbury of music movie fests”, according to Time Out – returns for its 12th London edition with a treasure trove of films about artists who refuse to bend, break or conform.
From queer chart pop and punk to jazz and blues, house and electronica to soul, art-rock to industrial, singer-songwriters and Celtic folk to Cuban nueva trova, this year’s programme celebrates countless creative spirits who have shifted the cultural landscape.
Spanning 17 days, Doc'n Roll 12 will serve up stories of rebellion, resilience, transformation and joy. Among this year's world premieres are 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.
International premieres will explore legends including Dónal Lunny, Lebanon Hanover, Pablo Milanès and Dean Johnson, and UK premieres will spotlight the art and lives of Boy George and Culture Club, Big Mama Thornton, Meredith Monk, COIL and Butthole Surfers. In addition, Doc'n Roll 12 will venture further afield to celebrate charismatic figures in the world of visual art (Tony Foster) and tattooing (Jonathan Shaw and Felix Leu).
It all kicks off on 23 September at the Barbican with the UK premiere of I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock’s wry, frank and frequently hilarious cinematic memoir, and will go on to spotlight DIY spirit, independent music and marginalised voices during the whole of its run.
Once again this year, Doc'n Roll 12 will give music and cinema fans the very first opportunity to see eagerly anticipated documentaries on the big screen: 21 feature films and 8 shorts, with 7 world premieres, 12 UK premieres and 2 London premieres at some of the city's most acclaimed screens: BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX, the ICA, the Barbican, indie gems including The Rio in Hackney, the Garden Cinema in Holborn and the Castle Cinema in Homerton, the Century Club in Soho and Hackney Picturehouse.
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 also be taking selected docs from the 2025 London programme on the road this autumn – with Dublin and Brighton the first stops.
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