The Sheffield Doc Fest Crowd

[Carborundum]

I was on the Showroom for a brief drink on friday evening and experienced the rarefied buzzy atmosphere of the impressive creative bohemian sophisticates the DocFest delegates - a lot of them from down South - all trendily dressed, trendy glasses, posh accents crawling all over the bar discussing rarefied documentary subjects and I thought to myself how marvellous that Sheffield attracts such God like creatures every year for their international festival but then I started tpo wonder do these creatures who make a brief show for one weekend like some beautiful exotic mayflies ever wander much outside the area of the Showroom and rail station (presume they stay in local hotels too) to experience the real Sheffield and mingle with the locals - has anyone seen them in our trendy bars or restaurants - gay or straight - and thus contributing to the local economy - indeed do much local Sheffield people go to the DocFest or even know of its existence at all - I have seen a few films myself indeed and some of the documentaries are always fascinating ...

[jamesogt]

never heard of it, why werent they sent to lions !

[bluemonday]

I couldn't make it this year but will definitely get along next year. It is brilliant that Sheffield has an event like this so we should support it.

 

Delegates probably to get to see a bit of the city, as I think the locations used are a little spread out:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/3003092672_7e48a1a7ae_o.jpg

[Carborundum]

Its good they are spread out yes I think something was on in City hall - quite interesting people attend it - I remember going a few years ago when the Cossack pub was still open and some of them ended up there thinking it was a straight pub - the evening actually turned out nicely since I copped off with one of them that night <ahem> - and he had trendy glasses !

 

Yes jamesogt its a brilliant marketing opportunity - it may be too late this year since I think it finishes today and they all hop on the trains back to London but next year I'll remind you to give me a bunch of flyers for the Lions and I'll quite happily distribute them that is if the Showroom don't mind :-)

 

Actually jamesogt I suggest you go one further and next year run a Sheffield Doc Fest party theme on say fri or sat night - they do have severl over the course of the 5 days already - see here:

http://www.sheffdocfest.com/site_items/doc_fest_parties

[mister_tmg]

Two of the guys I met at DocFest last night, from the industry, were in Dempsey's later on...

 

Yes, it certainly does draw an interesting crowd we wouldn't otherwise see in Sheffield!

 

I do have to wonder whether Sheffield people are ill-informed about the festival. I've mentioned it to several people I know who had no idea what it was. It ought to be celebrated more locally, since I think it really puts the city on the map!

[green]

I went to the Joan Rivers documentary last night at the Showroom for Docfest, and watched Joan Rivers do a brilliant Q & A afterwards. Its a really great coo for Sheffield.

 

Im off to the Docfest Roller Disco tonight and the Peter Mandelson doc tomoz.

 

Docfest brings massive trade & hospitality to the city centre.....long may it continue.

[ormester101]

doc fest is having the meet market at my place of work

[Venkman]

I'm working at the DocFest this year and trying hard to direct the delegates all over town for places to eat and drink etc. I'd never realised how hard it is to direct people from Showroom to, for example, City Hall - relatively straight line but with lots of winding bits.

 

Mind you, there are about 2000 delegates so they can't all be eating/drinking in the Showroom bar every lunch and dinner.

[Bilge]

I happened to be in the bar the other night and was amazed at the amount of Nathan Barley types. It's great though, another good thing that Sheff does. I agree it would be good to widen it across town a bit, no point them all cramming into the Showroom all night. But then again, it's their event so maybe they don't want that?

 

Isn't there a decent free all-purpose council map of the city that we can give away at events like this and Tramlines? If not there should be one (like you get in a half decent hotel). I had to direct 2 East European blokes back to the Showroom from outside the Graduate (they'd just walked past it as they came up from the station!).

[Andy C]

I happened to be in the bar the other night and was amazed at the amount of Nathan Barley types. It's great though, another good thing that Sheff does. I agree it would be good to widen it across town a bit, no point them all cramming into the Showroom all night. But then again, it's their event so maybe they don't want that?

 

Isn't there a decent free all-purpose council map of the city that we can give away at events like this and Tramlines? If not there should be one (like you get in a half decent hotel). I had to direct 2 East European blokes back to the Showroom from outside the Graduate (they'd just walked past it as they came up from the station!).

 

There used to be a good city centre map on the council website but they don't seem to have that anymore, maybe because all the tourism stuff is now done by Yorkshire South agency - http://www.yorkshiresouth.com/

 

There is a map on the Supertram website which can be useful - http://www.supertram.com/uploads/SheffieldCityMap.pdf