Open City Documentary Festival

The Open City Documentary Festival takes place in London and aims to shine a spotlight on non-fiction cinema. The annual film festival is one of many initiatives that Open City organises, including training programmes and various screenings throughout the year. The festival is based at the University College London’s Centre for Public Anthropology and doesn’t always occur on the same month. The 14th edition will take place on 24-30 April, 2024.

Throughout the years, the festival has showcased many gems. Documentaries include Nowhere Near, It Is Night in America, Sam Klemke’s Time Machine, The Great Wall, Garden Pieces,  Minamata-The Victims and Their World, and many more movies. There is also an Expanded Realities exhibition, with XR, AR and VR projects, as well as many masterclasses, retrospectives, “in focus” events , and workshops. 

Venues include the Barbican Cinema, Betha DocHouse, Close-Up Cinema, Curzon Soho, Genesis Cinema, ICA London, LUX, Rich Mix, and Tate Modern. The Festival Hub is located at 32A Gerrard St., and tickets to the screenings and events of the festival can be booked directly from the cinemas and there is also a student programme with free screenings and Q&As. Find more information on the Open City Documentary Festival’s official website.

Loud and Clear Reviews first covered the Open City Documentary Festival in 2021: that year, our favourite film was Delphine’s Prayers. On this page you’ll find all of our movie reviews from the festival, with recommendations of great upcoming documentaries to watch in various London locations every year.