Grenfell: Uncovered directed by Olaide Sadiq and produced by Ahmed Peerbux, Anna Prichard and James Saville has picked up the Audience Award at this year’s Sheffield DocFest.
The film had its World Premiere at the 32nd edition of Sheffield DocFest last week. Director Olaide Sadiq and contributors to the film were in attendance for a special post-screening conversation.
A forensic investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire, Grenfell: Uncovered exposes the corruption, failures and cover-ups that turned neglect into a national tragedy.
Each feature film premiering in the six-day programme was eligible for this award, and festival-goers voted in the thousands for their favourite films.
Sheffield DocFest creative director Raul Niño Zambrano and managing director Mimi Poskitt said: “Grenfell: Uncovered is one of those documentaries that stays with you, it’s courageous, meticulous, and absolutely necessary. It exposes the failures, the corruption, and the human cost behind the Grenfell tragedy, but it also gives space to the voices of survivors and families still fighting for justice. We are proud to showcase such essential storytelling, as it reminds us that documentary can demand both accountability and change.”
Olaide Sadiq said: “Grenfell: Uncovered is a film that will stay with me forever. Piecing together a story that means so much to me and the brilliant team who helped put it together, it is one I hope will impact people all over the world.
“Documenting the painful and shocking revelations of this tragedy was essential to show just how avoidable it was, but what mattered most was giving a platform to the bereaved, survivors, emergency responders, and change-makers whose powerful testimonies shaped this film into what we hoped it would be; a call for change, for justice, and for accountability.
“Premiering at Sheffield DocFest, and feeling the raw, emotional response in the room, was exactly what the victims deserved — and a huge reminder of why DocFest is such a vital celebration of courageous and important storytelling.”
Grenfell: Uncovered is a detailed documentary that traces the events, decisions and systemic failures that led to the devastating 2017 fire in London’s Grenfell Tower.
Drawing on evidence from the public inquiry, investigative journalism and firsthand testimony from survivors and the grieving, the film lays bare a chain of negligence, regulatory failure and corporate greed. As it meticulously reconstructs the timeline leading up to the fire, the film reveals how a preventable disaster unfolded in plain sight, and how those affected are still seeking truth and accountability. A vital and unflinching call for justice, this film demands we remember and that we change.
This year saw Sheffield DocFest public audiences continue to grow, with at least a 20% increase in the number of tickets sold year-on-year.
Grenfell: Uncovered is now available to view on Netflix.
