some voiceover stuff so far

Sheffield. Becoming one of Britain's fastest-growing cities. With major regeneration happening all the time and two Universities in the area offering over 25 media related courses between them, the most intriguing development over the last two decades is the growing opportunities available to young film makers to get hands-on experience working with some of the most interesting and challenging British directors of the last few years. With films being made locally by production companies like Warp Films and ready access to less commercially successful releases being shown at the Showroom Cinema, directors like the acclaimed Shane Meadows, of Dead Man's Shoes and This is England, are constantly looking for young talent to help out with their unique approach to storytelling through film.

With many more students undertaking media related courses than there are jobs available in the industry in this country, we want to look at exactly what Sheffield has to offer the Spielbergs and Scorseses of the future. So who better to ask than the people of Sheffield?

The Sheffield of old, the beating heart of the industrial north as it was known, was portrayed one of the biggest budget films to ever come out of the area, The Full Monty. Set in 1997, it shows the decline of the steel industry and the rise in unemployment that followed, but since then, the sheer variety of industries and careers available for people in the area has risen considerably. Thanks to Warp Films especially, the company responsible for the release of some of Shane Meadows best work, Sheffield is now synonymous with a very different industry.

One of the most intriguing fixtures on the media calendar is the Sheffield Doc Fest, held every November at the city's independent cinema, the Showroom, is a fantastic opportunity for documentary makers from all over the country to network and raise funds for future productions. But we wanted to know exactly what the event offers the media students of Sheffield's universities hoping to break into the industry. We spoke to Tom Gatis of the Doc Fest to find out more.