School of Arts PhD Film ‘Unveiling Voices’ Selected for Prestigious Biennial International Festival
School of Arts PhD candidate Smriti Singh's documentary Unveiling Voices has been selected for the 2026 German International Ethnographic Film Festival.
The documentary film Unveiling Voices, directed by PhD candidate and Associate Lecturer Smriti Singh, has been selected for the German International Ethnographic Film Festival, marking a significant international achievement. As a biennial event held every two years, the festival is widely recognised as a leading global platform for ethnographic cinema that foregrounds cultural insight and innovative visual storytelling. The 2026 edition will take place in Göttingen from 13–17 May, offering an opportunity to showcase the high calibre of research-led creative work emerging from the School of Arts at Oxford Brookes University.
Unveiling Voices presents a compelling exploration of the lived experiences of Indian diasporic women in the UK through collaborative and participatory research methods. Uniquely, the 36-minute documentary is filmed by its participants, placing creative control directly in their hands. Moving beyond traditional observational approaches, Singh’s methodology actively involves participants in shaping the narrative, ensuring their stories are co-created with authenticity and agency. In doing so, the film reveals personal histories and complex social realities while contributing meaningfully to emerging practices in community-based and participatory filmmaking.
This achievement was made possible through the support of the School of Arts PhD Studentship 2023-2026, highlighting the vital role of institutional funding in bringing underrepresented stories to a global audience. Reflecting on the selection, Singh noted:
"Being selected for GIEFF 2026 is an incredible honor, particularly because the festival celebrates films that prioritize the human voice and ethnographic depth. For me, this selection validates the importance of participatory methods in research—it proves that when we hand the 'lens' back to the community, the resulting stories resonate on a global stage. This documentary is a tribute to the resilience and richness of the Indian diasporic experience, and I am deeply grateful for the School of Arts' support in making this work a reality."