Best of The Fest: Documentary

If there's one word to describe the documentary programme for the 2016 Belfast Film Festival, it's diverse. Be it the street corner denizens of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue, or a pastor seeking to bring salvation to the desperate in Ukraine, the festival serves up an appetising smorgasbord of non-fiction fare from around the world.

Altogether it's a documentary box of delights, with the three following films most definitely not to be missed...

Outcasts By Choice: Friday, 22 April, 08:15pm, The Strand, £6

"If one city was born for punk, it was Belfast." Greg Cowan, Outcasts By Choice (2016)

Kate and Paul McCarroll's film tells the story of one of the great punk bands. In 1977, against the grim, unescapable background of The Troubles, The Outcasts formed. Combining archive footage and contributions from band members and admirers, Outcasts By Choice is an unvarnished portrait of an incendiary, inspiring band.

Sympathy For The Devil: Sun, 17 April, 06:30pm, QFT, £6

Delving into the murky history of The Process Church of The Final Judgment, Neil Edwards' Sympathy For The Devil promises to be an intriguing watch. The church formed in the 1960s, in England, drawing many of its early members from the ranks of the wealthy and aristocracy. Veiled in secrecy and dogged by rumour, the media soon christened the church 'The Devil's Disciples'. The cult would be associated with some of the most notorious crimes of the 1960s and 1970s, including Charlie Manson's reign of terror, the assassination of Robert Kennedy and the serial killer, Son of Sam. This revealing documentary features contributions from former cult members, as well as those who encountered, or were influenced by the Church, including filmmaker John Waters, musician George Clinton and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge.

3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets: Sun, 17 April, 08:00pm, The Pavilion, £5

Marc Silver's film tells the story of a young black man, Jordan Davis, just 17 when he was fatally shot after an altercation with a middle-aged white man, Michael Dunn, at a Florida petrol station. The film delves into questions of race, the role of the media and American gun law - Dunn contended that he was acting in self-defense and in accordance with the state's 'stand your ground' law, when he shot Davis.