The story of one of Britain’s most distinctive guitar bands is set to hit the big screen this summer, as James Slater’s documentary Dreaming of You: The Making of The Coral will receive its World Premiere at Sheffield DocFest on 21st June 2025.
Produced by J6 Films, the documentary offers an immersive look at six childhood friends from the sleepy seaside town of Hoylake, Merseyside, as they morph into one of the most influential bands of the post-Britpop era. Blending high-energy psychedelic rock with a deep sense of northern surrealism, The Coral helped define a new musical wave in the early noughties – bursting onto the scene with raw creativity, eccentricity, and an unshakable sense of togetherness.
Speaking about the film, director James Slater said:
“I wanted Dreaming of You to be an immersive experience – one that transports us back to Northwest England in the late ’90s and early 2000s. The visual aesthetic of the film is further enhanced by the formats used to shoot both the GVs and reconstructions – Mini DV, Hi-8, 16mm, and 8mm – all mediums that were used to document the band at the time. This rich visual tapestry is accompanied not only by the band’s musical archive but also by a layered sound design that further immerses us in the era, embedding us deeply within the time and place.”
Narrated by the band themselves, the documentary fuses reconstruction, archive footage, and animation to evoke the spirit of the era and the emotional journey of a group of northern teenagers who built a world of their own – strange, funny, and endlessly creative. It poses the question: was it fame they were chasing, or simply the joy of being together?
Slater added, “It’s an honour to be part of Sheffield DocFest, especially alongside such an incredible line-up of films. Dreaming of You is a northern coming-of-age story at heart, so it feels especially fitting for the journey to begin here.”
The film also features appearances from fellow Liverpudlian acts including The Lightning Seeds, The Zutons, and Tramp Attack, and traces The Coral’s rise through the legendary Liverpool Bandwagon Scene. From working-class beginnings to nationwide acclaim, the film is a dreamscape of fuzzy guitars, friendship, and youthful ambition.
A trailer for the film has just been released (see below), offering a glimpse into this psychedelic journey through music and memory.
Dreaming of You: The Making of The Coral will have its World Premiere at Sheffield DocFest on Saturday 21st June at 12:30pm at the Showroom Cinema, followed by an extended Q&A with director James Slater and members of The Coral. A second screening will take place on Sunday 22nd June at 3:45pm at The Light, featuring a Q&A with Slater. Tickets are available now via the Sheffield DocFest website here.
