Editor's note: Charlotte Moore opens her post about the BBC's contribution to the Sheffield Doc/Fest, starting this afternoon, with a clip from Despicable Dick & Righteous Richard, a Storyville commission to be shown at the festival - SB.

I'm a bit of a veteran at Sheffield Doc/Fest. I was there in the 90s when it started out as a haven for documentary anoraks with a penchant for obscure Finnish films, and have seen it grow since then - and particularly in the last few years - into one of the biggest events in the international documentary calendar. It's now well established as one of the year's highlights, where those of us who work in the industry get to compare notes on the burning issues of the moment, do business, and of course watch some brilliant films.

The BBC has long been committed to helping Doc/Fest cement its position on the documentary festival circuit, and this year promises to be one of our best yet. One of the films I'm most looking forward to is the premiere of BBC Two's Terry Pratchett - Choosing To Die. There has been quite a lot of press attention around the film already, much of it focusing on the rights and wrongs of assisted death, but at the heart of this moving film is an insight into the impossible predicament faced by Terry, and others like him, who must decide how to deal with degenerative and ultimately fatal illnesses.

Our flagship international documentary strand Storyville will enjoy a bumper year at Doc/Fest this year, with an impressive ten titles showing over the five days. The films range from The Interrupters - Steve James' longitudinal foray into the world of Chicago's spiralling epidemic of violence, following the men and women who intervene in conflicts before they erupt into violence on the streets of the city - to the hard-hitting Knuckle, which explores the seemingly unshakable tradition of bare knuckled fist fighting among Irish travellers. Not one for the faint-hearted! And then there's Despicable Dick & Righteous Richard, which sees the eponymous 69-year-old protagonist undertake a rigorous moral inventory to make amends for a lifetime's transgressions. And what an inventory it is...

I will be taking part in two sessions during the festival - I will be chairing a filmmaking masterclass for first-time documentary makers, and a commissioning panel with colleagues from ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 in which we will be swapping our 'desert island docs'. Elsewhere BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow will be hosting the BBC Interview, talking to the inimitable Adam Curtis about his recent series All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace, which explored how people have been colonised by the machines they have built. And BBC Three controller Zai Bennett will be hosting an event on Thursday evening to mark the success of the Fresh documentaries strand, dedicated to first-time filmmakers. My Brother The Islamist is a recent film from the Fresh stable, and it will be screened ahead of the event on Thursday. And Bruce Parry will be attending the festival for the first time, letting us in on his fascinating experiences in the Arctic and other far-flung parts of the world.

Sheffield Doc/Fest is an opportunity for us to step back from the coalface of our day-to-day jobs and take stock of how the documentary industry is faring, and where it might be going. I think we're enjoying a boom time at the moment - they have never been in such demand on television, in the cinema, online and on DVD. The BBC's repertoire at Sheffield demonstrates that there truly is something for everyone now - whether you want to watch Jig, Sue Bourne's mesmerising peek into the maelstrom that is the Irish Dancing World Championships, or The Camera That Changed The World, Mandy Chang's exploration of the engineers and filmmakers who built and wielded the hand-held cameras that made it possible to record real life as it happened.

On top of all the activity at Sheffield, I announced a number of new documentary commissions earlier this week, confirming the BBC's commitment to documentaries: Welcome To Bangladesh, which will do for industrial waste what Bafta-winning Welcome To Lagos did for the slum - make it palatable, respectable, even desirable; Chatsworth, a new three-part series for BBC One, a modern take on Upstairs, Downstairs, offering a glimpse into life in one of Britain's most illustrious stately homes; and 7/7, which I hope will be the definitive film on the deadliest attacks in Britain since World War II - a story of agony, trauma and grief, but also hope, bravery and even forgiveness.

I want to ensure the BBC keeps pushing the boundaries of creativity, and responds to the fast-changing landscape of Britain in the 21st century. Therefore I look forward to talking to filmmakers at Sheffield to get their take on how we're doing, and look forward to reading your comments here.

Charlotte Moore is Commissioning Editor for documentaries at the BBC

• Charlotte blogged about Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die in April.
• The Sheffield Doc/Fest starts today. Full details on the event's web site.

Death on television has always been a controversial issue - as such, it's not something that we'd ever take the decision to show lightly. Not only did we have to work closely with all of our contributors' families to make sure that the issue was handled as sensitively as possible, but we worked closely with our editorial policy team to make sure that all aspects of the documentary were in line with BBC Editorial Policy guidelines.

When we knew that we'd be following Terry Pratchett as he looked at the realities of assisted death, for us it was important that we faithfully documented his personal journey. Terry has often spoken of the fact that he may choose a medically assisted death when his condition progresses, so his priority was to look at what this decision would really mean. What would it feel like to make the final decision to die? What would it feel like to visit Dignitas? What would it be like to be present when the moment of death came?

Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die looks at all of these issues in some detail, but in no way does he wave a one-sided flag for assisted death. Terry meets and is moved by a motor neurone disease sufferer who has chosen to stay in the UK and opted for hospice care; he struggles with the decision of a younger man with multiple sclerosis who has chosen to take his own life; he is particularly moved by Peter's (another motor neurone disease sufferer's) long journey to Dignitas, and finds watching the final stage extremely difficult.

What filming the documentary made clear was how complicated the issue was, and how much this is an important topic of debate. As part of this, on the same night, BBC Two will screen a Newsnight debate that gives all different voices a chance to discuss the issue.

We know that not everyone will feel comfortable watching Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die, but we hope that all would accept that it's important that the BBC tackles the difficult subjects that we're often faced with in life.

Charlotte Moore is Commissioning Editor for documentaries

• The BBC's Press Release about the programme is on the Press Office web site.
• The BBC's Editorial Guidelines are on the BBC web site.
• The picture shows Terry Pratchet during filming for his programme 'Living with Alzheimer's' for BBC Two in February 2009.

As the Commissioning Editor for Documentaries at the BBC I'm really delighted to be contributing to the season because it gives us a real opportunity to engage our audiences in very timely and relevant issues that really matter to them, and to do so in a way that isn't preaching or patronising.  We've all watched those anti drugs and drinking videos they show you at school which can of course be really helpful.  But in the Dangerous Pleasures season we've been able to explore the dark side of drugs, sex and booze through the eyes and experiences of young people themselves.  Take the series How Drugs Work where we follow a group of real young people who use drugs recreationally, and trace the effects of cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy on the human body with the help of groundbreaking CGI effects.  Clearly everyone understands the risks associated with speaking out about drug use, but we were amazed how many people wanted to be take part and get involved.  Drugs are part of their lives and they wanted to find out more and have their say.   Have a look at Emily Atack in Ready, Steady, Drink and James Alexandrou in Cannabis: What's the Harm?   They have both had personal experiences of the consequences of extreme lifestyles and we are lucky enough to have them share their stories and offer invaluable insights.   And in Laura Hall's film, we witness the highs and horrifying lows of six years of binge drinking that have lead to over 40 arrests and 29 convictions, as she attempts to get herself back on track.

Clearly it's important we don't glamorise any of these issues and we've all worked hard to strike the right tone and balance in every film. But with the highest drug consumption and addiction levels in Europe, I genuinely believe it's our job as a public service broadcaster to approach challenging issues head on and to make sure we don't shy away from subjects just because they feel risky or taboo. The other thing to note is that none of our contributors have benefitted either financially or in-kind through taking part in our programmes and we are incredibly lucky and grateful that they were brave enough to come forward to let us tell their stories. We know the BBC Three audience wants to know more about these subjects and I think it's our duty to inform them.  In fact I think these films should be compulsive viewing beyond our core audience and for all parents too.  The films are full of myth busting facts and information. Jaime Winstone lifts the lid on orophyrangeal cancer which is caused by oral sex.  We learn what Cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy does to the brain.  Why you get a high - and why it's surely followed by a low - and the long term effects this process has.  Most young adults are just told not to touch drugs without being educated on why they should avoid it.  At last we're given the real facts.   

A few weeks ago, I was sat on a panel at the BBC Vision Forum discussing whether young people really watched documentaries anymore. I was sitting next to Stacey Dooley from the BBC Three hit Blood Sweat and T Shirts who explained how only 2 years ago her peers really thought only geeks were interested in docs.  But now she tells me, documentaries are 'cool' again.  And the figures on BBC Three are there to prove it.  Incredibly there has been an average 80% increase in viewers reach for documentary viewing since 2008 on BBC Three.   Our audiences are really curious about the world they live in.  They are not afraid of challenging content and issues.  And I hope we've hit the right mark for them with the Dangerous Pleasures season too

Charlotte Moore is the Commissioning Editor for Documentaries at the BBC

For those of you who aren't familiar with this annual event, it's the highlight of the year for the documentary industry, where every aspect is up for discussion and where lots of deals are negotiated and struck. It's the place to be for all parts of the industry, from burgeoning young film-makers to experienced documentary vets, and last week I was involved in two key sessions where I talked about the commitment the BBC has to continuing a long tradition of showcasing quality and making documentaries relevant to UK audiences.

What's become clear this week is that there is a feeling among the indies and film-makers that the documentaries market is proving tough - but despite the prevailing sense that the market is shrinking, my message is that the BBC continues to offer a significant opportunity to those film-makers who understand what we're looking for.

All of our channels offer different opportunities to showcase a range of documentaries from controversial and difficult subject matter to the outright entertaining and enlightening, and the commitment to bringing over 200 hours of single documentaries to air every year means there are some stellar opportunities for film-makers on the BBC channels.

On BBC One, for example, we've got slots at 9pm and 10.35pm - two prime-time positions which offer exciting opportunities for documentary makers, plus there are further opportunities on the channel to link up with other seasons and initiatives. Also on BBC Two commitment remains strong. The Wonderland strand is being opened up to the indie sector next year and the channel is not afraid to put hard-hitting pieces at the heart of the schedule: for example, the recent The Trouble with Girls by Morgan Matthews and Jo Hughes was topical and insightful.

Some of the highlights from this year demonstrate how documentaries can reach right to the heart of some of the most topical issues in contemporary society. Wounded followed the recovery of soldiers who had been very seriously injured in Afghanistan and aired in prime-time on BBC One reaching over 3 million viewers. BBC Two's The Price of Life, which secured exclusive and unprecedented access to NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), the controversial body that decides which drug treatments the NHS can afford, attracted a smaller audience but still generated widespread comment and debate.

We continue to explore important subjects and I'm proud that next year we have a Films of Record three-part documentary series coming up which has secured exclusive access to Great Ormond Street Hospital and looks at the critical and heart-breaking decisions that doctors and families must make about children's care.

As a Commissioner it's an exciting time to be involved in documentaries at the BBC - there's lots of scope, hunger, new subjects and new formats coming through. Inevitably sometimes delivering solid cut through can be hard, especially for the digital channels, but we are learning every step of the way how to make this happen, and we're finding that 'seasons' are a significantly strong method for the titles to punch through and give a broader, more in-depth focus to a subject. Examples recently include The Adult Season, Electric Revolution, Grey Expectations, and The Japan Season.

The digital channels specifically play an important role in bringing in and developing new on-screen talent and we're looking at more ways to nurture fresh faces and ideas. For example, we have recently increased our commitment to the new talent strand, Fresh, doubling the number of commissions available next year from three to six hours.

What I was really impressed with in Sheffield was the evidence of so much burgeoning talent coming through the ranks and that the industry is continuing to come up with superb formats and ideas.

On Friday, alongside fellow commissioners from other terrestrial broadcasters, I was part of a panel talking to a packed house of documentary makers about what we are looking for, the best ways to pitch and what we have been impressed with of late, so I'm hopeful that a deluge of great ideas will come my way over the coming months.

Many other interesting topics were under discussion over the weekend and one I thought worth mentioning related to the use of celebrities to front documentaries. My opinion on this is fairly straightforward.

Celebrities do have a place in documentaries if there is a strong reason to use them. Stephen Fry and Terry Pratchett brought in a broader audience to the subject of mental health and were absolutely worth using as presenters for this reason. However, you've got to choose your well-known faces carefully - you want them there if they are relevant, not just to provide stardust.

And finally, I was involved in a major session on Saturday night called 'How Much Does the BBC Love Docs?'. As you can imagine, there was quite a lively audience debate with the panel where I was joined by Nick Mirsky, the Series Editor of Wonderland, and Nick Fraser, the Editor of BBC Four's international documentary strand Storyville.

A stream of clips from esteemed documentary makers from the indie sector giving their views kick-started what I felt were extremely worthwhile and positive discussions which carried on well into the evening when I met with more of my peers from the industry. On the whole I believe that our assurances that documentaries will remain at the heart of the BBC's schedules were well received and we reaffirmed our commitment to supporting the industry as much as possible.

I would be interested to know what you think.

(Charlotte Moore is BBC Commissioning Editor for Documentaries)