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IDFA 2019 Awards

In a Whisper crowned Best Feature-length Documentary at IDFA

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- Other winners were the Iranian-Norwegian co-production Sunless Shadows and the Dutch movie Punks, among others

In a Whisper crowned Best Feature-length Documentary at IDFA
The winners of IDFA 2019

Filmmakers Heidi Hassan and Patricia Pérez Fernández have emerged as the winners in the category of Best Feature-length Documentary with In a Whisper [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Patricia Pérez and Heidi Ha…
film profile
]
(Spain/France/Switzerland/Cuba) at the 31st edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which runs from 20 November-1 December. The awards ceremony took place at the Eye Film Museum in Amsterdam. Hassan and Fernández were awarded €20,000 for their film, which looks at their relationship as Cuban filmmakers who rediscover their shared passion for film, friendship and freedom.

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This year, the main competition also included awards for Best Director, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. Sunless Shadows [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(Iran/Norway) by Iranian filmmaker Merhdad Oskouei was awarded the €2,500 financial prize for Best Director. Sander Vos was acknowledged for his editing on Punks [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(Netherlands), as was the movie’s director and cinematographer, Maasja Ooms, for her cinematography, and both gongs came with a financial prize of €2,500. This year’s jury members for the Competition for Feature-length Documentary were Claire Simon, Mila Turajlić, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Gaston Kaboré and Rima Mismar.

In the Competition for First Appearance, Solidarity (UK) by Lucy Parker took home the prize of €10,000. In addition, the jury gave Special Mentions to Froth (Russia/Qatar), directed by Ilya Povolotsky, and I owe you a letter about Brazil (Brazil) by Carol Benjamin.

The Award for Best Mid-length Documentary went to Anticlockwise (Iran) by Jalal Vafaei, taking home €7,500. Mother-Child (Argentina) by Andrea Testa received a Special Mention from the jury.

Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth was awarded the IDFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. His latest film, I Walk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jørgen Leth
film profile
]
, was also screened at the festival.

Here is the full list of award winners:

IDFA Competition for Feature-length Documentary

IDFA Award for Best Feature-length Documentary
In a Whisper [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Patricia Pérez and Heidi Ha…
film profile
]
- Heidi Hassan and Patricia Pérez Fernández (Spain/France/Switzerland/Cuba)

IDFA Award for Best Directing
Sunless Shadows [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Mehrdad Oskouei (Iran/Norway)

IDFA Award for Best Editing
Punks [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Sander Vos (Netherlands)

IDFA Award for Best Cinematography
Punks - Maasja Ooms

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

IDFA Award for Best First Appearance
Solidarity - Lucy Parker (UK)

Special Mentions
Froth - Ilya Povolotsky (Russia/Qatar)
I owe you a letter about Brazil - Carol Benjamin (Brazil)

IDFA Competition for Mid-length Documentary

IDFA Award for Best Mid-length Documentary
Anticlockwise - Jalal Vafaei (Iran)

Special Mention
Mother-Child - Andrea Testa (Argentina)

IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling

IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling
The Waiting Room - Victoria Mapplebeck (UK)

Special Jury Award for Creative Technology
In Event of Moon Disaster - Francesca Panetta and Halsey Burgund (USA)

IDFA DocLab Competition for Immersive Non-fiction

IDFA DocLab Award for Immersive Non-fiction
Vast Body 22 - Vincent Morisset (Canada)

Special Jury Award for Creative Technology
Only Expansion - Duncan Speakman (UK)

IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary

IDFA Award for Best Dutch Documentary
Sidik and the Panther - Reber Dosky (Netherlands)

IDFA Competition for Short Documentary

IDFA Award for Best Short Documentary
Up at Night - Nelson Makengo (Congo/Belgium)

IDFA Competition for Student Documentary

IDFA Award for Best Student Documentary
Saudade - Denize Galiao (Germany)

​IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs

IDFA Award for Best Children’s Documentary
Asho - Jafar Najafi (Iran)

IDFA Competition for Creative Use of Archive

Beeld en Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award
Letter to the Editor - Alan Berliner (USA)

IDFA’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Jørgen Leth (Denmark)

Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Documentary Stipend
Marina Meijer (Netherlands)

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