The awards of the 31st edition of Sheffield DocFest 2024 were announced June 16 at Sheffield’s Crucible Playhouse with the Grand Jury Award for International Competition going to At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking by Maja Novaković. The Grand Jury Award for the International First Feature Competition was won by The Boy and the Suit of Lights by Inma de Reyes. Full winners and competition section titles below.
This year Sheffield DocFest presented 48 world, 14 international, 17 European and 28 UK Premieres from 56 countries. The festival saw public attendance increase by more than 20% compared to 2023, organisers reveal. International industry attendance also rose, with 2283 delegates from 73 countries attending the six-day festival in person (up from 60 countries in 2023). 179 Industry representatives from 128 companies and 24 countries took more than 1031 in-person meetings with 49 selected projects and 16 ‘talents’ over the course of the festival market days.
THE GRAND JURY AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION was awarded to At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking directed by Maja Novaković (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2024). This Award is Academy Award® accredited and honours films that best display strong artistic vision and courageous storytelling. Jury citation: “With cinematic excellence the director slowly reveals a story of isolation and trauma in a landscape of beauty yet deep historical scars. An emerging director to watch.” Special Mention: Mother City directed by Miki Redelinghuys and Pearlie Joubert (South Africa, 2024). Jury citation: “The jury would like to give a special mention to Mother City for the filmmakers bravery, passion and commitment, a story the world needs to know.”
THE GRAND JURY AWARD FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION was presented to The Boy and the Suit of Lights directed by Inma de Reyes (Scotland, UK, 2024). This competition honours the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising new talent and is supported by Netflix. Jury citation: “The jury has chosen the winning film for its visually stunning reflection on culture and society, told through the journey of a boy finding his way to manhood. It triggers an inner discussion, challenging our ideas about the modern world versus fading traditions and beliefs.” Special Mention: Silent Men by Duncan Cowles (Scotland, UK, 2024). Citation: “The jury was impressed by the vulnerable approach to a sensitive subject, told in a fresh, open, even humorous tone.”
THE GRAND JURY AWARD FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION was awarded to Flowers directed by José Cardoso (South Africa, Ecuador, 2024). This Academy Award®, BAFTA and BIFA accredited award honours the best creative approaches in documentaries under 40 minutes. Jury citation: “As a jury we enjoyed this distinct and daring film, which had a strong sense of purpose and style. The director conveyed a clear and urgent sense of storytelling. The jury left feeling inspired and thoughtful.” Special Mention: Dancing Palestine by Lamees Almakkawy (United Kingdom, 2024). Citation: “The film provided a new and fresh perspective on Palestine and its culture, and the jury appreciated its ambition.”
TIM HETHERINGTON AWARD (presented in association with Dogwoof) went to No Other Land by Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal (Palestine, Norway, 2024 ). The award recognises a film and filmmaker that best reflects the legacy of photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington. Jury citation (in part): “This is a powerful collaboration amongst journalists from opposite sides of a political gulf, who come together to tell the story of the continued destruction of Masafer Yatta in Palestine.“
THE INTERNATIONAL VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION honours the best virtual reality non-fiction work. The award was presented to Marianne Wobcke, Volker Keuchelmeister, Lucia Barrera for Perinatal Dreaming – Understanding Country (Australia, 2023). Jury citation: “Combining cultural, ancestral and embodied knowledge, this work situates its audience in visual and sonic landscapes that are full, complex and spatial. For making the mundane magical, and channelling a full realisation of both the opportunities and limitations of the VR medium.”
THE YOUTH JURY AWARD was presented to HAIYU – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara directed by Alex Veitch, Brahim B. Ali, Mohamedsalem Uered, Anna Klara Åhrén (Sweden, Western Sahara, 2024), five of the UK’s most passionate young documentary lovers to celebrate non-fiction cinema. Jury citation (in part): “The film displays music as a source of resistance and refuge for the Saharawi people. The film challenges the still very present view of women of colour as oppressed figures. By depicting an authentic representation of Mariem Hussain, the film tells a story beyond prejudice and amplifies the need to free all occupied states.” Special Mention: Life on the Edge by Johnny Langenheim, Sebastian Feehan (Greenland, United Kingdom). Jury said: “We commend its incredible team for championing and preserving Indigenous stories, and actively working towards the destigmatisation of the suicide and mental health struggles of Greenland.”
2024 PITCH SESSION WINNERS
Three pitch sessions took place during the festival for selected emerging directors to pitch their non-fiction projects to panels of judges.
THE WHICKERS PITCH, FILM & TV FUNDING AWARD 2024 with a prize of £100,000 went to Camels of the Sea, dir. Vikram Singh (India). The development prize of £20,000 went to Replica, dir. Chouwa Liang (China).The award recognises original and innovative documentary, and uses the generous legacy of its namesake, pioneering broadcaster Alan Whicker, to support emerging, international directors working on their first feature-length documentaries. David Green, Film Director and TV Producer, Whicker’s World, said: “At every stage of The Whickers judging process, I thought the standard was extremely high. I believe it was the highest ever. It was a huge privilege to decide on a winner amongst winners. Alan Whicker would have been intrigued by this process and extremely proud of the outcome. Our winning project is a compelling and warm cinematic film about our relationship with the animal kingdom that touches on critical issues facing the world we live in today.”
Special Mention by Sajad Imani (Iran). Jury citation: “On behalf of the Whickers Development Award Jury, we are thrilled to announce this year’s recipient. This film offers a groundbreaking exploration of AI relationships in China through the lives of three women. It delves into the profound impact of AI companionship, highlighting a significant cultural shift and raising important questions about the future of human relationships in the digital age. The authenticity and depth of the narrative are elevated by the director’s personal connection to the subject.”
THE PODCAST PITCH first prize (£5000) went to Rewriting the Narrative by Christina Hardinge (UK), and the second prize (£2000) went to Degenerate by Matt Durai (Malaysia). The winners were chosen for being the most creative and promising pitches, and the prizes were funded by the Whickers foundation. Jury citation for Rewriting the Narrative: “This project could only be done in audio. The production process is highly original and is hugely well thought through. It has a unique dual function in that it offers therapeutic benefits for the participants as well as making incredible audio.” Jury citation for Degenerate by Matt Durai (Malaysia): “This project has massive ambition and comes from a really distinctive voice with a unique reason to make this series. It has a global take on an issue that needs more attention.”
Special Mention: Keening: The Song Before The Stranding by Aoife Glass and Sam Gare (UK/Scotland). The Jury said the project is a “beautiful and poetic approach to natural history.”
CHANNEL 4 FIRST CUT PITCH saw five short-listed directors present and discuss a 3-minute micro-documentary on the themed brief ‘The Change.’ This was won by Helen Waddell, securing a commission from Channel 4 for their first 60-minute film, and one month of fully-paid development with an indie to support the development of their idea. Rita Daniels, Editor of the Channel 4 First Cut Strand said, “Helen’s film was uniquely Channel 4. It had heart and humour but also a social message in the centre of the film. I can’t wait to work with Helen on her first 60-minute film.”
The inaugural AL JAZEERA DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL CO-PRODUCTION AWARD supports one project chosen from the MeetMarket with a prize of 15.000USD awarded by the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel. This was awarded to Kikuyu Land directors Bea Wangondu and Andrew H. Brown, producers Bea Wangondu (Ragtag Collective), Andrew H. Brown (The Bea Company) and Mike Morrisroe, and co-producer Joseph Njenga (Kenya, USA, 2024).
Ahmed Mahfouz Nouh, MD Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, said: “This film goes beyond reporting and captivates the essence of being Kenyan. A courageous journalist, who ventures into civil proceedings against the British crown and behind the tea plantation veil, finds out more than just societal issues – insecurities engrained in families emerge as well from under the carpet.
“It honours the bravery needed to look backward even as we search for new paths. It is a tale that had to be shared, it’s a story that needs to be told and shared with the young generation and it’s our honour to recognise such a bold and impactful work.”
