Nick Cunningham

Human Rights Award to Arica, Best Hungarian Film announced as Colors of Tobi, Best Student & Debut Film Award for Don’t Hesitate to Come for a Visit, Mom. The Audience Award went to the Hungarian film Divas by Máté Kőrösi. The festival, which comprised a selection of 64 films from 35 countries, ran in-person 10-14 November and continues online to November 21.

“Returning to cinemas, in my view, is an act of resistance,” Orwa Nyrabia tells BDE ahead of an IDFA that may be presented with a greater degree of sobriety in 2021, but with no less ambition and vigour. “The challenge is that we all come together and share the responsibility, prove together that a film festival can be a serious collective experience, and be safe and healthy, at the same time. That said, being ‘healthy’ is not only a matter of not catching a virus, but also a mental, cultural, political, and philosophical question, and even more so during a pandemic.”

International Documentary Association (IDA) announced November 15 the 37th Annual IDA Documentary Awards nominees for all categories as well as the winners for two sponsored awards. IDA members can vote online for Best Feature and Best Short categories from December 13, 2021. Winners to be announced February 5, 2022 at Paramount Studios, Los Angeles.

Nov 15: Following its world prem at the Hamptons the European premiere at London FF, National Geographic Documentary Films has announced a November 26 UK theatrical release date for Matthew Heineman’s The First Wave. The film, to be released by Dogwoof, has won several awards on the festival circuit, most recently the David Carr Award at the Montclair Film Festival.

“We are delighted to share that the festival continues in person next week, and cinemas remain open,” the festival stated late November 12, following measures laid out by the Dutch government. “We can confidently announce that from November 17 to 28, all films, talks, and performances will go on in full, with the utmost health and safety measures in effect.”

The Board of Directors of the Swedish Film Institute has appointed Anette Novak as its new CEO. Novak joins SFI from the post of Director General at The Swedish Media Council. She will take up the position on 4 April 2022 and takes over from Anna Serner who stepped down earlier this year after 10 years in the role.

The Budapest, Biarritz and Bologna-based events “share an interest in contemporary European creative documentary films and are committed to managing their activities transparently, and in supporting each other in producing sustainable and diverse international film festival events,” they write in a statement released during the Verzió International Human Rights FF, running 9-14 November.

The 2021 festival includes more than 120 feature-length documentaries, including 32 world premieres and 34 US premieres. Opening Night film is Penny Lane's Listening to Kenny G, Closing Night is Matthew Heineman’s The First Wave. Centerpiece docs are Sam Pollard and Rex Miller's Citizen Ashe and Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner's Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over.

European Film Academy announced Nov 19 the European Documentary nominations (among other categories) for the 34th European Film Awards. The 4,100+ EFA members will now vote for the winners who will be presented during the awards ceremony 11 December (Berlin). Flee also named in European Animated Feature category. My Uncle Tudor and In Flow of Words nominated in European Short category.

Directed by Swedish Lars Edman and William Johansson Kalén, the multi award-winning doc follows the struggle of people in the Chilean town of Arica as they fight for justice against a multinational Swedish company that exported 20,000 tonnes of highly toxic mining waste there in the 1980s. Sales are handled by Swiss-based Lightdox.