IDFA 2020

A beautiful love letter that breathes the unconditional love of a community for the ground beneath its feet, and the will to preserve a treasure much greater than any money can buy.

In this non-judgmental, respectful and empathetic documentary, three Israeli families hold on to the semen of their dead sons for future harvesting.

Prolific Icelandic filmmakers Anní Olafsdottir (IDFAcademy 2020) and Andri Snær Magnason brief BDE on their current, highly pertinent, creative docs whose content and production have been either informed or affected by lockdown.

Nexo Digital, whose slogan is ‘entertain Your brain,’ is continuing to do brisk business on its huge slate of art, culture and history documentaries on subjects like Modigliani, Anne Frank and the last days of Pompeii.

An enthralling look back at the moment when, in the 1970s, women finally decided that enough was enough, and the time was ripe to fight for pensions, equal pay and maternity leave.

A thoroughly absorbing, beautifully structured film that offers a perspective on football, that of the ref, that is rarely seen.

IDFA Award for Best Directing (€5,000) goes to Vitaly Mansky for Gorbachev. Heaven. IDFA First Appearance Award (€10,000) to Alina Gorlova for 'This Rain Will Never Stop'.

Oli Harbottle, Head of Distribution & Acquisitions at leading UK documentary outfit Dogwoof, gives an upbeat forecast for the UK doc sector in 2021. He also predicts that Dogwoof will be able to survive any continuing slowdown in the theatrical business caused by the pandemic.

Leading doc producer Heino Deckert (centre) discusses Mansky and Kossakovsky with Business Doc Europe, how to balance sales and production activity (not easy in a lockdown), and the current US fascination with European documentaries.

Not just a jubilant homage to the beauty of the Wadden’s unique intertidal wetlands, Pieter-Rim de Kroon’s film also sets out to show the place in a less than idyllic light…