Sergei Loznitsa: Photo and Copyright Roger Cremers 2021
IDFA announced November 25 the winners of the competition programs during the 2021 Awards Ceremony which took place in Amsterdam’s Compagnietheater, in addition to being live-streamed. The 34th edition of IDFA has been running as an in-person event and has, to date, generated over 100,000 cinema visits.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Mr. Landsbergis (Lithuania, Netherlands) by Sergei Loznitsa was the winner of the IDFA Award for Best Film (€15,000). “It is not easy to bring history to life. It is even more difficult to make it thrilling, urgent, and totally enriching, to make it feel like we are living through it as it happens. On every level of craft, the winning film represents a monumental achievement that fully explores the role one man, one nation, and one historical moment can play in the still-unfolding story of the global struggle for freedom and self-determination. The 2021 IDFA Award for Best Film in the International Competition goes to Sergei Loznitsa’s stunningly complete and gripping Mr. Landsbergis,” the jury reported.
The IDFA Award for Best Directing (€5,000) in the International Competition went to Diem Ha Le for Children of the Mist(Vietnam).
The IDFA Award for Best Editing (€2,500) went to Danielius Kokanauskis for Mr. Landsbergis (Lithuania, Netherlands), and the IDFA Award for Best Cinematography (€2,500) went to Where Are We Headed (Belarus, Russia), filmed and directed by Ruslan Fedotow.
ENVISION COMPETITION
Karim Kassem won the IDFA Award for Best Film in Envision Competition (€15,000) for Octopus (Lebanon, Qatar, United States). “This film develops its own imagistic language: a language of mystery and loss in the aftermath of a tragedy. It was made with great respect toward the subject matter and it felt like a story told from the inside. There are no answers presented, just the questions of life in the face of a disaster,” the jury reported.
The Award for Best Directing (€5,000) in the Envision Competition went to Pim Zwier for O, Collecting Eggs Despite the Times (Netherlands), and the Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution (€2,500) went to Lindiwe Matshikiza for One Take Grace (South Africa). The jury for the Envision Competition decided to award a special mention to Skin (Brazil) by Marcos Pimentel.
IDFA DOCLAB COMPETITION FOR IMMERSIVE NON-FICTION
Sacha Wares and John Pring won the IDFA DocLab Award for Immersive Non-Fiction (€5,000) for Museum of Austerity(United Kingdom).
The Special Jury Award for Creative Technology (€2,500) went to Marcel van Brakel and Mark Meeuwenoord for Symbiosis (Netherlands).
IDFA DOCLAB COMPETITION FOR DIGITAL STORYTELLING
Tamara Shogaolu won the IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling (€5,000) with Un(re)solved (United States, Netherlands).
The Special Jury Award for Creative Technology (€2,500) went to Ravi and Emma (Australia) by Kylie Boltin, Ella Rubeli, Ravi Vasavan, and Emma Anderson.
IDFA COMPETITION FOR SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Handbook (Germany, Belarus) by Pavel Mozhar won the IDFA Award for Best Short Documentary (€5,000). A special mention in the IDFA Competition for Short Documentary went to Wolf Whispers (France) by Chloé Belloc.
IDFA COMPETITION FOR YOUTH DOCUMENTARY
The IDFA Award for Best Youth Film (€5,000) went to Shamira Raphaëla for Shabu (Netherlands, Belgium). A special mention in the IDFA Competition for Youth Documentary went to Water, Wind, Dust, Bread (Iran) by Mahdi Zamanpoor Kiasari.
IDFA 2021 CROSS-SECTION AWARDS
This edition was the first to present four cross-section awards. From the International Competition, Envision Competition, Luminous, and Frontlight selections, three international juries chose the winners of the IDFA Award for Best First Feature, the IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film, and the FIPRESCI Award. From across the program, an international jury chose the winner of the Beeld en Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award for Best Creative Use of Archive.
From the nominated films, the IDFA Award for Best First Feature (€5,000) went to Where Are We Headed (Belarus, Russia), directed by Ruslan Fedotow. The jury also awarded a special mention to Children of the Mist (Vietnam) by Diem Ha Le.
From the nominated films, the IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film (€7,500) went to Maasja Ooms for Jason (Netherlands). A special mention was given to Housewitz (Netherlands) by Oeke Hoogendijk.
The FIPRESCI AWARD (€5,000) was given to Jafar Najafi for Makeup Artist (Iran).
From the nominated films, the Beeld en Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award for Best Creative Use of Archive (€5,000) went to Robin Hunzinger for Ultraviolette and the Blood-Spitters Gang (France). A special mention was awarded to Sergei Loznitsa for Babi Yar. Context (Netherlands, Ukraine).
IDFA FORUM AWARDS
On November 24 the IDFA Forum Awards were announced at the Compagnietheater. Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff’s project La Casa won the IDFA Forum Award for Best Pitch, Anna Shishova-Bogolubova’s The New Greatness picked up the IDFA Forum Award for Best Rough Cut, while the DocLab Forum Award went to Continuum VR by Daniela Maldonado, Tomas Espinosa, and Paula Gempeler. Each award includes a cash prize of €1,500.
