28/11/2019 - Other winners were the Iranian-Norwegian co-production Sunless Shadows and the Dutch movie Punks, among others

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.

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)