“Dry Sky,” produced by Ibrahim Omar, gained the Discussion board Award for Finest Pitch Wednesday at IDFA documentary competition in Amsterdam. “Do You Love Me,” produced by Lana Y. Daher, took dwelling the Discussion board Award for Finest Tough Minimize, and “On the lookout for the Mermaid” by Yara Costa gained the Producers Connection Award. The DocLab Discussion board Award went to “Amorphous” by Might Abdalla.
Talking about Discussion board Award for Finest Pitch winner “Dry Sky” (Sudan, Egypt), jury members Dorota Lech and Malin Huber stated: “For an articulation of a refined cinematic language and a brave proposal of therapeutic. Informed by a singular and important inside perspective we sit up for a collective endeavor to think about new futures. It takes a village.”
Logline: The movie follows Ibrahim who’s on his method again to his hometown. He endeavors to construct what he has dreamt of all his life. Nevertheless, he faces a destiny intertwined with the reminiscences of the previous within the village. Alongside his pal and their donkey, he strives relentlessly to interrupt free from this constraint.
The jury additionally acknowledged “Concrete Land” by Asmahan Bkerat and “The Great thing about Errors” by Jukka Kärkkäinen with Particular Mentions for the Discussion board Award for Finest Pitch.
Talking about Discussion board Tough Minimize Award winner “Do You Love Me” (France, Lebanon), the jury—consisting of Burcu Melekoglu and Mandisa Zitha—stated: “Lana Y. Daher masterfully weaves a fragile and poignant story of a metropolis and its heartbreaking but resilient historical past. By the evocative use of archival supplies from Lebanese cinema, she appropriates the visuals of town from movies as a illustration of the cyclical historical past and nature of reminiscences, bringing to life a story that’s each deeply private and profoundly common. The work stands as a testomony to the facility of reminiscence and artwork in navigating collective grief and renewal.”
Logline: The movie is an archival journey by Beirut. Utilizing primarily Lebanese cinema from the 50s to at the moment, it weaves collectively previous and current to discover Lebanon’s present standing and psyche.
The jury for the Producers Connection Award, Bianca Oana and Daan Vermeulen, stated of “On the lookout for the Mermaid” (Mozambique): “The world is disappearing earlier than our eyes. That may be a robust assertion in itself. However the successful undertaking additionally brings forth the concept that cinema may also help protect dying worlds whereas on the similar time enriching our creativeness with new potentialities of being collectively and of creating movies.”
Logline: A chanted love promise between a fisherman and a mermaid and a narrative of a part of humanity betraying Earth.
The DocLab Discussion board jury, consisting of Jazia Hammoudi and Liz Rosenthal, stated about “Amorphous” (U.Ok.): “’Amorphous’ is that this 12 months’s winner due to its ingenious use of play for a transformational function in relation to the disaster in self-image and physique dysmorphia. Its messaging is experiential somewhat than didactic, making it acceptable for all types of audiences and demographics. Its design and format current a viable path ahead for the immersive subject and can attraction to numerous immersive media areas.”
Logline: An immersive multiplayer expertise about how you’re feeling in your pores and skin.
“The 4 Flooring of Faneuil Corridor” by Simon Wooden and Meghna Singh was acknowledged with an Honorable Point out for the DocLab Discussion board Award.
The jury stated: “The usage of area and structure to floor their story imbues the undertaking with narrative readability that makes their level crystal clear concerning the contradiction of democratic society constructed on legacies of slavery, genocide and colonialism. The undertaking’s set up format makes it adaptable to many contexts, which opens up the potential of future iterations past Faneuil Corridor itself.”