Iranian Docs Dominate IDFA Awards, Festival Head Talks Political Films

Two Iranian films are recognized as the main winners of the 38th competition IDFAAt the same time, Mehrdad Oskoui's film “The Fox Under the Pink Moon” received the award for best film at the international competition, and Morteza Ahmadvand and Firouz Khosrovani's film “Past, Future, Ongoing” became the best film at the Envision competition. Other winners included Maasi Ooms' My Word Against Mine and Davood Khilmandi's Paykar, which took home the awards for Best Dutch Film and Best First Feature respectively.

This has been a year of change at IDFA, with longtime IDFA Foundation Director Berta Isabel Arrate Fernandez moving to the position of IDFA Artistic Director. Hours before the awards ceremony, the veteran director is still briskly wandering the labyrinthine corridors of the festival house of the International Theater of Amsterdam. “I'm full of energy,” she says. Diversity. People are surprised that I'm still standing.”

However, taking part in IDFA, the most important documentary film festival in the world, was no easy task at a time of rising political tension that has brought documentary filmmaking into a permanent state of emergency. This year's festival was highlighted by several films addressing current socio-political crises such as the war in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, such as Dmitry Sukholitsky-Sobchuk's Silent Flood and Abdulrahman Sabbah's The Gaza Clown, as well as docs addressing the growing distrust of mainstream media, such as Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus's Cover Up, as well as issues related to the growing popularity of artificial intelligence, such as in Mark Isaacs' Synthetic Sincerity.

“I see that we have been able to create space for meaningful dialogue and discussions that are not one-dimensional,” says Arrate Fernandez when asked how she deals with such difficult political moments. “In moments like the ones you're describing, the way forward is to create that space where conversations can happen, where people are confronted with challenges, especially given the last two years and what IDFA has been through as an organization. I hope I can continue to build on that.”

And, “given the last two years,” the festival director is referring to the challenges the festival has faced since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip. In 2023, the event in the Netherlands came under significant scrutiny after pro-Palestinian protesters took to the stage during its opening ceremony with a slogan that was perceived as a chant for Palestinian liberation but was seen as an expression of hostility by those who support Israel. What followed was an abrupt plunge into troubled waters, with filmmakers withdrawing from the festival as the team tried to navigate the complex political climate just five weeks after the events of October 7.

What happened in 2023 prompted then-IDFA artistic director Orwa Nirabiya—along with Arrate Fernandez, former Sundance head Tabitha Jackson and Arab Foundation for Arts and Culture executive director Rima Mismar—to organize a symposium to discuss how festivals and cultural institutions can deal with protests and debates. The results of the symposium have just been published by IDFA.

“I think it’s really important in any communication, and for me in general in this role, to be considerate of others and to feel and show empathy,” she adds about how she deals with the nuances of the current situation. “That doesn't necessarily mean it will change my position, but when you take that into consideration, it also forces you to take some care in how you speak and when you speak. I think it's important to be honest, to be transparent, to have difficult conversations and to call things as they are.”

Returning to the awards, Arrate Fernandez notes that despite the fact that the main winners are Iranian, and the country's strong presence at the festival this year, all juries “make independent decisions.” “The films are very different in the way they explore cinematic language and tell stories, so if we take away nationality or country of production, we can also see two impressive works.”

The International Competition jury praised the main character of “Foxes in the Pink Moon” for “her radiant energy.” “This inspiring collaboration between an established director and a young emerging artist allows her to reclaim her identity in the face of exile and domestic violence, to flourish despite repression, and to find solace in her creativity. A self-portrait that documents the coming of age of an Afghan artist whose work will continue to resonate,” the jury added.

As for the Envision winner, Past Future Continuous, the jury said it was a unanimous decision for a film in which “the form takes the subject matter to the next level.” “The creators have invented and created a reality in which the cinematic experience offers emotional truth,” the statement said. The film is an unusual and poignant cinematic experiment that brings together different lines of thought: diaspora, exile, historical repetition and personal memory.”

The full list of IDFA winners is below: