“The Flats” Clinches the Prestigious DOX:Award at CPH:DOX 2024
Short Summary:
The 2024 CPH:DOX film festival awarded its top prize, the DOX:Award, to "The Flats" by Alessandra Celesia. Other notable winners include "The Son and the Moon" for the NORDIC:DOX AWARD and "Black Snow" taking home the F:ACT AWARD. The festival recognized films across multiple categories, showcasing a wide range of storytelling and artistic innovation.
The CPH:DOX 2024 film festival, a significant event in the international documentary film calendar, has announced this year's winners across its competition categories, including the highly anticipated DOX:Award and the audience favorite, AUDIENCE:AWARD.
DOX:Award The festival's main accolade, the DOX:Award, was presented to "The Flats" by Alessandra Celesia, a collaboration among France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Belgium. This film stood out for its creative and conceptual bravery, offering a vivid collective portrait that explores life beyond societal divisions and borders. The jury, comprising international film experts, praised Celesia for her ability to let the story and its characters lead the narrative. "The Flats" was selected from 12 feature-length world premieres, receiving a €10,000 prize sponsored by DR. A special mention in this category went to "Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other" by Jacob Perlmutter & Manon Ouimet, for its beautifully documented story of a relationship in later life.
NEW:VISION Award The NEW:VISION Award was claimed by "Preemptive Listening" by Aura Satz, a UK and Finland co-production that delves into the themes of disorder, chaos, and the human desire for certainty through sensory abstraction. This category featured 15 titles and awarded a €5,000 prize. Special mentions went to "Lichens Are The Way" by Ondřej Vavrečka and "My Want of You Partakes of Me" by Sasha Litvintseva & Beny Wagner for their innovative storytelling and exploration of interconnectedness and identity.
F:ACT Award "Black Snow" by Alina Simone, a documentary from the United States, won the F:ACT Award for its critical look at environmental crimes and the fight for justice against formidable odds. The film received €5,000, supported by International Media Support and the Danish Journalist Union. This competition focused on the intersection between documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism.
NORDIC:DOX Award The NORDIC:DOX Award, with a €5,000 prize, was awarded to "The Son and the Moon" by Roja Pakari from Denmark, for its emotional and cinematic exploration of memory and legacy. A special mention was given to "G - 21 Scenes from Gottsunda" by Loran Batti for offering a unique insider perspective on a specific social milieu.
NEXT:WAVE Award "Grand Me" by Atiye Zare Arandi, a Belgium and Iran production, secured the NEXT:WAVE Award for its portrayal of a custody battle from the perspective of a nine-year-old. This category, judged by emerging artist experts, comes with a €5,000 prize and highlights innovative and emerging talents in filmmaking.
HUMAN:RIGHTS Award The HUMAN:RIGHTS Award was introduced to honor documentaries supporting human rights, awarding "Black Box Diaries" by Shiori Ito for its powerful narrative on women's rights in Japan. A special mention went to "Marching in the Dark" by Kinshuk Surjan for its celebration of women's community and resilience.
AUDIENCE:AWARD The festival-goers' choice, the AUDIENCE:AWARD, was given to "No Other Land" by Rachel Szor, Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, & Hamdan Bilal, a heart-wrenching story from Palestine that left a significant impact on viewers, highlighted for its honest and brave storytelling.
INTER:ACTIVE Award Finally, the INTER:ACTIVE Award for the best immersive work was presented to "Intangible" by Carl Emil Carlsen from Denmark, celebrated for its originality, artistic quality, and engaging experience that bridges contemporary art with interactive technology.
The 2024 CPH:DOX has once again underscored the power of documentary filmmaking to explore, question, and celebrate human experience across a spectrum of narratives and artistic expressions.