IDA Documentary Awards 2024 Nominees Announced: Films from 77 Countries Compete in Los Angeles

The International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced the nominees for its 40th annual IDA Documentary Awards, set to take place on December 5, 2024, at The Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, USA. Representing a record 77 countries, this year’s nominees span 14 competitive categories, reflecting the global reach of nonfiction storytelling.

With over 700 entries submitted this year, the awards spotlight the finest achievements in documentary filmmaking. The IDA revealed shortlists for its Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary categories earlier this year, with all nominated entries evaluated by jurors from over 40 countries.

Prominent entries include "Sugarcane" by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, "No Other Land" by Basel Adra and collaborators, and Shiori Ito’s autobiographical "Black Box Diaries." The full nominee list encompasses a wide range of subjects, styles, and perspectives, celebrating the diversity of nonfiction media.

Dawn Porter, a celebrated documentarian whose recent work includes "Luther: Never Too Much," will receive the Career Achievement Award. The Courage Under Fire Award will honor the directors of "No Other Land," who faced death threats following public advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza. Shiori Ito, director of "Black Box Diaries," will be presented with the Emerging Filmmaker Award.

Hosting the evening will be Adam Conover, the actor and comedian known for his wit and deep engagement with contemporary issues. The ceremony will be streamed live on documentary.org and IDA’s YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram channels.

IDA’s Executive Director, Dominic Asmall Willsdon, emphasized the event's significance, stating, “The 40th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year. We are grateful to all filmmakers who shared their work for consideration this year, representing a record amount of countries in the award’s history.”

Winners of the ABC News VideoSource Award and the Pare Lorentz Award will also be announced during the ceremony. IDA members can access nominated films for voting in select categories from November 19 through December 1.

Best Feature Documentary

1. "Agent of Happiness" (Bhutan, Hungary) / Directors: Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó / Producers: Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze, Arun Bhattarai
2. "Black Box Diaries" (Japan, USA, UK) / Director: Shiori Ito / Producers: Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Ito
3. "Dahomey" (France, Senegal, Benin) / Director: Mati Diop / Producers: Eve Robin, Judith Lou Lévy, Mati Diop
4. "Ernest Cole: Lost and Found" (France, South Africa, USA) / Director: Raoul Peck / Producers: Tamara Rosenberg, Raoul Peck
5. "No Other Land" (Palestine, Norway, USA) / Directors: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham / Producers: Fabien Greenberg, bård Kjøge Rønning
6. "Queendom" (USA, France) / Director: Agniia Galdanova / Producers: Igor Myakotin, Agniia Galdanova
7. "Seeking Mavis Beacon" (USA) / Director: Jazmin Renée Jones / Producers: Guetty Felin, Olivia McKayla Ross
8. "Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat" (Belgium, France, Netherlands) / Director: Johan Grimonprez / Producers: Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety
9. "Sugarcane" (USA) / Directors: Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie / Producers: Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn
10. "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" (USA) / Director: Benjamin Ree / Producer: Ingvil Giske

Best Short Documentary

1. "A Move" (Iran, UK) / Director: Elahe Esmaili / Producer: Hossein Behboudi Rad
2. "A Movement Against the Transparency of the Stars of the Seas" (USA, Philippines) / Director: Esy Casey / Producers: Esy Casey, Nur Jannah Kaalim
3. "Amma ki Katha" (India) / Director: Nehal Vyas / Producers: Nehal Vyas, Advik Beni
4. "Enchunkunoto (The Return)" (Kenya) / Director: Laissa Malih / Producers: Kavita Pillay, Adam Mazo, Tracy Rector, Taylor Hensel
5. "Instruments of a Beating Heart" (Japan) / Director: Ema Ryan Yamazaki / Producer: Eric Nyari
6. "Modern Goose" (Canada) / Director: Karsten Wall / Producer: Alicia Smith
7. "Nine Easy Dances" (Canada) / Director/Producer: Nora Rosenthal
8. "The Medallion" (UK, Ethiopia, USA) / Director: Ruth Hunduma / Producers: Lily Usher, Tolu Stedford
9. "The Poem We Sang" (Canada, Palestine, Jordan) / Director: Annie Sakkab / Producers: Annie Sakkab, Paul Lee
10. "Until He’s Back" (USA, Spain, Morocco) / Director: Jacqueline Baylon / Producers: Jacqueline Baylon, Hailey Gavin

Best Director

1. Agniia Galdanova ("Queendom") / USA, France
2. Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham ("No Other Land") / Palestine, Norway, USA
3. Johan Grimonprez ("Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat") / Belgium, France, Netherlands
4. Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie ("Sugarcane") / USA
5. Shiori Ito ("Black Box Diaries") / Japan, USA, UK

Best Cinematography

1. Arun Bhattarai ("Agent of Happiness") / Bhutan, Hungary
2. Alix Blair ("Helen and the Bear") / USA
3. Sareen Hairabedian ("My Sweet Land") / Jordan, France
4. Ruslan Fedotov ("Queendom") / USA, France
5. Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie ("Sugarcane") / USA

Best Editing

1. Ema Ryan Yamazaki ("Black Box Diaries") / Japan, USA, UK
2. Katrina Taylor ("Helen and the Bear") / USA
3. Raphaelle Martin-Holger, Sareen Hairabedian ("My Sweet Land") / Jordan, France
4. Rik Chaubet ("Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat") / Belgium, France, Netherlands
5. Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke ("Sugarcane") / USA

Best Original Music Score

1. Víctor Hernández Stumpfhauser ("Frida") / USA
2. Maxwell Sterling ("Life and Other Problems") / Denmark, UK, Sweden
3. Tigran Hamasyan ("My Sweet Land") / Jordan, France
4. Mali Obomsawin ("Sugarcane") / USA
5. Uno Helmersson ("The Remarkable Life of Ibelin") / USA

Best Writing

1. Raoul Peck ("Ernest Cole: Lost and Found") / France, South Africa, USA
2. Hasan Oswald ("Mediha") / USA
3. Lea Glob, Andreas Bøggild Monies ("Piece by Piece") / Denmark, Poland, France
4. Jazmin Jones ("Seeking Mavis Beacon") / USA
5. Johan Grimonprez ("Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat") / Belgium, France, Netherlands

Best TV Feature Documentary

1. "Madu" (Disney+ / USA, UK, Nigeria) / Directors: Matthew Ogens, Joel & Kachi Benson
2. "Night Is Not Eternal" (HBO | Max / USA) / Directors: Matthew Ogens, Joel & Kachi Benson
3. "Stolen Gold" (ESPN / UK, USA, Spain) / Director: Suemay Oram
4. "The Apartheid Killer" (BBC World Service / UK, South Africa) / Directors: Charlie Northcott, Isa Jacobson
5. "Two American Families: 1991-2024" (PBS / USA) / Directors: Tom Casciato, Kathleen Hughes

David L. Wolper Student Documentary

1. "Her Name Was Zehava" (NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute / USA, Israel) / Director: Tamar Baruch
2. "Jerhy" (University of California, Santa Cruz / Costa Rica, USA) / Director: John Ortiz
3. "Milk" (National Film and Television School / UK) / Director: Miranda Stern
4. "The Anarchist and The Fridge" (School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Film / USA) / Director: Yunchang Zhang
5. "The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny" (National Film and Television School / UK) / Director: Joe Snelling