Recap of IDFA 2024
A recap of the 10 days of IDFA, as well as the Children's Rights Day organised jointly with IDFA in Carré and the annual brunch for the Human Rights Film Network. 03 December, 2024
For ten days, Amsterdam once again became the epicenter of IDFA. For us, this is not only the time to watch an array of beautiful, powerful, and impressive documentaries, but also an opportunity to co-organize the Children’s Rights Day at Carré and host the annual Human Rights Film Network brunch. Additionally, there was plenty of buzz around films linked to Movies that Matter, so read on to learn more.
Children’s Rights Day on 15 November
A highlight of IDFA for several years now, Children’s Rights Day has become an unmissable event. Every year, we team up to create a spectacular day for secondary school students, using film to teach them about children’s rights. This year, around 650 students from 13 schools in Amsterdam took part. They watched two short films: Girl Away From Home by Alisa Kovalenko and Simon Lereng Wilmont, and King Ridwan by Sammy Shefa Idris. Following the screenings, presenter Lisa Wade engaged the students in discussions about the films’ themes. The students were remarkably candid, clearly moved by the stories of their peers. The films were interspersed with performances by breakdance group UC Crew, the Ukrainian International Ballet—a company of dancers who fled the war and now reside in the Netherlands—and the program concluded with a vibrant performance by TikTok star Bens.
Connecting with Fellow Festivals
A staple of IDFA is the Human Rights Film Network (HRFN) brunch. Representatives from 13 member festivals—including those from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Western Sahara, Czech Republic, Germany, and Spain—attended. In total, around 100 industry professionals gathered at Café Kuyl. The event provided an invaluable opportunity to reconnect, exchange experiences, and network with filmmakers. Each year, it becomes clear how crucial these face-to-face interactions are.
Films with a Movies that Matter Connection
The Guest, directed by Zvika Gregory Portnoy & Zuzanna Solakiewicz, won the Best Cinematography Award in the International Competition. This film participated in our Rough Cut Service earlier this year. During our festival, six film teams receive personalized feedback on the rough cuts of their films, helping them refine the structure and narrative of their stories.
Audience Award for No Other Land
This year, No Other Land, by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor, won the IDFA NPO Doc Audience Award. The documentary follows the life of a young Palestinian journalist and activist from Masafer Yatta in the West Bank. Since childhood, he has documented his community’s struggle against mass displacement by Israeli authorities. The poignant and heartbreaking documentary had a special one-time screening earlier this year at Movies that Matter, leaving a deep impression. We congratulate the creators on this recognition. The film is set to hit cinemas on 9 January.
Pulled documentary: propaganda or not?
The film Russians at War by director Anastasia Trofimova was part of IDFA’s extensive selection but was ultimately withdrawn. Allegations arose that the film was Russian propaganda. Is this justified or not? Our Artistic Director, Margje de Koning, joined presenter Margje Fiksen and Russia expert Helga Salemon on the NPO Radio 1 program Dit is de Dag to discuss the controversy (in Dutch).