Read all the latest news from the festival and IDFA's year-round programs here, in addition to in-depth articles.
On May 21, the lauded documentary filmmaker Heddy Honigmann passed away at the age of 70. Her body of work, for which she received the Living Legend Award from IDFA in 2013, revolved around intimate encounters rooted in a deep bond of trust. She was known for her socio-political engagement and her tender approach, which she was able to make tangible in a very unique way in her films.
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The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) remains extremely disturbed by continued reports of arrests of filmmakers in Iran and demands an end to a growing environment of fear and insecurity in which filmmakers live and work.
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Join the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation and IDFA for a screening of and a panel discussion about ‘Wild Relatives’ by filmmaker Jumana Manna, which follows the transaction of seeds between the Svalbard Seed Vault and the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, and captures a matrix of human and non-human lives between these two distant spots of the earth.
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Director Mariam Al-Dhubhani and producer Mohammed Al-Jaberi have taken home the IDFA Spotlight Award for their project Let’s Play Soldiers, part of the Documentary Work in Progress track at Beirut Cinema Platform. Pitched as a powerful coming-of-age film on Nasser, a child soldier in Yemen, the project has been hailed for its sensitive approach as it seeks to reclaim representation of Yemenis. Winning the award has secured travel and stay at IDFA 2022 for the director, and festival accreditation, a professional consultancy, and participation in the online sessions of IDFA Project Space for both the director and producer.
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The IDFA Bertha Fund is now accepting project submissions to the IBF Europe – Minority Co-production funding scheme. Read more about the grant program and apply by June 22, 2022.
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The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR*) calls for the Myanmar authorities to immediately and unconditionally release filmmaker Ma Aeint. Film producer Ma Aeint has been sentenced to three years of jail, with hard labour, by a court in Yangon, Myanmar.
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The IDFA Bertha Fund is now accepting submissions for IBF Classic, the flagship grant program that supports documentary projects in development or (post-)production. As announced late last year, the Fund is pleased to offer increased amounts to selected filmmakers from now on, with maximum contributions of €7,500 for development support and €25,000 for production support per project. In addition to funding, selected filmmakers will receive tailored support from IDFA’s Filmmaker Support department and opportunities for connecting with IDFA’s professional network year-round. The submission deadline is June 10, 2022.
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Making friends is hard to do after so much time apart, but IDFA Meets and Tabili are here to help. On Thursday, May 19 at FC Hyena, we kick off the sunny season with a special event to reignite your social flame. Together with Tabili, IDFA Meets presents four heartfelt short films that celebrate the summery joy of platonic connections, plus an interactive side program to be enjoyed with friends, old and new. Tickets are now on sale through FC Hyena.
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Since its inception by the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) three weeks ago, the "Emergency Fund for Filmmakers" has already supported 108 filmmakers who are in direct danger because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The ICFR set up a special "Emergency Fund for Filmmakers" for film practitioners directly in danger due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Coalition and the Fund have been canvassing for funding and donations as soon as war broke out.
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Unveiling a new program structure, returning to the cinemas, and embarking on plenty of collaborations, both established and new—these are some of the highlights of IDFA 2021: A Year in Review, our new publication that reports and reflects on the past year. Presented as an interactive online magazine, the publication is considered essential reading for all IDFA fans, supporters, collaborators, and onlookers.
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