IDA Doc Nominations

In our continuing thread of “all things documentary” in honor of the launch this evening of IDFA, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, we are proud to share the 2011 nominations announced last week by the International Documentary Association, the largest documentary filmmakers association in North America. The 27th annual IDA Documentary Awards, IDA’s annual fundraiser, will take place on December 2, 2011 at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles.

Five films are up for Best Documentary Feature (information provided by the organization):

• BETTER THIS WORLD: Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega’s riveting account of two boyhood friends from Midland, Texas who wind up arrested on terrorism charges at the 2008 Republican National Convention.
• HOW TO DIE IN OREGON: Peter Richardson’s life-affirming and staggeringly powerful portrait of what it means to die with dignity.
• NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT: Chilean master director Patricio Guzmán’s moving, and deeply personal odyssey.
• THE REDEMPTION OF GENERAL BUTT NAKED: Daniele Anastasion and Eric Strauss’ compelling portrait, which confronts hard questions about both the power and limits of forgiveness in a nation searching for healing and justice; and from Mexico.
• THE TINIEST PLACE (El Lugar Mas Pequeno): Tatiana Huezo’s story of an annihilated Salvadorian town that re-emerges through the strength and deep love of its inhabitants for the land and the people.

In addition to the other awards categories (listed on the IDA website: www.documentary.org), the IDA will honor veteran documentarian Les Blank with its 2011 Career Achievement Award. Also, Danfung Dennis, director of HELL AND BACK AGAIN will receive the organization’s 2011 Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award.

FFT Webmaster

The FFT Webmaster use displays whenever an article has multiple authors. It also pops up on articles from old versions of Film Festival Today. The original author byline might be missing! In that case, if you are the author of such an article and see this bio instead of your own, please send us an email. Some of our contributors that might be missing bylines are: Brad Balfour, Laura Blum, and Sandy Mandelberger, among others.