38th International Documentary Association (IDA) awards: ‘All That Breathes’ wins Best Feature; ‘Fire of Love’ takes two prizes

The International Documentary Association (IDA) announced the winners in 18 categories for the 38th IDA Documentary Awards, which were held on Saturday evening at the Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios Lot in Los Angeles, where Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes won the top feature award Best Director, Best Editing as well as being the group’s the Pare Lorentz Award winner.

Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love had led the nominations with five and won for Best Cinematography and Best Writing. Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes was next with four; Best Feature Documentary, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Cinematography plus being announced as the Pare Lorentz Award winner. Joining Fire of Love and All That Breathes in the top category were All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, A House of Made of Splinters, Katrina Babies, Mija, Navalny, No Simple Way Home, The Pawnshop and Young Plato.

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues was named Best Music Documentary.

Television winners included Fannie Lou Hamer’s America, POV and Origins of Hip Hop and We Need to Talk About Cosby.

This year’s shortlists and nominees were selected by independent committees of 310 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 52 countries. IDA received 806 submissions in all categories, 40% of which are internationally produced or coproduced projects from 86 countries.

Here is the full list of winners.

Best Feature Documentary

All that Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe, HBO Documentary Films | Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen | Producers: Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer) – WINNER

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (United States | NEON, Participant, HBO | Director/Producer: Laura Poitras | Producers: Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov)

Fire of Love (United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Director/Producer: Sara Dosa | Producers: Shane Boris, Ina Fichman)

A House Made of Splinters (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine | Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont | Producer: Monica Hellström)

Katrina Babies (United States | HBO Documentary Films, HBO Max | Director/Producer: Edward Buckles, Jr. | Producers: Audrey Rosenberg, Rebecca Teitel)

Mija (United States | Disney+ | Director: Isabel Castro | Producers: Tabitha Breese, Yesenia Tlahuel)

NAVALNY (United States, Germany, Russian Federation | Warner Bros Pictures, CNN Films, HBO Max | Director: Daniel Roher | Producers: Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Shane Boris)

No Simple Way Home (South Sudan, Kenya, South Africa | LBx Africa, STEPS, APO | Director: Akuol de Mabior | Producers: Sam Soko, Don Edkins, Tiny Mungwe)

The Pawnshop (Poland | Syndicado | Director/Producer: Lukasz Kowalski | Producer: Anna Mazerant)

Young Plato (Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium | Autlook Film Sales | Directors: Neasa Ní Chianáin, Declan McGrath | Producers: David Rane, Hanne Phlypo, Céline Nusse, Jackie Doyle)

Best Director

Laura Poitras (All the Beauty and the Bloodshed) | United States | NEON, Participant, HBO.

Lukasz Kowalski (The Pawnshop) | Poland | Syndicado.

Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) | United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON.

Shaunak Sen (All that Breathes) | India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe, HBO Documentary Films. – WINNER

Simon Lereng Wilmont (A House Made of Splinters) | Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine.

Best Short Documentary

ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) (United States | Reciprocity Project, Nia Tero, Upstander Project, REI Co-op Studios, L.A. Times Short Docs | Director: Brit Hensel | Producers: Taylor Hensel, Adam Mazo, Kavita Pillay, Tracy Rector)

The Benevolents (Canada | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director/Producer: Sarah Baril Gaudet)

The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone (Australia | Netflix | Directors/Producers: Maya Newell | Producers: Sophie Hyde, Matthew Bate, Lisa Sherrard)

Haulout (United Kingdom | Rise And Shine World Sales, The New Yorker | Directors/Producers: Evgenia Arbugaeva, Maxim Arbugaev) – WINNER

I Am Trying to Remember (Czech Republic, Islamic Republic Of Iran | Europe Media Nest s.r.o., The New Yorker | Director: Pegah Ahangarani | Producer: Kaveh Farnam)

In Flow of Words (Netherlands | The New Yorker, Condé Nast | Director: Eliane Esther Bots | Producer: Manon Bovenkerk)

Love, Barbara (United States | Women Make Movies | Director/Producer: Brydie O’Connor | Producer: Myriam Schroeter)

Nuisance Bear (Canada | The New Yorker | Directors/Producers: Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden | Producers: Jack Weisman, Will N. Miller)

The Silent Shore (France | The New Yorker, Condé Nast Entertainment | Directors/Producers: Nathalie Giraud, Timothée Corteggiani | Producer: Anne Bruneau)

Two-Spirit (Colombia | The New Yorker | Director: Mónica Taboada-Tapia | Producer: Beto Rosero)

Best TV Feature Documentary or Mini-Series

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (United Kingdom | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Director/Producer: James Jones | Executive Producer: Darren Kemp)

Dream On (United States | ESPN | Director: Kristen Lappas | Executive Producers: Marsha Cooke, John Dahl, Rob King, Erin Leyden, Brian Lockhart, Burke Magnus, Carol Stiff)

Endangered (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Directors/Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing | Producers: Alex Takats | Executive Producers: Ronan Farrow, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller)

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America (United States | American Documentary, WORLD Channel, PBS | Director: Joy Elaine Davenport | Producer/Executive Producer: Monica Land | Producers: Robert Y. Chang, Hannah Paul | Executive Producers: Selena Lauterer, Erika Dilday, Chris White, Christopher Hastings, Carmen L. Vicencio) – WINNER

Four Hours at the Capitol (United Kingdom | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Director/Producer: Jamie Roberts | Executive Producers: Dan Reed, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller)

Best Curated Series

America ReFramed (United States | American Documentary, WORLD Channel | Executive Producers: Erika Dilday, Chris White, Christopher Hastings)

American Masters (United States | THIRTEEN Productions | Executive Producer: Michael Kantor)

Independent Lens (United States | PBS | Executive Producer: Lois Vossen)

POV (Canada, Germany, Myanmar | PBS | Executive Producers: Erika Dilday; Chris White) – WINNER

Reel South (United States | PBS | Executive Producers: Rachel Raney, Don Godish, Donal Washington, Linda Midgett)

Best Episodic Series

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston (United States | PBS & Twin Cities PBS (TPT) | Executive Producers: Michael Rosenfeld, David Shadrack Smith, Melissa Wood, Bill Gardner)

Dear… (United States | Matador Content, Apple TV+ | Executive Producers: Donny Jackson, Lyle Gamm, Jane Cha Cutler, Todd Lubin, Jay Peterson, R.J. Cutler)

Evolve (Singapore | CuriosityStream | Executive Producers: Donovan Chan, Jocelyn Little, Rob Sixsmith, Thore Vollert)

Origins of Hip Hop (United States | A&E | Executive Producers: Peter Bittenbender, Slane Hatch, Mark Grande, Brad Abramson, Elaine Frontain Bryant) – WINNER

Vice (United States | Showtime | Executive Producers: Beverly Chase, Subrata De)

Best Multi-Part Documentary

Children of the Underground (United States | FX | Directors/Executive Producers: Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Ted Gesing | Producers: Grace Fardella, Giona Jefferson | Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Kate Barry)

Hostages (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Directors: Abbas Motlagh | Directors/Producers: Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre, Sam Pollard, Joshua Bennett | Producers: Saralena Weinfield | Executive Producers: Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez)

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (United States | Netflix | Director/Producer: Grace McNally | Director/Executive Producer: Rachel Dretzin | Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Miura Kite, Zachary Herrmann, Alison Dammann)

Meltdown: Three Mile Island (United States | Netflix | Director/Executive Producer: Kief Davidson | Producer: William Wheeler | Executive Producers: Carla Santos Shamberg, Michael Shamberg, Dan Levinson, Robert Fernandez)

We Need to Talk About Cosby (United States | SHOWTIME Documentary Films, Boardwalk Pictures Production, WKB Industries | Director/Executive Producer: W. Kamau Bell | Executive Producers: Katie A. King, Andrew Fried, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn, Dane Lillegard, Vinnie Malhotra) – WINNER

Best Short-Form Series

Couples Therapy (United States | Showtime | Producers: Matthew Parker, Carly Hugo, Maya Seidler | Executive Producers: Eli B. Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg, Vinnie Malhotra)

Not So Pretty (United States | HBO Max | Producers: Alexandra Marske, Kat Nguyen | Executive Producers: Kirby Dick, Tara Long, Amy Ziering)

POV Shorts (United States | PBS | Producer: Opal H. Bennett | Executive Producers: Erika Dilday, Chris White) – WINNER

Reciprocity Project (Venezuela, Colombia | Producer: Taylor Hensel, Adam Mazo, Kavita Pillay | Producer/Executive Producer: Tracy Rector | Executive Producer: Nani Sahra Walker)

Witness (Mexico, Mongolia, United Kingdom | Al Jazeera English | Producers: Emma Norton, Joe Hamilton | Executive Producers: Fiona Lawson-Baker, Ingrid Falck)

Best Stand-Alone Audio Documentary

Documenting a Death by Euthanasia (United States | The New York Times | Host/Reporter: Lynsey Addario | Sound Engineers: Corey Schreppel, Marion Lozano | Producer: Sayre Quevedo) – WINNER

Jorge, Gina y Dante (Mexico | CUIR: Historias Disidentes, Esto no es radio | Host/Reporter: Dante Ureta | Host/Reporter/Sound Engineer/Producer: Erick Yáñez)

“Limbo” from Latino USA, Futuro Media, and PRX (United States, Spain | Futuro Media, PRX | Host/Reporter: Miguel Macias | Sound Engineers: Stephanie Lebow; Julia Caruso | Producers: Sophia Paliza-Carre, Marta Martinez, Andrea Lopez-Cruzado)

Replaying The Day through the Sewol Ferry Archives (Republic of Korea | KBS | Host/Reporter: Park DaeSik | Sound Engineer: Kang WooSeok | Producer: Lee Eunmi)

Weekend World (United States | VICE News Reports | Host/Reporter: Lynsey Addario | Sound Engineers: Corey Schreppel, Marion Lozano | Producers: Sayre Quevedo)

Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series

Class Action (United States | Host/Reporter: Katie Phang | Sound Engineer/Producer: Lisa Gray | Producer: Kevin Huffman)

Imperfect Paradise: The Forgotten Revolutionary (United States | LAist Studios | Host: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | Sound Engineer: E. Scott Kelly | Producer(s): Natalie Chudnovsky, James Chow, Francisco Aviles Pino, Antonia Ceredijido, Leo G)

Heavyweight (United States | Spotify | Host: Jonathan Goldstein | Reporters/Producers: Stevie Lane, Kalila Holt, Mona Madgavkar)

Southlake (United States | NBC News | Hosts/Reporters: Mike Hixenbaugh, Antonia Hylton | Sound Engineers: Bryson Barnes, Seth Samuel | Producers: Frannie Kelley, Reid Cherlin)

Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s (Canada | Spotify | Host: Connie Walker | Sound Engineers: Emma Munger, Catherine Anderson | Producers: Ellen Frankman, Max Green, Anya Schultz, Chantelle Bellrichard, Betty Ann Adam) – WINNER

Best Music Documentary

Cesâria Évora (Portugal | Director/Producer: Ana Sofia Fonseca | Producer: Irina Calado)

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (United States | Apple TV+ | Director/Producer: Sacha Jenkins | Producers: Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Julie Anderson) – WINNER

Moonage Daydream (United States | NEON | Director/Producer: Brett Morgen)

Nothing Compares (United Kingdom, Ireland | SHOWTIME Documentary Films | Director: Kathryn Ferguson | Producers: Eleanor Emptage, Michael Mallie)

You’re Watching Video Music Box (United States | Showtime | Director: Nasir ‘Nas’ Jones | Producer: Steve Rivo)

David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award

3 Promises (United Kingdom | National Film and Television School | Director/Producer: Mohamed Shalaby | Producer: Carolina Cordero)

Compton’s 22 (United States | The New Yorker, Stanford University | Director: Drew de Pinto | Producers: Azza Cohen, Susan Stryker, Victor Silverman)

Eagle Rest In Liangshan (United States, China | New York University | Director/Producer: Bohao Liu)

La Casa del Migrante (United States | Northwestern University | Director/Producers: Olivia Yarvis, Yaakov Gottlieb, Samuel Heller)

Requiem for a Whale (Israel | The Steve Tisch School Of Film and Television, Tel-Aviv University | Director/Producer: Ido Weisman) – WINNER

Best Cinematography

All That Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe, HBO Documentary Films | Cinematographers: Ben Bernhard, Riju Das, Saumyananda Sahi)

Fire of Love (United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Cinematographers: Maurice Krafft, Katia Krafft, Pablo Alvarez-Mesa) – WINNER

Geographies of Solitude (Canada | Cinema Guild | Cinematographer: Jacquelyn Mills)

A House Made of Splinters (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine | Cinematographer: Simon Lereng Wilmont)

Octopus (Lebanon | Cinematographer: Karim Kassem)

Best Editing

All That Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe, HBO Documentary Films | Editor: Charlotte Munch Bengtsen) – WINNER

Fire of Love (United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Editors: Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput)

The Princess (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Editors: Daniel Lapira, Jinx Godfrey)

Sam Now (United State | Independent Lens | Editors: Jason Reid, Darren Lund)

Wildcat (United States | Amazon Studios | Editor: Melissa Lesh, Joshua Altman, David Zieff, Ben Gold)

Best Music Score

The Fire That Took Her (United States | MTV Documentary Films | Composer: Katy Jarzebowski)

Good Night Oppy (United States | Prime Video | Composer: Blake Neely)

Master of Light (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Composer: Gary Gunn)

The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons (United States | Composer: Ramachandra Borcar) – WINNER

Wildcat (United States | Amazon Studios | Composer: Patrick Jonsson)

Best Writing

8 Stories About My Hearing Loss (Argentina, Uruguay | Writer: Charo Mato)

Eternal Spring (Canada | Lofty Sky Distribution, Sideways Film, VICE, Arte | Writer: Jason Loftus)

Fire of Love (United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Writers: Sara Dosa, Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput, Shane Boris) – WINNER

Last Flight Home (United States | MTV Documentary Films | Writer: Ondi Timoner)

No Simple Way Home (South Sudan, Kenya, South Africa | LBx Africa, STEPS, APO | Writer: Akuol de Mabior)

ABC News VideoSource Award

Riotsville, U.S.A. (United States | Magnolia Pictures | Directors: Sierra Pettengill | Producers: Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot)

Pare Lorentz Award Winner

Winner: All that Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe, HBO Documentary Films | Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen | Producers: Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer)

Honorable Mention: Nuisance Bear (Canada | The New Yorker | Directors/Producers: Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden | Producers: Will N. Miller)