International Documentary Association Awards: ‘The Tale of Silyan’ Wins Top Prize
The Tale of Silyan has won the top prize from the International Documentary Association Awards, who concluded three days of festivities with a ceremony on Saturday evening at the Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown L.A. and hosted by former Sundance Film Festival director Tabitha Jackson.
The North Macedonian film, directed by Tamara Kotevska of the double Oscar-nominated film Honeyland, tells the story of an immigrant who forms a relationship with an injured white stork as he adjusts to life in a new country, won the IDA award for Best Feature Documentary as well as Best Cinematography. The film is North Macedonia’s selection for the International Feature Film Oscar.
Brittany Shyne won the Best Director award for Seeds, her film of Black farmer and Apocalypse in the Tropics, an examination of the role that evangelism has played in Brazilian politics, won two top awards, for Best Production and Best Writing.
Here is the complete list of winners of the 2025 IDA Awards.
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
The Tale of Silyan (Republic of North Macedonia, United States, United Kingdom)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Looking for a Donkey (Mexico, Venezuela)
BEST DIRECTOR
Brittany Shyne, Seeds (United States)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jean Dakar, The Tale of Silyan (Republic of North Macedonia, United States, United Kingdom)
BEST EDITING
Alex Megaro, Ian Bell, WTO/99 (United States)
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE
Frédéric Filiatre, The Sorcerer: Julio Zachrisson (Panama)
BEST PRODUCTION
Alessandra Orofino, Petra Costa, Apocalypse in the Tropics (United States)
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Thomas Perez-Pape, Only on Earth (Denmark, Spain)
BEST WRITING
Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino, Nels Bangerter, David Barker, Tina Baz, Apocalypse in the Tropics (United States)
BEST CURATED SERIES
99 (France)
BEST EPISODIC SERIES
Citizen Nation (United States)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
One to One: John & Yoko (United Kingdom)
DAVID L. WOLPER STUDENT DOCUMENTARY
What a day, what a life (United Kingdom)
ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE AWARD
Deaf President Now! (United States)
PARE LORENTZ AWARD
River of Grass (United States)
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