"Best of Enemies," "Listen To Me Marlon," "The Jinx" also honored; "Last Day of Freedom" receives Best Short Award
Winners in the International Documentary Association’s 2015 IDA Documentary Awards were announced on Saturday evening (12/5) at the Paramount Theatre, giving Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence top honors with the Best Feature Award. This critically acclaimed, powerful companion piece to the Oscar-nominated The Act of Killing, follows a family of survivors of the Indonesian genocide who discover how their son was murdered and the identities of the killers.
Also announced in the ceremony was the Best Short Award, which honored Last Day of Freedom, directed by Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman. The film is an animated account of Bill Babbitt’s decision to support and help his brother in the face of war, crime and capital execution.
Grammy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro hosted the ceremony, which gathered the documentary community to honor the best nonfiction films and programming of 2015.
IDA’s Career Achievement Award was presented to Gordon Quinn, founder and artistic director of Kartemquin Films. He has produced, directed and/or been cinematographer on over 55 films across five decades. A longtime activist for public and community media, Quinn was integral to the creation of ITVS, public access television in Chicago; in developing the Documentary Filmmakers Statement of Best Practice in Fair Use; and in forming the Indie Caucus to support diverse independent voices on Public Television. Over 50 years at Kartemquin, Quinn has inspired and guided an immeasurable number of media makers whose films have left a lasting impact on millions of viewers. Chaz Ebert, whose husband Roger Ebert was the subject of Quinn’s film Life Itself, and Haskell Wexler, influential cinematographer, producer and director, presented Quinn with the award.
Actor and comedian Bob Odenkirk awarded the organization’s Pioneer Award to Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer at Netflix, in recognition of the company’s game-changing and unwavering support of creating and showcasing nonfiction programming. The Pioneer Award is presented by the IDA to acknowledge extraordinary contributions to advancing the nonfiction form and providing exceptional vision and leadership to the documentary community.
Actor, director and political activist Danny Glover presented Tony Tabatznik and the Bertha Foundation with the IDA’s Amicus Award in recognition of their work supporting the essential needs of the non-fiction media landscape. The Bertha Foundation’s Media Program specifically aims to nurture global talent, expose relevant stories and connect them to audiences for powerful, positive social impact. Since its inception the foundation has supported over 200 films, including the Oscar-winning film Citizenfour (2014) and the Oscar-nominated films Virunga (2014), Dirty Wars (2013) and The Square (2013).
Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow awarded Matthew Heineman the IDA’s Courage Under Fire Award, in recognition of conspicuous bravery in the pursuit of truth. This award is presented to documentary filmmakers by their peers for putting freedom of speech – represented in the crafts of documentary filmmaking and journalism – above all else, even their own personal safety. Heineman’s gripping film, Cartel Land, documents two modern-day vigilante movements–Dr. Joe Mireles’s citizen-led uprising against a violent drug cartel wreaking havoc in Mexico and the Arizona Border Recon led by Tim “Nailer” Foley, which is working to prevent Mexico’s drug wars from crossing into the United States.
The Pare Lorentz Award recognizes films that demonstrate exemplary filmmaking while focusing on environmental and social issues. Actress and environmental activist Kristin Davis presented this year’s Pare Lorentz Award to the film How To Change The World, directed by Jerry Rothwell, the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement.
The IDA Creative Recognition Awards honor excellence in cinematography, composing, editing and writing in documentary feature films. The recipients of these awards represent the highest achievements in their respective crafts, and highlight the importance of their work in compelling documentary storytelling. At the IDA Documentary Awards ceremony, The Russian Woodpecker (cinematography by Artem Ryzhykov) was recognized with the award for Best Cinematography; Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (edited by Joe Beshenkovsky and Brett Morgen) received the Best Editing award; Best of Enemies (original score by Jonathan Kirkscey) was presented with the Best Music award, and Listen To Me Marlon (written by Stevan Riley, co-writer Peter Ettedgui) received the Best Writing award.
Best Of Enemies picked up the ABC News VideoSource Award; HBO’s The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst received the Best Limited Series Award; and Netflix’s Chef’s Table took home the Best Episodic Series Award.
A complete list of winners follows.
Career Achievement Award
Gordon Quinn
Pioneer Award
Ted Sarandos
Amicus Award
Tony Tabatznik and the Bertha Foundation
Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award sponsored by the Archibald Family Foundation
Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe
Courage Under Fire Award
Matthew Heineman
Best Feature Award
The Look of Silence
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
Drafthouse Films and Participant Media
Best Short Award
Last Day of Freedom
Directors: Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman
Pare Lorentz Award
How to Change the World
Director: Jerry Rothwell
Creative Recognition Award Winners
Best Cinematography
The Russian Woodpecker
Cinematography by: Artem Ryzhykov
Best Editing
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Edited by: Joe Beshenkovsky and Brett Morgen
Best Writing
Listen to Me Marlon
Written by: Stevan Riley
Co-Writer: Peter Ettedgui
Best Music
Best of Enemies
Original Score by: Jonathan Kirkscey
ABC News VideoSource Award
Best of Enemies
Directors: Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville
Magnolia Pictures
Best Curated Series Award
Independent Lens
Executive Producers: Sally Jo Fifer and Lois Vossen
ITVS, PBS
POV
Executive Producers: Simon Kilmurry and Chris White
POV, PBS
Best Limited Series Award
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
Executive Producer: Jason Blum
Co-Executive Producer: Zac Stuart-Pontier
Produced by: Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling
HBO
Best Episodic Series Award
Chef’s Table
Executive Producers: David Gelb and Andrew Fried
Netflix
Best Short Form Series Award
Do Not Track
Executive Producer: Hugues Sweeney
National Film Board of Canada, Upian, Arte, and BR
David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award
The Archipelago
Director: Benjamin Huguet
The National Film and Television School
The Many Hires Jeremiah Wassom As Group Creative Director
Independent agency The Many has added Jeremiah Wassom as group creative director.
Wassom most recently worked a decade at Deutsch LA where, as SVP/creative director, he led the Taco Bell account and won new business for the agency. His agency past also includes AKQA and TBWAChiatDay. His creative work has touched the QSR, video games, automotive, fashion, and culture brand sectors. He also served eight years with the United States Marine Corps.
“Throughout his career, Jeremiah has helmed work that has not only made me personally jealous but has consistently pushed brands to show up in memorable and innovative ways,” said Josh Paialii, head of creative at The Many. “One look at his body of work and you will see his passion for storytelling and craft has raised the bar for entire categories, driving participation with many brands’ most loyal fans. Beyond being a world-class creative director and maker, Wassom is a proven team player and strategic thought leader. He’ll be a great addition to the leadership team at The Many working across all accounts. His role will be immediately felt as he guides and supports each of the creative leads in the department.”
A 20-year creative with agency, brand, and freelance experience, Wassom has forged a creative approach which focuses on crafting engaging connections rather than simply make ads. He sees the need for advertising to mean more, not simply do more.
The Many believes that true business growth is made possible by harnessing the power of participation and partners with brands to forge deeper connections with consumers, cultivate trust and loyalty, and maximize marketing spend and execution. The agency is built around a flexible model that offers a suite of capabilities, including... Read More