2019 IDA Documentary Award POC Winners
For Sama
The IDA Documentary Awards which honors the best nonfiction films and television/online programming 2019 winners were announced. The following people of color and POC-themed projects were some of the winners at the awards ceremony.
Short Documentary: The mini-documentary Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl), set to the backdrop of war-torn Afghanistan, takes viewers into the life of young Afghan girls overcoming the odds to find their place in society. For that in-depth look into an often overlooked subject, it received a high honor.
Feature Documentary: Another winner of the night For Sama takes you on a woman's journey through life when war is constant in Syria in this feature-length documentary.
Short Form Series: The six-episode series A Moment in Mexico produced by The New York Times won for its opinion-based look at life Mexico as seen through the eyes of Mexican directors.
Music Documentary: Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé became one of the night's winners for taking fans of the multi-talented performer on a journey as Beyonce prepares and later performs at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
David L. Wolper Student Award: Brewed in Palestine made a splash as the student documentary winner for its up close and personal look at the Taybeh Brewery in Palestine, the first craft beer company on the West Bank. It centers on the daily realities of an entrepreneurial Palestinian family's life amidst the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Angela Weiss
Career Achievement Award: Filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and producer Freida Lee Mock was honored for her storied career as a documentarian whose works include the Academy Award-winning Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994), Wrestling With Angels (2006), Sing China! (2009), G-Dog (2012), and Anita (2013) among her many documentaries that span more than three decades. Mock can also be noted for having received five Academy Award nominations (with one win) and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations (with two wins).
Michael Tran
Courage Under Fire Award: A special honor went out to director Waad Al-Kateab for her commitment to traveling into often dangerous parts of Syria to document the lives of women living through war in For Sama.