The Dutch film POSITION AMONG THE STARS by filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich took two prizes this afternoon at IDFA in Amsterdam, including the festival's coveted top prize for Best Feature-Length Documentary.
With the win, Retel Helmrich becomes the first filmmaker ever to take IDFA's prize twice - he previously won the award in 2004 for THE SHAPE OF THE MOON.
For the past four years, the IDFA winner would move on to screen at Sundance in Park City, become one of the top films of international festival circuit and be nominated for multiple Cinema Eye Honors (THE MONASTERY in 2006, STRANDED in 2007, BURMA VJ in 2008 and LAST TRAIN HOME in 2009).
POSITION also received the Dutch Documentary prize, which was created last year.
The Feature-Length jury said that POSITION "is a magical, patient and insightful example of free cinema... (that uses) unique cinematic sensibilities (to produce) a relevant and eternal story."
Continuing its dominance of international audience awards, Lucy Walker's WASTE LAND received the votes from the crowds. Last year, that award went to another film that won a number of festival audience prizes - Louie Psihoyos' THE COVE. WASTE LAND is on the Academy's 15-film shortlist and we've pegged it as a favorite for a nomination.
The runners-up for the Audience Award were Jan Tenhaven's AUTUMN GOLD (which took the Doc U Award) and Alexander Nanau's THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ION B.
Full list of winners are after the jump. You can find our report on all of this year's finalists here.
POSITION AMONG THE STARS
Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich
Special Jury Award:
YOU DON'T LIKE THE TRUTH: 4 DAYS INSIDE GUANTANAMO
Directed by Omar Khadr
Mid-Length Documentary
PEOPLE I COULD HAVE BEEN AND MAYBE AM
Directed by Boris Gerrets
First Appearance
KANO: AN AMERICAN AND HIS HAREM
Directed by Monster Jimenez
Dutch Documentary
POSITION AMONG THE STARS
Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich
Audience Award
WASTE LAND
Directed by Lucy Walker
DOC U Award
AUTUMN GOLD
Directed by Jan Tenhaven
Green Screen Documentary
INTO ETERNITY
Directed by Michael Madsen
Honorable Mention:
THE PIPE
Directed by Risteard Ó Domhnaill
DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling
HIGHRISE/OUT MY WINDOW
Directed by Katerina Cizek
Watched Position Among The Stars at IDFA the film makers home press were gushing over it plus the festival director had announced it as a masterpeice before the festival had even started.
I just didn't get it. No film maker had won twice at IDFA so I was expecting something stunning for this film to do so but it felt like more of the same.
Is shot on shaky DV and not suited to a cinematic experience. Might play better on tv as the wobble made me feel queezy. The directors held shots longer but these felt very set up with the camera zipping across characters eyelines and bumping around people. These long unmotivated camera moves felt very contrived and set up while at the same time passing the scene off as verite.
Was preplexed at the film and why it won at IDFA when there was such a strong cinematic line up this year.
Posted by: sara | December 05, 2010 at 04:53 AM