All these wonderful things

WASTE LAND Takes Top Prize at IDA Awards

A long night at Los Angeles' DGA Theater - punctuated by warm and sometimes biting humor from host Morgan Spurlock and an ace acceptance speech by Pioneer Award winners Alan and Susan Raymond - ended with the International Documentary Associations Documentary Feature Award going to Lucy Walker's WASTE LAND. 

It was the first time that the IDA had opened up its final voting to its general membership (nominees were determined by blue ribbon panels), which gave an edge to the audience pleasing WASTE LAND over its fellow nominees EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, THE OATH, STEAM OF LIFE and SWEETGRASS.

In fact, it's the latest in a long series of awards - including numerous Audience prizes - for WASTE LAND, which chronicles what happens when Brazilian artist Vik Muniz creates large scale portraits of garbage dump pickers using materials found at the dump.  We've long been forecasting a Best Documentary Feature Oscar nomination for the film, which was shortlisted last month.  WASTE LAND also received the IDA's Pare Lorentz Prize, one of several awards whose winner was announced prior to the event.

The award for Documentary Short went to Kiran Deol's WOMAN REBEL, which is also on the Academy's short list in its category. 

Sundance 2011: US Competition Features New Docs from Marshall Curry, David Weissman, Morgan Neville, Andrew Rossi, Bill Haley & Michael Rapaport

The 2011 Sundance Film Festival has just announced its competition slates for January's festival and - first glance tells you that this is not the 2010 US competition slate that was stacked with three Oscar winners and a handful of nominees.  That's not to say the 2011 doesn't have some obvious standouts.  Oscar nominee Marshall Curry makes his first trip to Park City with his much anticipated look at the controversial Earth Liberation Front.  David Weissman (THE COCKETTES) returns with a look at the AIDS crisis in San Francisco.  Music doc veteran Morgan Neville (SEARCH AND DESTROY, JOHNNY CASH'S AMERICA) tells the story of James Taylor and Carol King in a film produced by Eddie Schmidt (THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED).  Andrew Rossi (LE CIRQUE: A TABLE IN HEAVEN) goes deep inside the NY Times.  And there are profiles of the guy who puppeteer's Elmo, Harry Belafonte and the pioneering hip hop band, A Tribe Called Quest, that marks the directorial debut of actor Michael Rapaport.  [Full disclosure, I contributed some editing to the latter film.]

Also noticeable is that the line-up seems to be a true mix of subject matters and not overly social issue concentrated as has been the case in years previous.  One standout - Bill Haney's (THE PRICE OF SUGAR) look at a battle between a coal company and a community.

US Documentary Competition list after the jump (with descriptions provided by the festival).  International Documentary Competition list to follow