IDFA opens with Living Legend Award for Frederick Wiseman
The 22nd IDFA just officially opened in Pathé Tuschinski. At the opening, American director Frederick Wiseman, one of the main festival guests, received the Living Legend Award. This is the first time that IDFA has presented this special oeuvre award, worth € 5,000.
Festival director Ally Derks dedicated the evening to Wouter Barendrecht, the founder and director of Fortissimo, who died unexpectedly at the beginning of April this year.
In her opening speech, Ally Derks revealed that the festival received 2,600 submissions this year, of which 306 were selected for the festival’s various program sections. For the first time, there is also an award for the best Dutch documentary. Ally Derks expressed the hope that this will contribute to the rich documentary tradition in the Netherlands, and will also act as a signal to the network managers of the public broadcasters to broadcast documentaries at an earlier, more audience-friendly time.
