IDFA 2024: UK films and co-productions
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam commences on 14 November 2024 and the programme features 25 titles from the UK. Across eight festival strands, and across feature and short-form documentaries, international co-productions make up almost 50% of the UK presence at IDFA.
A Want in Her (Ireland-UK-Netherlands) from Myriad Carten will enjoy its world premiere in International Competition and Theo Panagopoulos’ The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing (UK-Germany-Iceland) will compete for the IDFA Short Documentary prize. A Want in Her and The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing are backed by the BFI Doc Society Fund and Screen Scotland respectively. A further seven films have been supported by UK public bodies – scroll down for the full list.
Four UK projects have also been selected for IDFA Forum, including three immersive/interactive artworks in development that will be presented as part of the DocLab Forum. The Forum is open to non-fiction artworks that use emerging technologies to represent reality.
AMORPHOUS | Dir. May Abdalla
Development stage | UK-France
FROM MEMORY | Dirs. John Nathan, Damian Hale
Development stage | UK
TROLLS VS ELVES | Dir. Aleksandra Rydzkowska
Last stage of production | Poland-UK
The fourth project will be presented as part of Pitch Project:
YOUR HONOUR | Dir. Bircan Birol
Start production | UK
Supported by Screen Scotland
The BFI has partnered with Doc Society to support a delegation of UK producers working in independent feature documentary to take part in Forum activity. The cohort consists of delegates who have worked on or are working towards at least one feature documentary as lead producer, and are currently working on projects with the potential for international co-production. They will attend IDFA From 16 - 20 November, and will seek to meet potential new partners and explore opportunities for collaboration, alongside gaining new insights through IDFA’s industry programme. Read more at the Doc Society website.
List of UK films and co-productions in selection
International Competition
A WANT IN HER | Dir. Myriad Carten
World Premiere | Ireland-UK-Netherlands
Supported by the BFI Doc Society Fund
IDFA Competition for Short Documentary
THE FLOWERS STAND SILENTLY, WITNESSING | Dir. Theo Panagopoulos
International Premiere | UK-Germany-Iceland
Supported by Screen Scotland
Paradocs
BEING JOHN SMITH | Dir. John Smith
Dutch Premiere | UK
MAN NUMBER 4 | Wri-dir. Miranda Pennell
Dutch Premiere | UK
Best of Fests
2073 | Dir. Asif Kapadia | Wris. Asif Kapadia, Toni Grisoni
Dutch Premiere | UK
Supported by Film4
BLACK BOX DIARIES | Dir. Shiori Ito
Dutch Premiere | Japan-USA-UK
THE FLATS | Wri-dir. Alessandra Celesia
Dutch Premiere | France-Belgium-UK-Ireland
GRAND THEFT HAMLET | Wris-dirs. Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane
Dutch Premiere | UK
Supported by the BFI Doc Society Fund
LIFE AND OTHER PROBLEMS | Dir. Maz Kestner
Dutch Premiere | Denmark-UK-Sweden
Supported by the UK Global Screen Fund
MILK | Dir. Miranda Stern
Dutch Premiere | UK
A MOVE | Dir. Elahe Esmaili
Dutch Premiere | UK-Iran
TWO STRANGERS TRYING NOT TO KILL EACH OTHER | Dirs. Jacob Permutter, Manon Ouimet
Dutch Premiere | USA-UK-Denmark
Grand Theft Hamlet | Wris-dirs. Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane
Black Box Diaries | Dir. Shiori Ito
Frontlight
THE BAN | Wri-dir. Roisin Agnew
Ireland I UK
THE SHADOW SCHOLARS | Dir. Eloïse King
International Premiere | UK
Supported by the BFI Doc Society Fund
UNDERCOVER: EXPOSING THE FAR RIGHT | Dir. Havana Marking
International Premiere | UK
Supported by the BFI Doc Society Fund
Shadow Scholars | Dir. Eloïse King
Luminous
THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR | Dir. Max Keegan | Wris. Maz Keegan, Sabine Emiliani
International Premiere | France-UK-USA
Signed
ACTING | Dir. Sophie Fiennes
International Premiere | UK
BOGANCLOCH | Dir. Ben Rivers
Dutch Premiere | UK-Germany-Iceland
Supported by Screen Scotland
ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO | Dir. Kevin Macdonald
Dutch Premiere | UK
A SUDDEN GLIMPSE TO DEEPER THINGS | Dir. Mark Cousins
Dutch Premiere | UK
Supported by Screen Scotland
WHERE DRAGONS LIVE | Dir. Suzanne Raes
International Premiere | Netherlands-UK
Supported by Screen Scotland
Top 10
OFF FRAME AKA REVOLUTION UNTIL VICTORY | Dir. Mohanad Yaqubi
France-Italy-UK
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (ONE PLUS ONE) | Dir. Jean-Luc Goddard
UK
THEREMIN: AN ELECTRONI ODYSSEY | Wri-dir. Steven M. Martin
USA-UK
ALTERNATIVE 3 | Dir. Christopher Miles | Wris. Christopher Miles, David Ambrose
UK
