‘Trains’ Wins 2 Prizes, ‘Chronicles of the Absurd’ & More Earn Awards At International Documentary Festival Amsterdam

deadline.com:

Trains, the Polish documentary that offers “a collective portrait of people in 20th century Europe, capturing their hopes, desires, dramas, and tragedies” has won Best Film in the International Competition section of the prestigious International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

The film directed and edited by Maciej J. Drygas was a unanimous choice of the five-person jury. The award comes with a €15,000 cash prize.

Trains also earned the award for Best Editing in the International Competition, recognizing Drygas. “This is a bold and inventive use of archive,” said the jury comprised of Juliana Fanjul, Sophie Fiennes, Grace Lee, Asmae El Moudir, and Kazuhiro Soda. “The film shows us routes to the positive and negative consequences of modern industrial innovation.

It harnesses the magic of cinema and as an audience we are haunted by our present historical time, even while we bear witness to the past.” The jury awarded Best Directing in the International Competition category (which comes with a €5,000 award) to Auberi Edler for An American Pastoral. “By simply looking and listening, this director reveals the current complexity at the heart of the United States,” jurors noted. “Her deep commitment to observation allows the viewer to come face to face with the communities in the film and provides critical insight into the results of the last U.S presidential election.” Best Cinematography in the International Competition was awarded to Zvika Gregory Portnoy and Zuzanna Solakiewicz for The Guest.