Bobi Wine: The People’s President won the top prize of best feature documentary at the 2023 International Documentary Awards on Tuesday night.
The film follows music star, activist and opposition leader Bobi Wine amid Uganda’s 2021 presidential election.
Accepting the award during the International Documentary Association‘s virtual awards show, co-director Moses Bwayo said, “The awareness this film has brought to world audiences has arguably kept Bobi Wine alive and out of prison for now.”
Asmae El Moudir won best director for The Mother of All Lies, in which El Moudir creates a replica of the Casablanca neighborhood where she grew up, allowing her to reconnect with her past.
The Mother of All Lies was nominated for three awards, along with Milisuthando, while Apolonia, Apolonia had a leading four nominations.
Incident, which reconstructs a Chicago police shooting in 2018 from numerous viewpoints, won best short documentary award. POV and POV Shorts won best curated series and best short-form series, respectively, both for the second year in a row.
Other noteworthy winners include Smoke Sauna Sisterhood‘s Ants Tammik (best cinematography), Anselm‘s Leonard Küssner (best original music score), Four Daughters‘ Kaouther Ben Hania (best writing), Our Planet II (best episodic series) and Dear Mama (best multi-part documentary).
In addition to the award winners listed below, the IDA awarded the Pare Lorentz Award to In the Rearview, and the ABC News VideoSource Award went to Storming Caesars Palace.
The 39th IDA Documentary Awards, hosted by KCRW DJs Tyler Boudreaux and Raul Campos, saw winners accept their awards from cities around the world.
“While we are speaking from Los Angeles, our thoughts are with the people living in the midst of war around the globe,” IDA board co-presidents Grace Lee and Chris Perez said at the top of the show. “The loss of lives, friendships and the inability to listen has been heartbreaking. And yet, as a community, we are storytellers of the world we live in and know that our work can not only capture history but change minds. To the thousands of IDA members who live in 76 countries and voted for the winners of the best feature and best short documentary categories, thank you for investing your time and for your inspired choices!”
In announcing this year’s IDA nominations, interim executive director Ken Ikeda said the organization would be skipping an in-person event.
“In the wake of devastating events unfolding in the world and the grief our staff, board, community, and humanity at large are experiencing, we have decided to forego an in-person party,” IDA interim executive director Ken Ikeda said in a statement. “We know that stories have the power to encourage compassion, understanding and peace. We are committed to preserving space for stories to be shared. Our wish is to recognize and celebrate the nominees and winners together, as a global documentary community.”
The IDA’s new executive director, as of Jan. 8, Dominic Asmall Willsdon, delivered the closing remarks.
“In the coming years, across all that IDA does, our task is to become as international as we can be,” Willsdon said. “You see it already. Look at this year’s award nominees, who works at IDA, who’s on the board now, this year’s grant recipients, and who’s contributing to the magazine.”
A complete list of this year’s International Documentary Awards winners follows.
Best Feature Documentary Nominees
Against the Tide (India | BBC Storyville | Director: Sarvnik Kaur | Producers: Koval Bhatia, Sarvnik Kaur)
ANHELL69 (Colombia | Square Eyes | Director: Theo Montoya | Producers: Bianca Oana, David Hurst, Theo Montoya, Juan Pablo Castrillon, Balthasar Busmann, Maximilian Haslberger)
Apolonia, Apolonia (Denmark | HBO Max | Director: Lea Glob | Producer: Sidsel Lønvig Siersted)
Bobi Wine: The People’s President (Uganda | National Geographic Documentary Films | Directors: Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp | Producers: Christopher Sharp, John Battsek) (WINNER)
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (United States | HBO Documentary Films | Directors: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster | Producers: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster, Tommy Oliver)
In the Rearview (Poland | Cinephil | Director: Maciek Hamela | Producers: Maciek Hamela, Piotr Grawender)
Milisuthando (South Africa | Director: Milisuthando Bongela | Producers: Marion Isaacs, Viviana Gomez, Sonia Barrera, Milisuthando Bongela, Hankyeol Lee)
Q (United States | Chehab Films | Director: Jude Chehab | Producers: Jude Chehab, Fahd Ahmed)
The Mother of All Lies (Morocco | Arizona Distribution | Director/Producer: Asmae El Moudir)
While We Watched (United Kingdom, India | POV, BRITDOC Films | Director: Vinay Shukla | Producers: Vinay Shukla, Khushboo Ranka, Luke W Moody)
Best Short Documentary Nominees
How to Carry Water (United States | Multitude Films | Director: Sasha Wortzel | Producers: Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous)
Incident (United States | Hypnotic Pictures | Director: Bill Morrison | Producers: Bill Morrison, Jamie Kalven) (WINNER)
Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles (United States | The New Yorker, Condé Nast Entertainment | Director: Dmytro Sukholytkyy Sobchuk | Producer: Daniel Lombroso)
Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) (Australia | Other Pictures | Directors: Derik Lynch, Matthew Thorne | Producers: Matthew Thorne, Patrick Graham)
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma) (United States | Director: Sean Wang | Producers: Sean Wang, Sam Davis)
Neighbour Abdi (The Netherlands | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Douwe Dijkstra | Producer: Richard Valk)
Raat: Night Time in Small Town India (India | The Third Eye Learning Lab | Directors: Arti Ahirwar, Ashraf Hussain, Rajkumari Ahirwar, Vikas Khatri, Tabassum Ansari, Kulsum Khatoon, Khushi Bano, Parmeshwar Mandrawaliya, Santra Chaurthiya, Rajkumari Prajapati, Manisha Chanda, Anita Sen, Rani Devi, Ajfarul Shaikh | Producers: Ruchika Negi, Dipta Bhog, Shabani Hassanwalia, Shivam Rastogi)
Suddenly TV (Sudan | Gisa Productions | Director/Producer: Roopa Gogineni)
The Unicorn in Snowpants Suddenly Ran Off (Germany | The New Yorker, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg | Director: Philipp Schaeffer | Producer: Fabian Leonhardt)
The Veiled City (United Kingdom | JSH Films | Director: Natalie Cubides-Brady | Producer: Jacob Swan Hyam)
Best Director
Asmae El Moudir, The Mother of All Lies (Arizona Distribution | Morocco) (WINNER)
Milisuthando Bongela, Milisuthando (South Africa)
Sarvnik Kaur, Against the Tide (BBC Storyville | India)
Theo Montoya, ANHELL69 (Square Eyes | Colombia)
Lea Glob, Apolonia, Apolonia (HBO Max | Denmark, Poland, USA)
Best Cinematography
Andrew H. Brown, Between the Rains (Journeyman Pictures | Kenya, USA)
Ants Tammik, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Greenwich Entertainment | Estonia, France, Iceland) (WINNER)
Curren Sheldon, King Coal (Fourth Act Film | USA)
Franz Lustig, Anselm (Sideshow Pictures | Germany)
Lars Erlend Tubaas Oymo, Songs of Earth (SWC/Arte, BBC Storyville | Norway)
Best Editing
Andreas Bøggild Monies, Thor Ochsner, Apolonia, Apolonia (HBO Max | Denmark, Poland, USA)
Carolina Siraqyan, The Eternal Memory (MTV Documentary Films | Chile, USA) (WINNER)
Fahd Ahmed, Q (Chehab Films | USA, Lebanon)
Hendrik Mägar, Tushar Prakash, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Greenwich Entertainment | Estonia, France, Iceland)
Best Original Music Score
Jonathan Goldsmith, To Kill a Tiger (National Film Board of Canada | Canada, India)
Leonard Küssner, Anselm (Sideshow Pictures | Germany) (WINNER)
Rebekka Karijord, Songs of Earth (SWR/Arte, BBC Storyville | Norway)
Samora Pinderhughes, Chris Pattishall, Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (HBO Documentary Films | USA)
Will Epstein, Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV (Greenwich Entertainment | USA)
Best Writing
Asmae El Moudir, The Mother of All Lies (Arizona Distribution | Morocco)
Kaouther Ben Hania, Four Daughters (Kino Lorber | France, Tunisia, Germany) (WINNER)
Lea Glob, Andreas Bøggild Monies, Apolonia, Apolonia (HBO Max | Denmark, Poland, USA)
Milisuthando Bongela, Milisuthando (South Africa)
Nisha Pahuja, To Kill a Tiger (National Film Board of Canada | Canada, India)
Best TV Feature or Mini-Series
Great Photo, Lovely Life (HBO Max | USA | Directors: Amanda Mustard, Rachel Beth Anderson | EP: Rachel Dretzin, Producers: Amanda Mustard, Rachel Beth Anderson, Luke Malone)
How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer (Showtime | USA | Director: Jeff Zimbalist | EP: Vinnie Malhotra, Stu Schreiberg, John Buffalo Mailer, Producers: Victoria Marquette, Jeff Zimbalist)
Mariupol: The People’s Story (BBC | UK | Director: Robin Barnwell | EP: Darren Kemp, Tom Stone | Producer: Hilary Andersson) (WINNER)
Reggie (Prime Video | USA | Director: Alexandria Stapleton | EP: Brenda Gilbert, Aaron L. Gilbert, Josh Miller, Kim Carsten, Zoë Morrison, Jason Cloth, Suraj Maraboyina, Producers: Alexandria Stapleton, Christopher Leggett, Rafael Marmor, Daniel Crown, Yoni Liebling)
The U.S. and the Holocaust (PBS | USA | Directors: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, Sarah Botstein | EP: Ken Burns, Producers: Sarah Botstein, Lynn Novick, Mike Welt)
Best Curated Series
American Masters (PBS | USA | EP: Michael Kantor)
America ReFramed (American Documentary, Inc, WORLD Channel | USA | EP: Erika Dilday, Chris White, Christopher Hastings)
Independent Lens (PBS, Independent Lens | USA | EP: Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen)
POV (PBS | USA, Denmark, Brazil | EP: Erika Dilday; Chris White) (WINNER)
Reel South (PBS, WORLD Channel | USA, South Korea, UK | EP: Rachel Raney, Don Godish, Donald Washington, Linda Midgett)
Best Episodic Series
Frozen Planet II (BBC America | USA | Producer: Mark Brownlow)
Our Planet II (Netflix | USA, UK | Producers: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey) (WINNER)
Telemarketers (HBO Max | USA | Producers: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Dani Bernfeld, David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, Danny McBride, Greg Stewart, Brandon James, Adam Bhala Lough, Sam Lipman-Stern, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Tina Nguyen)
The Hair Tales (Hulu | USA | Producers: Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross, Michaela Angela Davis, Tara Duncan, Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg, Kisah Imani Cameron, Kadine Anckle, Nicole Galovski)
VICE (Showtime | USA | Producers: Beverly Johnson, Subrata De)
Best Music Documentary
Keeping the Music Alive (France, Singapore, UK | TVF International | Directors: Sarah El Younsi, Mandakini Gahlot | Producers: Bable Doc, CNA)
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures, CNN Film, HBO Max | USA, UK | Director: Lisa Cortés | Producers: Lisa Cortés, Robert Friedman, Liz Yale Marsh, Caryn Capotosto)
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes (PBS, American Masters | USA | Directors/Producers: Ben Shapiro, Sam Pollard) (WINNER)
Milli Vanilli (USA | Paramount+ | Director: Luke Korem | Producers: Luke Korem, Bradley Jackson)
Pianoforte (Poland, Germany | Greenwich Entertainment | Director: Jakub Piatek | Producer: Maciej Kubicki)
Best Multi-Part Documentary
Algiers, America (Hulu | USA | Director: Jackson Fager | Producers: Jackson Fager, Jeffrey Fager, David Rohde, Connor Schell, Libby Geist, Raina Kelley, Joseph Langford, Durado Brookes)
Burden of Proof (HBO Max | USA | Director: Cynthia Hill | Producers: Charlotte Cook, Rahdi Taylor, Davis Guggenheim, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller)
Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court (Showtime | USA | Director: Dawn Porter | Producers: Vinnie Malhotra, Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, Dawn Porter)
Dear Mama (FX | USA | Director: Allen Hughes | EP: Lasse Järvi, Quincy “QD3” Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles King, Peter Nelson, Adel “Future” Nur, Jamal Soseph, Ted Skillman, Allen Hughes, Steve Berman, Marc Cimino, Jody Gerson, John Nanick, Nicholas Ferrall, Nigel Sinclair) (WINNER)
Ladies First: The Story of Women in Hip-Hop (Netflix | USA | Directors: Hannah Beachler, Raeshem Nijhon, Dream Hampton | Producers: Dream Hampton, Troy Carter, Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg, MC Lyte, Nicole Galovski, Justin Simien, Jennifer Ryan)
Best Short-Form Series
99: True Stories From Your Fellow Humans (99 | USA, India, UK | Producer: Jérôme Plan)
Couples Therapy (Showtime | USA | Producers: Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg, Vinnie Malhotra)
Equals (Anahad Foundation | USA | Producers: Shuchi Roy, Mudit Chaturvedi)
POV Shorts (American Documentary | USA | Producers: Erika Dilday, Chris White) (WINNER)
Queer Futures (Multitude Films | USA | Producers: Jess Devaney, Anya Rous, J Wortham)
Best Standalone Audio Documentary
K-Pop Dreaming, Episode 3 – “Trot” (USA | LAist Studios | Host: Vivian Yoon | Producers: Fiona Ng, Antonia Cereijido)
Les gardiennes du temple (The Guardians of the Temple) (France | SMAC Le Florida, Théâtre des Quatre Saisons, RTBF, RTS Culture SRG SSR | Hosts: Aurélien Caillaux, Benoit Bores | Producers: Faïdos Sonore, Les Voix de Traverse, SMAC Le Florida, Théâtre des Quatre Saisons)
Melanie Speaks (USA | SiriusXM Podcast Network | Host: Sarah Esocoff | Producers: Kameel Stanley, Jen Derwin, Bill Crandal, Mike Spinella, Sarah Bentley, Sarah Esocoff)
NPR’s Invisibilia: Freedom Diving (USA | NPR | Host: Kia Miakka Natisse | Producers: Phoebe Wang, Ariana Gharib Lee)
This Coal Life (South Africa | Host: Lesedi Mogoatlhe | Reporter: Siyabonga Mokoena | Producer: Dhashen Moodley) (WINNER)
Toughie (USA | BBC’s Short Cuts | Host: Josie Long | Reporter/Producer: Sarah Craig)
Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series
Foretold (USA | Los Angeles Times | Host: Faith E. Pinho | Producers: Asal Ehsanipour, Alex Higgins, Heba Elorbany, Jazmin Aguilera, Lauren Raab, Avery Trufelman, Sue Horton)
Into America presents: Street Disciples (USA | MSNBC | Host: Trymaine Lee | Producers: Aisha Turner, Isabel Angell, Max Jacobs, Allison Bailey, Mike Brown, Janmaris Perez)
Operation Morning Light (USA, Canada | Imperative Entertainment, Vespucci | Host: Dëneze Nakehk’o | Producers: Michael LaPointe, Aliya Pabani)
Scamanda (USA | Lionsgate Sound | Host: Charlie Webster | Producer: Jaxson McLennan | EP: Craig Piligian, Charlie Webster, Nancy Moscatiello)
The Greatest Menace: Inside The Gay Prison Experiment (Australia | Audible | Host/Producer: Patrick Abboud | Producer: Simon Cunich)
You Didn’t See Nothin (USA | The Invisible Institute, USG Audio | Host: Yohance Lacour | Producers: Bill Healy, Erisa Apantaku, Dana Brozost-Kelleher, Sarah Geis) (WINNER)
David L. Wolper Student Documentary
El Bastón (The City College of New York | USA, Colombia | Director: Nemo Allen | Producers: Aditi Natasha Kini, Juan Blanco García)
Hungry for Freedom (National Film and Television School | UK, Thailand | Director/Producer: Rachata Thongruay | Producer: Athena Vlachos)
Lettre à Elie (Letter to Elie) (National Film and Television School | UK | Director/Producer: Alexis Grigorieff) (WINNER)
PromisedLand™ (National Film and Television School | UK | Director/Producer: Frank Eli Martin | Producer: Tal Elkayam)
With Woman (National Film and Television School | UK | Director/Producer: Mia Harvey)
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