IDFA 2024 Reveals Full Lineup, Announces “About a Hero” as Opening Film in the Netherlands
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has unveiled its complete program for the 37th edition, set to run from November 14 to 24, 2024. During a press conference, the festival announced the world premiere of Piotr Winiewicz's About a Hero as the opening film. This provocative documentary, which explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and creativity, is also part of the prestigious International Competition.
Winiewicz’s film, inspired by Werner Herzog’s skepticism of AI filmmaking, pushes boundaries by training an AI system on Herzog’s body of work to generate a screenplay. The result is a film that questions the nature of authenticity and creativity in the digital age. About a Hero will have its world premiere at IDFA, marking a bold start to the festival.
IDFA’s Artistic Director, Orwa Nyrabia, spoke about the diversity and depth of this year’s program: "The IDFA 2024 program is exceptional in quality and range. Although we regret the limited number of African films, we present a wide variety of artistic tendencies from around the globe. The program introduces some of the most beautiful works of recent years, including a few instant classics."
This year's International Competition lineup features 13 films, blending the voices of both veteran directors and emerging filmmakers. These films explore themes of war, political oppression, and the human condition in the modern world, often using new technologies to challenge viewers’ perceptions of reality. Among the notable entries are An American Pastoral by Auberi Edler, The Guest by Zvika Gregory Portnoy and Zuzanna Solakiewicz, and The Propagandist by Luuk Bouwman.
International Competition Films:
- "About a Hero" / Piotr Winiewicz / Denmark, Germany, United States / 84’ / World Premiere
- "An American Pastoral" / Auberi Edler / France / 127’ / World Premiere
- "The Golden Age" / Camilla Iannetti / Italy / 98’ / International Premiere
- "Green Is the New Red" / Anna Recalde Miranda / France, Italy, Paraguay, Sweden / 105’ / World Premiere
- "The Guest" / Zvika Gregory Portnoy, Zuzanna Solakiewicz / Poland, Qatar / 81’ / World Premiere
- "Home Game" / Lidija Zelović / Netherlands / 95’ / World Premiere
- "Light Memories" / Misha Vallejo / Ecuador / 77’ / World Premiere
- "The Propagandist" / Luuk Bouwman / Netherlands / 112’ / World Premiere
- "Rule of Stone" / Danae Elon / Canada / 84’ / World Premiere
- "Trains" / Maciej J. Drygas / Poland / 80’ / World Premiere
- "A Want in Her" / Myrid Carten / Ireland, UK, Netherlands / 81’ / World Premiere
- "Writing Hawa" / Najiba Noori / France, Netherlands, Qatar, Afghanistan / 84’ / World Premiere
In addition to the International Competition, IDFA has curated a diverse Envision Competition, showcasing films that push the boundaries of documentary filmmaking. The selection includes titles such as Bestiaries, Herbaria, Lapidaries by Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti, and Chronicles of the Absurd by Miguel Coyula. These visionary works offer new perspectives on both personal and global issues, ranging from experimental narratives to bold artistic statements.
Envision Competition Films:
- "Bestiaries, Herbaria, Lapidaries" / Massimo D'Anolfi, Martina Parenti / Italy, Switzerland / 208’ / International Premiere
- "Chronicles of the Absurd" / Miguel Coyula / Cuba / 77’ / World Premiere
- "CycleMahesh" / Suhel Banerjee / India / 60’ / World Premiere
- "The Fen-fire" / Erik van Lieshout / Netherlands / 60’ / World Premiere
- "A Frown Gone Mad" / Omar Mismar / Lebanon / 71’ / World Premiere
- "Garanti 100% Kréol" / Laurent Pantaleon / Réunion / 63’ / World Premiere
- "Higher than Acidic Clouds" / Ali Asgari / Iran / 70’ / World Premiere
- "Huaquero" / Juan Carlos Donoso Gómez / Ecuador, Peru, Romania / 79’ / World Premiere
- "Loss Adjustment" / Miguel Calderón / Mexico, Uruguay / 74’ / International Premiere
- "Paradise" / Ana Rieper / Brazil / 76’ / World Premiere
- "Park" / Yo-Hen So / Taiwan / 101’ / International Premiere
- "Pictures in Mind" / Eleonora Camizzi / Switzerland / 78’ / World Premiere
Additionally, IDFA has announced the lineups for its Luminous and Frontlight sections, both dedicated to films exploring personal stories and urgent societal issues. These sections provide a platform for world and international premieres, including Edhi Alice by Ilrhan Kim in the Luminous section and Toroboro: The Name of the Plants by Manolo Sarmiento in the Frontlight program.
The festival will also feature the innovative IDFA DocLab, highlighting immersive and digital storytelling experiences. This year’s DocLab explores the growing intersection of technology and human experience, with projects ranging from virtual reality to AI-driven narratives.
As the festival approaches, IDFA’s reputation as a global platform for documentary filmmakers continues to grow, drawing attention to some of the most innovative and compelling works in the non-fiction genre. With over 250 films in its lineup, IDFA 2024 is set to offer a comprehensive look at the state of the world through the lens of documentary cinema.
What You Need to Know:
- Dates: November 14–24, 2024
- Opening Film: About a Hero by Piotr Winiewicz (World Premiere)
- Number of Films: Over 250 titles
- Competitions: International Competition, Envision, Luminous, Frontlight, and more
- Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- General Ticket Sale: Starts October 30, 2024