The International Documentary Awards (IDA) announced its honorees for the 35th annual awards show in Los Angeles at Paramount Studios on December 7.
The Career Achievement Award will be given to Freida Lee Mock (Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision, Anita), who is also an Emmy and Oscar winner. Mock is also the co-founder of the American Film Foundation with spouse, Terry Sanders.
"I'm delighted and honored as a documentary filmmaker to be recognized by the world's preeminent media organization devoted to the documentary arts and craft," Mock said.
The Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award will go to Emmy nominee Rachel Lears (Knock Down The House, The Hand That Feeds). Knock Down The House followed the primary campaigns of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush and Paula Jean Swearengin, four progressive Democrats who ran for Congress in the 2018 midterm elections.
The Amicus Award will go to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which provides pro bono legal representation and other legal resources to protect First Amendment freedoms and the news-gathering rights of journalists.
"We are honored to receive this year's Amicus Award. Through our partnership with IDA, we have been able to provide critical legal support to documentary filmmakers who are bringing some of today's most important stories to light," Bruce Brown commented to IDA.
"We are so excited to be honoring such talented filmmakers and organizations that really make a difference in the world," Simon Kilmurry, executive director of the IDA, told IndieWire. "Freida Lee Mock's Career Achievement Award is overdue. Her films have tackled a wide range of topics with an insightful artistic vision, and her unparalleled body of work continues to inspire and impact the world."
"In her film Knock Down the House, Emerging Filmmaker Award recipient Rachel Lears brings us a powerful story of what it can mean when ordinary citizens decide to get involved in the political process and shows the change they can make," Kilmurry continued.
Additionally, the Pioneer Award will go to New York's film foundation and production company Cinereach. To date, Cinereach has given artistic fellowships to 30 independent filmmakers and producers, and over 200 grants to fiction and non-fiction films, including these Academy Award-nominated films: Hale County, This Morning This Evening, Strong Island, Cutie and the Boxer, I Am Not Your Negro and Citizenfour (Best Documentary, 2015).
The IDA 2019 Shortlists for Best Feature and Best Short categories will be announced on Thursday, October 10.
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