Winners 1988–2025
An overview of all IDFA competition winners of past and new awards from 1988 – 2025.
International Competition
2025 A Fox Under a Pink Moon, Mehrdad Oskouei, Iran/France/United Kingdom/United States/Denmark
2024 Trains, Maciej J. Drygas, Poland
2023 1489, Shoghakat Vardanyan, Armenia
2022 Apolonia, Apolonia, Lea Glob, Denmark/Poland/France
2021 Mr. Landsbergis, Sergei Loznitsa, Lithuania/Netherlands
2025 Silent Flood, dir. Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, Ukraine/Germany
2024 The Guest, Zvika Gregory Portnoy, Zuzanna Solakiewicz, Poland/Qatar
2023 Flickering Lights, Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, India
2022 Paradise, Paul Guilhaume, France/Switzerland
2021 Where Are We Headed, Ruslan Fedotow, Belarus/Russia
2025 The Kartli Kingdom, dir. Tamar Kalandadze and Julien Pebrel, Georgia/France/Qatar
2024 An American Pastoral, Auberi Edler, France
2023 Life is Beautiful, Mohamed Jabaly, Norway/Palestine
2022 Much Ado About Dying, Simon Chambers, Ireland/United Kingdom
2021 Children of the Mist, Diem Ha Le, Vietnam
2025 December, dir. Lucas Gallo, Argentina/Uruguay
2024 Trains, Maciej J. Drygas, Poland
2023 The World Is Family, Anand Patwardhan, India
2022 Journey Through Our World, Mario Steenbergen, Netherlands
2021 Mr. Landsbergis, Danielius Kokanauskis, Lithuania/Netherlands
2025 Flood, dir. Katy Scoggin, United States
Envision Competition
2025 Past Future Continuous, dir. Morteza Ahmadvand and Firouzeh Khosrovani, Iran/Norway/Italy
2024 Chronicles of the Absurd, Miguel Coyula, Cuba
2023 Canuto’s Transformation, Ariel Kuaray Ortega and Ernesto de Carvalho, Brazil
2022 Manifesto, Angie Vinchito, Russia
2021 Octopus, Karim Kassem, Lebanon/Qatar/United States
2025 Holy Destructors, dir. Aistė Žegulytė-Zapolska, Lithuania/France/Latvia
2024 Bestiaries, Herbaria, Lapidaries, Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti, Italy/Switzerland
2023 Silence of Reason, Kumjana Novakova, North-Macedonia/Bosnia-Herzegovina
2022 The Fabulous Ones, Roberta Torre, Italy
2021 O, Collecting Eggs despite the Times, Pim Zwiers, Netherlands
2025 Amílcar, dir. Miguel Eek, Spain/Portugal/France/Sweden, Cape Verde
2024 A Frown Gone Mad, Omar Mismar, Lebanon
2024 Park, Yo-Hen So, Taiwan
2023 Canuto’s Transformation, Ariel Kuaray Ortega and Ernesto de Carvalho, Brazil
2022 My Lost Country, Ishtar Yasin Gutiérrez, Costa Rica/Iraq/Chile/Egypt
2021 One Take Grace, Lindiwe Matshikiza, South Africa
2025 No Special Mention
2024 No Special Mention
2023 No Special Mention
2022 Notes for a Film, Ignacio Agüero, Chile/France
2021 Skin, Marcos Pimentel, Brazil
IDFA DocLab Competitions
2025 Feedback VR, un musical antifuturista, dir. Claudix Vanesix for Collective AMiXR, Peru
2024 Me, a Depiction, Lisa Schamlé, Netherlands
2023 Turbulence Jamais Vu, Ben Joseph Andrews, Emma Roberts, Australia
2022 In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats, Darren Emerson, United Kingdom
2021 Museum of Austerity, Sacha Wares, John Pring, United Kingdom
Special Jury Award for Creative Technology
2025 No Special Jury Award
2024 No Special Jury Award
2023 Natalie’s Trifecta, Natalie Paneng, South Africa
2022 Plastisapiens, Miri Chekhanovic, Edith Jorisch, Canada/Israel
2021 Symbiosis, Marcel van Brakel, Mark Meeuwenoord, Netherlands
Special Mention
2025 Under the Same Sky, dir. Khalil Ashawi, Palestine/Turkey
2024 The Liminal, Alaa Al Minawi, Netherlands/Lebanon/Palestine/Norway
2025 Artificial Sex (Ep. 1 & 2), dir. Anan Fries, Germany/Switzerland
2024 Entropic Fields of Displacement, Pegah Tabassinejad, Canada
2023 Anouschka, Tamara Shogaolu, Netherlands/United States/Switzerland
2022 He Fucked The Girl Out of Me, Taylor McCue, United States
2021 Un(re)solved, Tamara Shogaolu, United States/Netherlands
Special Jury Award for Creative Technology
2025 No Special Jury Award
2024 No Special Jury Award
2023 Borderline Visible, Ant Hampton, Turkey/Greece/Switzerland/Belgium/Germany
2022 His Name Is My Name, Eline Jongsma, Ken O’Neill, The Netherlands
2021 Ravi and Emma, Kyle Boltin, Ella Ribeli, Ravi Vasavan, Emma Anderson, Australia
Special Mention
2025 Coded Black, dir. Maisha Wester, United Kingdom
2024 Burn from Absence, Emeline Courcier, France/Canada
2023 Despelote, Julian Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena, Ecuador/United States
IDFA Competition for Short Documentary
2025 An Open Field, dir. Teboho Edkins, South Africa/France/Germany
2024 The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing, Theo Panagopoulos, United Kingdom
2023 At That Very Moment, Rita Pauls and Federico Luis Tachella, Argentina/Germany
2022 Away, Ruslan Fedotow, Hungary/Belgium/Portugal
2021 Handbook, Pavel Mozhar, Germany/Belarus
2025 Dreams for a Better Past, dir. Albert Kuhn, Netherlands/Spain
2024 Mama Micra, Rebecca Blöcher, Germany
2023 My Father, Pegah Ahangarani, Iran/Czech Republic
2022 The Porters, Sarah Vanagt, Belgium
2021 Wolf Whispers, Chloé Belloc, France
NPO Doc IDFA Audience Award
2025 Cutting Through Rocks, Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, United States, Iran, Germany, Chile, Netherlands, Canada
2024 No Other Land, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Palestine, Norway
2023 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov, Ukraine
2022 Blue ID, Burcu Melekoglu and Vuslat Karan, Turkey
2021 Writing with Fire, Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas, India
Cross-section awards
2025 My Word Against Mine, dir. Maasja Ooms, Netherlands
2024 The Propagandist, Luuk Bouwman, Nederland
2023 Gerlach, Aliona van der Horst and Luuk Bouwman, Netherlands
2022 Journey Through Our World, Petra Lataster-Czisch and Peter Lataster, Netherlands
2021 Jason, Maasja Ooms, Netherlands
2025 Paikar, dir. Dawood Hilmandi, Netherlands/Afghanistan
2024 No Special Mention
2023 Mother Suriname – Mama Sranan, Tessa Leuwsha, Netherlands
2022 Inside My Heart, Saskia Boddeke, Netherlands
2021 Housewitz, Oeke Hoogendijk, Netherlands
2025 Paikar, dir. Dawood Hilmandi, Netherlands/Afghanistan
2024 CycleMahesh, Suhel Banerjee, India
2023 Chasing the Dazzling Light, Yaser Kassab, Syria/Qatar/Sweden
2022 The Etilaat Roz, Abbas Rezaie, Afghanistan
2021 Where Are We Headed, Ruslan Fedotow, Belarus/Russia
2025 The Kartli Kingdom, dir. Tamar Kalandadze and Julien Pebrel, Georgia/France/Qatar
2024 No Special Mention
2023 1489, Shoghakat Vardanyan, Armenia
2022 Guapo'y, Sofia Paoli Thorne, Paraguay/Argentina
2021 Children of the Mist, Diem Ha Le, Vietnam
2025 Remake, dir. Ross McElwee, United States
2024 My Stolen Planet, Farahnaz Sharifi, Iran, Duitsland
2023 Selling a Colonial War, In-Soo Radstake, Nederland
2022 Private Footage, Janaína Nagata, Brazil
2021 Ultraviolette and the Blood-Spitters Gang, Robin Hunzinger, France
2025 The Memory of Butterflies, dir. Tatiana Fuentes Sadowski, Peru/Portugal
2024 Eight Postcards from Utopia, Radu Jude and Christian Ferencz-Flatz, Romania
2023 Milisuthando, Milisuthando Bongela, South Africa/Colombia
2022 The March on Rome, Mark Cousins, Italy
2021 Babi Yar. Context, Sergei Loznitsa, Netherlands/Ukraine
2025 Paikar, dir. Dawood Hilmandi, Netherlands/Afghanistan
2024 Writing Hawa, Najiba Noori, France, Netherlands, Qatar, Afghanistan
2023 1489, Shoghakat Vardanyan, Armenia
2022 No FIPRESCI Award
2021 Makeup Artist, Jafar Najafi, Iran
Past Competitions (1988-2020)
2024 What’s the Film About?, Poorva Bhat, India
2023 And a Happy New Year, Sebastian Mulder, Netherlands
2022 Ramboy, Matthias Joulaud and Lucien Roux, Switzerland
2021 Shabu, Shamira Raphaëla, Netherlands/Belgium
2024 Everything Will Be Alright, Blankevoort and Lara Aerts, Netherlands
2023 Sister of Mine, Mariusz Rusiński, Poland
2022 Home Is Somewhere Else, Carlos Hagerman and Jorge Villalobos, Mexico/United States
2021 Shabu, Shamira Raphaëla, Netherlands/Belgium
2024 Simply Divine, Mélody Boulissière and Bogdan Stamatin, France/Romania
2024 The Invisible Ones, Martijn Blekendaal, Netherlands/Belgium
2023 Boyz, Sylvain Cruiziat, Germany
2022 Jasmin's Two Homes, Inka Achté and Hanna Karppinen, Finland
2021 Water, Wind, Dust, Bread, Mahdi Zamanpoor Kiasari, Iran
2020 Radiograph of a Family, Firouzeh Khosrovani, Norway/Iran/Switzerland, 2020
2019 In a Whisper, Heidi Hassan & Patricia Pérez Fernández, Spain/France/Switzerland/Cuba, 2019
2018 Reason, Anand Patwardhan, India, 2018
2017 The Other Side of Everything, Mila Turajlic, Serbia/France/Qatar, 2017
2016 Nowhere to Hide, Zaradasht Ahmed, Norway/Sweden, 2016
2015 Don Juan, Jerzy Sladkowski, Sweden/Finland, 2015
2014 Of Men and War, Laurent Bécue-Renard, France/Switzerland, 2014
2013 Song from the Forest, Michael Obert, Germany, 2013
2012 First Cousin Once Removed, Alan Berliner, United States, 2012
2011 Planet of Snail, Seung-Jun Yi, South Korea, 2011
2010 Position Among the Stars, Leonard Retel Helmrich, The Netherlands, 2010
2009 Last Train Home, Lixin Fan, China/Canada, 2009
2008 Burma VJ – Reporting from a Closed Country, Anders Østergaard, Denmark/Sweden/United Kingdom/Norway, 2008
2007 Stranded, Gonzalo Arijon, France, 2007
2006 The Monastery – Mr. Vig & the Nun, Pernille Rose Grønkjær, Denmark, 2006
2005 My Grandmother's House, Adán Aliaga, Spain, 2005
2004 Shape of the Moon, Leonard Retel Helmrich, The Netherlands, 2004
2003 Checkpoint, Yoav Shamir, Israel, 2003
2002 Stevie, Steve James, United States, 2002
2001 Family, Phie Ambo & Sami Saif, Denmark, 2001
2000 The Sea That Thinks, Gert de Graaff, The Netherlands, 2000
1999 André Hazes – She Believes in Me, John Appel, The Netherlands, 1999
1998 Photographer, Dariusz Jablonski, Poland, 1998
1997 Wasteland, Andrei Schwartz, Germany, 1997
1996 Atman, Pirjo Honkasalo, Finland/Germany, 1996
1995 Délits flagrants, Raymond Depardon, France, 1994
1994 Solo, the Law of the Favela, Jos de Putter, The Netherlands, 1994
1993 The Belovs, Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 1993
1992 La memoria del agua, Héctor Fáver, Spain, 1992
1991 Dreams and Silence, Omar Al-Qattan, Belgium, 1991
1990 Christo in Paris, Albert & David Maysles, United States, 1990
1989 The Crossroad, Ivars Seleckis, Latvia, 1988
1988 Tied: Birthplace Unknown, Karin Junger, The Netherlands, 1988 and Island, Ruben Gevorkyants, USSR, 1988
2020 Gorbachev. Heaven, Vitaly Mansky, Latvia/Czech Republic, 2020
2019 Sunless Shadows, Mehrdad Oskouei, Iran/Norway, 2019
2020 Inside the Red Brick Wall, Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers, Hong Kong, 2020
2019 Punks, Sander Vos, The Netherlands, 2019
2020 Nemesis, Thomas Imbach, Switzerland, 2020
2019 Punks, Maasja Ooms, The Netherlands, 2019
2018 Los Reyes, Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff, Chile/Germany, 2018
2017 The Deminer, Hogir Hirori & Shinwar Kamal, 2017
2016 Still Tomorrow, Jian Fan, China, 2016
2015 Ukrainian Sheriffs, Roman Bondarchuk, Ukraine/Latvia/Germany, 2015
2014 Something Better to Come, Hanna Polak, Denmark/Poland, 2014
2013 A Letter to Nelson Mandela, Khalo Matabane, South Africa/Germany, 2013
2011 5 Broken Cameras, Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi, Palestine/Israel/Netherlands/France, 2011
2010 You Don’t Like the Truth – 4 Days Inside Guantánamo, Luc Coté & Patricio Henriquez, Canada, 2010
2009 The Most Dangerous Man in America, Judith Ehrlich & Rick Goldsmith, United States, 2009
2008 Forgetting Dad, Rick Minnich & Matthew Sweetwood, Germany, 2008
2007 Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go, Kim Longinotto, United Kingdom, 2007
2006 Tender's Heat. Wild Wild Beach, Alexander Rastorguev, Russia, 2006
2005 Our Daily Bread, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Austria, 2005
2004 Liberia: An Uncivil War, Jonathan Stack & James Brabazon, United States, 2004
2003 The Corporation, Mark Achbar & Jennifer Abbott, Canada, 2003
2002 On Hitler's Highway, Lech Kowalski, France, 2002
2001 Elsewhere, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Austria, 2001
2000 Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale, Laurie Gwen Shapiro & David Shapiro, United States, 2000
1999 A Cry from the Grave, Leslie Woodhead, United Kingdom, 1999
1998 Pavel and Lyalya – A Jerusalem Romance, Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 1998
1997 Little Dieter Needs to Fly, Werner Herzog, Germany, 1997
1996 The Typewriter, the Rifle and the Movie Camera, Adam Simon, United Kingdom, 1996
1995 Picasso Would Have Made a Glorious Waiter, Jonathan Schell, United States, 1994
1994 Choice and Destiny, Tsipi Reibenbach, Israel, 1993
1993 Losses to Be Expected, Ulrich Seidl, Austria, 1992
1992 Black Harvest, Robin Anderson & Bob Connolly, Australia, 1992
1991 Djembéfola, Laurent Chevallier, France, 1991
1990 The Collector, Erik Strömdahl, Sweden, 1989
1989 The Power of Solovki, Marina Goldovskaya, USSR, 1988
1988 Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie, Marcel Ophüls, France/United States, 1988
2019 The Waiting Room VR, Victoria Mapplebeck, United Kingdom, 2019
2018 1 the Road, Ross Goodwin, United States, 2018
2017 Cosmic Top Secret, Trine Laier, Denmark, 2017
2016 Deprogrammed, Mia Donovan, Canada, 2016
2015 Drawing Room, Jan Rothuizen & Sara Kolster, The Netherlands, 2015
2014 Serial, Sarah Koenig & Julie Snyder, United States, 2014
2013 I Love Your Work, Jonathan Harris, United States, 2013
2012 Alma, a Tale of Violence, Miquel Dewever-Plana & Isabelle Fougère, France
2011 Insitu, Antoine Viviani, France, 2011
2010 HIGHRISE/Out My Window, Katerina Cizek, Canada, 2010
Special Jury Award for Creative Technology
2019 In Event of Moon Disaster, Francesca Panetta and Halsey Burgund, United States, 2019
2019 Vast Body 22, Vincent Morisset, Canada, 2018
2018 Eat | Tech | Kitchen, Klasien van de Zandschulp and Emilie Baltz, The Netherlands/United States, 2018
2017 Lauren, Lauren McCarthy, United States, 2017
2016 DeathTolls Experience, Ali Eslami, Iran, 2016
2015 Someone Else, Ant Hampton, Belgium, 2015
2020 This Rain Will Never Stop, Alina Gorlova, Ukraine, Latvia/Germany/Qatar, 2020
2019 Solidarity, Lucy Parker, United Kingdom, 2019
2018 Giacinto Scelsi. The First Motion of the Immovable, Sebastiano d'Ayala Valva, France/Italy, 2018
2017 The Distant Barking of Dogs, Simon Lereng Wilmont, Denmark/Sweden/Finland, 2017
2016 Who We Were, Sine Skibsholt, Denmark, 2015
2015 When the Earth Seems to Be Light, Salome Machaidze, Tamuna Karumidze and David Meskhi, Georgia/Germany, 2015
2014 Drifter, Gábor Hörcher, Hungary/Germany, 2014
2013 My Name Is Salt, Farida Pacha, Switzerland/India, 2013
2012 Soldier on the Roof, Esther Hertog, The Netherlands, 2012
2011 The Vanishing Spring Light, Xun Yu, China/Canada, 2011
2010 Kano: An American and His Harem, Monster Jimenez, Philippines, 2010
2009 Colony, Ross McDonnell & Carter Gunn, Ireland/United States, 2009
2008 Constantin and Elena, Andrei Dascalescu, Romania, 2008
2007 End of the Rainbow, Robert Nugent, Australia/France, 2007
2006 We Are Together (Thina simunye), Paul Taylor, United Kingdom, 2006
2005 The Angelmakers, Astrid Bussink, Hungary/The Netherlands/Scotland, 2005
2004 The Bridge, Ileana Stanculescu, Romania, 2004
2003 My Flesh and Blood, Jonathan Karsh, United States, 2003 & The Very Best Day, Pavel Medvedev, Russia, 2002
2002 Barbeiros, Mervi Junkkonen, Finland, 2001
2001 Bitch, Igor Voloshin, Russia, 2001
2000 Hybrid, Monteith McCollum, United States, 2000
1999 Between 2 Worlds, Bettina Haasen, Germany, 1999
1998 Howling for God, Dan Alexe, Belgium, 1998
1997 Anthem, an American Road Story, Shainee Gabel & Kristin Hahn, United States, 1997
Special Mention
2020 The Last Hillbilly, Diane Sara Bouzgarrou & Thomas Jenkoe, France/Qatar, 2020
2019 Froth, Ilya Povolotsky, Russia/Qatar, 2019
2019 I Owe You a Letter About Brazil, Carol Benjamin, Brazil, 2019
2018 Kabul, City in the Wind, Aboozar Amini, The Netherlands/Afghanistan/Japan/Germany, 2018
2017 Solving My Mother, Ieva Ozolina, Latvia, 2017
2016 Plastic China, Jiu-liang Wang, China, 2016
2015 Roundabout in My Head, Hassen Ferhani, Algeria/France/Lebanon/Qatar, 2015
2014 Mother of the Unborn, Nadine Salib, Egypt/United Arab Emirates, 2014
2013 Forest of the Dancing Spirits, Linda Västrik, Sweden/Canada, 2013
2020 The Fifth Story, Ahmed Abd, Qatar/Iraq, 2020
2019 Aswang, Alyx Ayn, Philippines/France/Norway/Qatar/Germany, 2019
2020 The Wheel, Nomin Lkhagvasuren, Mongolia, 2020
2019 Anticlockwise, Jalal Vafaei, Iran, 2019
2018 Summa, Andrei Kutsila, Poland/Belarus, 2018
2017 The Dread, Martin Benchimol & Pablo Aparo, Argentina, 2017
2016 Death in the Terminal, Tali Shemesh & Asaf Sudry, Israel, 2016
2015 At Home in the World, Andreas Koefoed, Denmark, 2015
2014 Kamchatka – The Cure for Hatred, Julia Mironova, Russia, 2014
2013 Pussy Versus Putin, Gogol's Wives, Russia, 2013
2012 Red Wedding, Lida Chan & Guillaume Suon, Cambodia/France, 2012
2011 Montenegro, Jorge Gaggero, Argentina, 2011
2010 People I Could Have Been and Maybe Am, Boris Gerrets, The Netherlands, 2010
2009 Iron Crows, Bong-Nam Park, South Korea, 2009
2008 Boris Ryzhy, Aliona van der Horst, The Netherlands, 2008
2007 To See if I’m Smiling, Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007
2006 Enemies of Happiness, Eva Mulvad, Denmark, 2006
2005 Before Flying Back to the Earth, Arûnas Matelis, Lithuania/Germany, 2005
2004 Georgi and the Butterflies, Andrey Paounov, Bulgaria, 2004
2003 Surplus – Terrorized into Being Consumers, Erik Gandini, Sweden, 2003
2002 Interesting Times – The Secret of My Success, Jinchuan Duan, China, 2002
2001 Haj-Abbas’ Wives, Mohsen Abdolvahab, Iran, 2001
2000 Jung (War) in the Land of the Mujaheddin, Fabrizio Lazzaretti & Alberto Vendemmiati, Afghanistan/Italy, 2000
1999 Kids from the Coal Land – A Letter to Henri Storck, Patric Jean, Belgium, 1999
1998 Hephzibah, Curtis Levy, Australia, 1998
1997 Gigi, Monica... & Bianca, Yasmina Abdellaoui & Benoît Dervaux, Belgium, 1996
1996 Mr. Behrmann – Life Dream Death, Andreas Voigt, Germany, 1995
1995 6 Open, 21 Closed, Amit Goren, Israel, 1994
Special Mention
2020 The Blue House, Hamedine Kande, Belgium/Senegal/Cameroon, 2020
2019 Mother-Child, Andrea Testa, Argentina, 2019
2018 In Touch, Pawel Ziemilski, Poland/Iceland, 2018
2017 Last Days in Shibati, Hendrick Dusollier, France, 2017
2016 Come Back Free, Ksenia Okhapkina, Estonia, 2016
2015 The Fog of Srebrenica, Samir Mehanovic, Scotland/Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2015
2008 Lady Kul el Arab, Ibtisam Mara’ana, Israel, 2008
2020 Dealing with Death, Paul Sin Nam, The Netherlands, 2020
2019 Sidik and the Panther, Reber Dosky, The Netherlands, 2019
2018 'Now something is slowly changing', mint film office, The Netherlands, 2018
2017 The Long Season, Leonard Retel Helmrich, The Netherlands, 2017
2016 Radio Kobanî, Reber Dosky, The Netherlands, 2016
2015 A Strange Love Affair with Ego, Ester Gould, The Netherlands, 2015
2014 The New Rijksmuseum – The Film, Oeke Hoogendijk, The Netherlands, 2014
2013 Awake in a Bad Dream, Petra Lataster-Czisch and Peter Lataster, The Netherlands, 2013
2012 Soldier on the Roof, Esther Hertog, The Netherlands, 2012
2011 900 Days, Jessica Gorter, 2011
2010 Position Among the Stars, Leonard Retel Helmrich, The Netherlands, 2010
2009 The Player, John Appel, The Netherlands, 2009
Special Mention
2020 Silence of the Tides, Pieter-Rim de Kroon, The Netherlands, 2020
2019 Punks, Maasja Ooms, The Netherlands, 2019
2018 But Now Is Perfect, Carin Goeijers, The Netherlands, 2018
2017 Alicia, Maasja Ooms, The Netherlands, 2017
2016 Stranger in Paradise, Guido Hendrikx, The Netherlands, 2016
2015 A Family Affair, Tom Fassaert, The Netherlands, 2015
2020 Unforgivable, Marlén Viñayo, El Savador, 2020
2019 Up at Night, Nelson Makengo, Congo/Belgium, 2019
2018 I Signed the Petition, Mahdi Fleifel, United Kingdom/Germany/Switzerland, 2018
2017 Zhalanash - Empty Shore, Marcin Sauter, Poland, 2017
2009 Six Weeks, Marcin Janos Krawczyk, Polen, 2009
2008 Slaves – An Animated Documentary, Hanna Heilborn & David Aronowitsch, Sweden/Norway/Denmark, 2008
2007 The Tailor, Oscar Pérez, Spain, 2007
2006 My Eyes, Erlend E. Mo, Denmark, 2006
2005 Butterfly Man, Samantha Rebillet, Australia, 2004
Special Mention
2019 Mizuko, Katelyn Rebelo and Kira Dane, United States/Japan, 2019
2018 And What is the Summer Saying, Payal Kapadia, India, 2018
2017 As We're Told, Erik Holmström, Frederik Wenzel, Sweden, 2017
2020 Boyi-biyo, Anne Bertille Vopiande Ndeysseit, Central African Republic/France, 2020
2019 Saudade, Denize Galiao, Germany, 2019
2018 In Search..., Beryl Magoko, Germany/Kenya, 2018
2017 Call Me Tony, Klaudiusz Chrostowski, Poland, 2017
2016 When Will This Wind Stop, Aniela Astrid Gabryel, Poland, 2016
2015 My Aleppo, Melissa Langer, U.S., 2015
2014 No Lullaby, Helen Simon, Germany, 2014
2013 Final Destination, Ricardas Marcinkus, Lithuania, 2013
2012 Pablo’s Winter, Chico Pereira, Scotland/Spain, 2012
2011 The Betrayal, Karen Winther, United Kingdom/Norway, 2011
2010 What’s in a Name, Eva Küpper, Belgium, 2010
2009 Redemption, Sabrina Wulff, Germany, 2009
2008 Shakespeare and Victor Hugo’s Intimacies, Yulene Olaizola, Mexico, 2008
2007 Paradise – Three Journeys in This World, Elina Hirvonen, Finland, 2007
Special Mention
2020, I Don't Feel at Home Anywhere Anymore, Viv Li, Belgium/China, 2020
2019 Summerwar, Moritz Schulz, Germany, 2019
2018 Backwards, Dana Gelman, Israel, 2018
2017 I Am, Denise Kelm Soares, Cuba/Brazil, 2017
2016 Close Ties, Zofia Kowalewska, Poland, 2016
2015 The Mute's House, Tamar Kay, Israel, 2015
2020 Shadegan, Ako Salemi, Iran, 2019
2019 Asho, Jafa Najafi, Iran, 2019
2018 Dancing for You, Katarzyna Lesisz, Poland, 2018
2017 Lenno & the Angelfish, Shamira Raphaëla, The Netherlands, 2017
2016 Rocknrollers, Daan Bol, The Netherlands, 2016
2015 Ninnoc, Niki Padidar, The Netherlands, 2015
2018 The Man Who Looked Beyond the Horizon, Martijn Blekendaal, The Netherlands, 2018
2017 L I S T E N, Astrid Bussink, The Netherlands, 2017
2016 Naomi's Secret, Saskia Gubbels, The Netherlands, 2016
2020 An Intermission, Edwin Mingard, United Kingdom, 2020
2019 Foreplay, Anne van Campenhout, The Netherlands, 2019
2015 Varicella, Victor Kossakovsky, Norway/Denmark/Sweden/Russia, 2015
2019 For Sama, Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, United Kingdom, 2019
2018 Don't Be a Dick About It, Benjamin Mullinkosson, The United States, 2018
2017 Deaf Child, Alex de Ronde, The Netherlands, 2017
2016 La Chana, Lucija Stojevic, Spain/Iceland/U.S., 2016
2015 Sonita, Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, Iran, 2015
2014 Naziha's Spring, Gülsah Dogan, The Netherlands, 2014
2013 Twin Sisters, Mona Friis Bertheussen, Norway, 2013
2012 Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul, Sweden/United Kingdom, 2012
2011 5 Broken Cameras, Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi, Palestine/Israel/Netherlands/France, 2011
2010 Waste Land, Lucy Walker, United Kingdom/Brazil, 2010
2009 The Cove, Louie Psihoyos, United States, 2009
2008 RiP – A Remix Manifesto, Brett Gaylor, Canada, 2008
2007 To See If I’m Smiling, Tamar Yarom, Israel, 2007
2006 We Are Together (Thina simunye), Paul Taylor, United Kingdom, 2006
2005 Sisters in Law, Kim Longinotto & Florence Ayisi, United Kingdom, 2005
2004 The Yes Men, Dan Ollman, Sarah Price & Chris Smith, United States, 2003
2003 My Flesh and Blood, Jonathan Karsh, United States, 2003
2002 Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore, United States, 2002
2001 Offspring, Barry Stevens, Canada, 2001
2000 Desi, Maria Ramos, The Netherlands, 2000
1999 Crazy, Heddy Honigmann, The Netherlands, 1999
1998 Two Dads, Ko van Reenen, The Netherlands, 1998
1997 Vision Man, William Long, Sweden, 1997
1996 Blue Eyed, Bertram Verhaag, Germany, 1996
1995 Anne Frank Remembered, Jon Blair, United Kingdom, 1995
1994 Choice and Destiny, Tsipi Reibenbach, Israel, 1993
1993 The Belovs, Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 1993
1992 Black Harvest, Robin Anderson & Bob Connolly, Australia, 1992
1991 Djembéfola, Laurent Chevallier, France, 1991
1990 In Memory of the Day Passed By, Sharunas Bartas, USSR, 1989
1989 Skierskala, Ivars Seleckis, Latvia, 1988
1988 The Last Judgement, Herz Frank, Lithuania/USSR, 1987
2020 Radiograph of a Family, Firouzeh Khosrovani, Norway/Iran/Switserland, 2020
2019 Letter to the Editor, Alan Berliner, United States, 2019
2019 Jørgen Leth, Denmark
2016 Parked Lives, Peter Triest
2015 Theater of the Crowd, Thomas Vroege
2014 Hier is het nooit stil (A Quiet Place), Sjoerd Oostrik
2013 Girls Boys & Me, Xander de Boer
2012 Wij zijn 18 (We Are 18), Tomas Kaan
2011 Waterlijken (Floating Bodies), Nelleke Koop
2010 C.K., Barbara Visser
2009 De dertiende man (The Man in Black), Martijn Blekendaal
2008 Monsters onder het bed, Sarah Mathilde Domogala
2007 Zintuigen, deuren naar de ziel, Elizabeth Rocha Salgado
2006 Eeuwige moes (Eternal Mash), Catherine van Kampen
2005 De grote schaduw van Stampersgat (The Bittersweet Shadow of Stampersgat), Patrick Bus
2004 Sannes droom, Frodo Terpstra
2003 Tsjechisch kerstfeest, Simonka de Jong
2002 Lagonda, Robin van Erven Dorens
2001 Corsokoorts, Dorien Janssen
2000 Wheels of Fortune, Wilco Bello
1999 Sport: de mentale kwestie, Lies Niezen
2016 The Grown-Ups, Maite Alberdi, Chile/The Netherlands/France, 2016
2015 Motley's Law, Nicole Nielsen Horanyi, Denmark, 2015
2014 Tea Time, Maite Alberdi, Chile, 2014
2015 A Strange Love Affair with Ego, Ester Gould, The Netherlands, 2015
2013 Heddy Honigmann
2009 Frederick Wiseman