IDFA reveals the selection for the IDFA Competition for Short Documentary

The IDFA Competition for Short Documentary celebrates the versatility of the form, with films that use creativity and imagination to push the boundaries of short documentary. This year’s mosaic of styles, themes, and perspectives is driven by ambitious directors with singular cinematic voices and a strong artistic vision.

Several titles use archival footage to examine memory and political histories. Exploring where childhood memories connect with collective remembrance, Intersecting Memory by Shayma' Awawdeh presents a powerful portrait of a youth spent under occupation in Palestine’s West Bank. In As I Lay Dying, Mohammadreza Farzad and Pegah Ahangarani revisit shaky footage of social protests in Tehran in 2009.

The selection welcomes several filmmakers back to IDFA with new work, including Lasse Linder with Air Horse One, following prized jumping horse Legacy as she jets from one championship to the next, and Teboho Edkins with An Open Field, where he and his father visit Ethiopia to mourn his brother alongside a community still grieving the victims of a plane crash.

Turning to deeply personal stories, in the uplifting collage kiss kiss bang bang by Ollie Launspach explores how the filmmaker’s transition affects his girlfriend, revealing complex questions and insecurities.