Karl Malakunas’ Delikado and Maya Newell’s The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone have made it onto the shortlist for this year’s International Documentary Association (IDA) Documentary Awards, announced as the sole Australian entries in the feature and short categories, respectively.
Designed to celebrate the best non-fiction films and programs of the year, the awards will be held December 10 (LA time) in the Paramount Theatre on the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood, with the 10 nominees for each award to be unveiled on November 11.
Delikado joins 24 other titles up for Best Feature, including Brett Morgen’s David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream and Daniel Roher’s NAVALNY.
Produced by Marty Syjuco, Michael Collins, and Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, the film follows the tribulations of environmental crusaders on the Filipino island of Palawan.
Bobby, Tata, and Nieves, the three magnetic leaders of this network risk their lives in David versus Goliath-style struggles trying to stop politicians and businessmen from destroying the Philippines’ “last ecological frontier”.
It screened at the Sydney Film Festival (SFF) earlier this year, where it won the $10,000 Sustainable Futures Award, and has since been nominated for an Asian Pacific Screen Award for Best Documentary.
Also screening at this year’s SFF was The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, a 30-minute film that spans 19 years in the life of the young actress as she recounts the experiences that made her who she is.
The film, which was produced by Sophie Hyde, Matthew Bate and Lisa Sherrard, premiered in Tribeca, and was also selected for this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest and Revelation Perth International Film Festival, before going on to Netflix.
Newell told IF she was pleased that the artistry and storytelling of the film were being recognised.
“This is a story that reveals the elliptical memories of trans teen Georgie Stone, who was also the creative producer on the film,” she said.
“I’d like to thank the amazing producers Sophie Hyde, Lisa Sherrard, and Matt Bate and the team at Closer Productions, editor Bryan Mason, and of course Georgie for her creative leadership, and the courage to share this intimate, personal throwback into her childhood.”
Delikado and The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone are part of a sizeable international contingent in this year’s IDA Awards shortlist, with a statement from the association confirming that of the 806 submissions received across all categories, 40 per cent were internationally produced or co-produced projects, reflecting the work of 86 countries.
IDA members will have access to view each of the nominated films and to vote for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary starting November 18.