‘Trains’ and ‘Chronicles of the Absurd’ Win Top Honors at 2024 IDFA

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam celebrated archival innovation and radical storytelling during its 37th edition.

Maciej J. Drygas’ ‘Trains’ won Best Film in the International Competition, praised for its inventive use of archival footage to explore 20th-century Europe.
Miguel Coyula’s ‘Chronicles of the Absurd’ earned Best Film in the Envision Competition for its bold, politically charged storytelling and unique audio-visual approach.
Auberi Edler received the Best Directing award in the International Competition for ‘An American Pastoral,’ which examines U.S. cultural and ideological divides through observational filmmaking.
Additional major awards included Best Cinematography for ‘The Guest’ and Best Short Documentary for ‘The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing.’
The festival also honored innovative projects in digital storytelling and immersive non-fiction, with winners exploring themes of identity, resistance, and historical memory.