Danish Winners at IDFA

Two Danish directors made it into the spotlight at the Melkweg concert hall in Amsterdam on Wednesday 25 November, as IDFA celebrated the winners of this year's big doc festival closing on Sunday. See trailers below and factsheets right

Andreas Koefoed won the award for Best Mid-length Documentary for "At Home in the World", a fly-on-the-wall of a group of child refugees at a Danish Red Cross school. Will their parents' applications for humanitarian visas be met with approval or rejection? And if they are allowed to stay, will they be able to find their feet in this new culture? These and other difficult questions are examined at intimate range as we follow the everyday lives of Magomed, Ali, Sehmuz, Heda, Amel and their teacher Dorte.

Read interview with Andreas Koefoed: Settling In

On stage during this 28th IDFA award ceremony was also Nicole N. Horanyi, who received the Alliance of Women Film Journalists' EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Documentary for "Motley's Law." The film, about defence attorney Kimberley Motley who initially came to Kabul out of financial reasons but became increasingly engaged in human rights cases, won a Grand Jury award at DOC NYC earlier this month and also screened at Chicago Film Festival and CPH:DOX. 

Read interview with Nicole N. Horanyi: The Ultimate Modern Woman

Nicole N. Horanyi on stage accepting her award for "Motley's Law".

Awards to Co-productions

Danish filmmakers are involved as co-producers on two other IDFA award winners. Recipient of the Special Jury Award for Dutch Documentary is Tom Fassaert's "A Family Affair," which is co-produced by Danish Documentary Production. An honourable mention in the Kids & Docs programme was awarded to Victor Kossakovsky's "Varicella," a Norwegian film made in collaboration with Final Cut for Real of Denmark.

"At Home in the World" is produced by Sara Stockmann for Sonntag Pictures, while distribution rights are handled by DR International Sales. "Motley's Law" is produced by Helle Faber for Made in Copenhagen, with LevelK managing international sales. Both films are made with support from the Danish Film Institute.

IDFA continues until Sunday 29 November, see more at idfa.nl.

See trailers

Read our IDFA magazine

At Home in the World

Andreas Koefoed, 2015

In Denmark, there is a school for refugee children from all over the world. Here they are taught while they wait for their cases to be treated. Most children have arrived with their parents, a few of them without.

Motley's Law

Nicole N. Horanyi, 2016

38-year-old Kimberley Motley left her husband and three kids in the US to work as a defence lawyer in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is the only foreign lawyer, and the only woman, who has a license to work in Afghan courts. With her Afghan assistant, Kimberley defends Western and Afghan clients accused of criminal acts.

Andreas Koefoed

Born 1979, Denmark. A graduate in documentary direction from the National Film School of Denmark, 2009, and in sociology from Copenhage University, 2004. Has, since 2001, worked as director, cinematographer and editor of documentary films, and has made films in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Nicole N. Horanyi

Director. Born 15/4 1977. Graduated as documentary director from the National Film School of Denmark in 2007.