A conversation with IDFA Artistic Director, Orwa Nyrabia.Last week brought the close of the 35th edition of IDFA, the largest documentary film festival and marketplace, a twelve day event in Amsterdam.

Midway through the festival, I had the great chance to catch up with Orwa Nyrabia, the Artistic Director of IDFA, to discuss the organizing of this year’s festival experience and unpack some of the ideas and notions that were pushed to the foreground.

This year’s edition felt monumental. Not only for the sheer number of films on display (277) but also for the necessary and thought provoking panel discussions that were platformed - including an examination of the growing prosecution and incarceration of filmmakers around the world, the emergence of co-creation as a practice grounded in equity and justice, and a bold, critical examination of the power dynamics inherent in film festivals that are designed around exclusivity and competition.

All said, it was an impressive offering that gave air to many meaningful exchanges.

RELATED LINKS:

• IDFA talks during the festival mentioned on this podcast are freely available on the VOD library on the IDFA website, https://www.idfa.nl/en/selection/141496/talks-library
• Additional Q&A’s with filmmakers featured in this year’s best of fests section are available on docsinorbit.com/idfa2022 including Jumana Manna on Foragers, Shaunak Sen on All That Breathes, and Jacquelyn Mills on Geographies of Solitude.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

• original music by Nayeem Mahbub in Stockholm.
• special thanks to Anne Takahashi, Angie Obeid and Farah Kassem.

For show notes visit docsinorbit.comand be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit for updates.