The 38th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) announced its official award winners on Thursday evening at a ceremony held at the Eye Filmmuseum. The top honor of the International Competition, the IDFA Award for Best Film, went to A Fox Under a Pink Moon, directed by Iranian filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei, a work praised for its emotional depth, artistic courage, and powerful portrayal of resilience through creativity.

The jury highlighted the film as “a window into the power of art and hope during the difficult times through which we’re living,” noting its striking cinematography—captured in dangerous conditions—and the luminous presence of its protagonist. According to the jury, the documentary stands as an empowering collaboration between an established filmmaker and a young emerging artist, who reclaims her identity amid exile and domestic violence, finding solace and expression through art. Oskouei’s film, produced across Iran, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Denmark, was awarded the festival’s top prize along with a €15,000 cash award.

In the same category, the IDFA Award for Best Directing was given to Tamar Kalandadze and Julien Pebrel for The Kartli Kingdom, while the award for Best Editing went to Diciembre (Argentina/Uruguay), directed by Lucas Gallo with editing by Fernando Epstein. The prize for Best Cinematography was awarded to Silent Flood (Ukraine/Germany), and a Special Mention was granted to Flood by American filmmaker Katy Scoggin.

Elsewhere in the festival, the Envision Competition recognized works pushing the boundaries of documentary form, with Past Future Continuous winning Best Film. Yet the spotlight of the evening remained firmly on A Fox Under a Pink Moon, celebrated as a standout achievement in international documentary filmmaking. This year’s awards reflected a broader emphasis on films that confront exile, imagine alternative futures, and reaffirm the role of artistic creation as a means of survival, resistance, and emotional truth.