The West Lake International Documentary Festival (IDF) is a prestigious art platform that integrates documentary evaluation, screening, forums, proposals, and workshops. It is held each autumn at the China Academy of Art (CAA) by Hangzhou's scenic West Lake.
Guided by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Zhejiang Province and hosted by CAA, the IDF 2024 took place in Hangzhou, China, from October 25 to 27, 2024. This year's edition featured three sections: "West Lake Honor" Awards Section, "Glory of Documentary" Screening Section, and "IDF Forum" Academic Section. It gathered documentary filmmakers, production companies, distributors, scholars, and media professionals from China and abroad by the West Lake to experience the illuminating power of documentary storytelling.
The theme of this year's festival, "Co-existence", reflects on humanity's role as a young species still learning to exist humbly on this extraordinary Planet. Through documentaries from around the world, creative and courageous filmmakers examined how we might transcend societal, cultural, political, and natural boundaries.
Prof. Jin Yibin, Chairman of the Committee of Academy Affairs of CAA, delivered opening remarks. He affirmed that from its founding, IDF has embraced the mission of "Exploring the Essence of Documentary, Encouraging Youthful Experimentation, Uplifting the People, and Cultivating Eastern Quality". Prof. Jin emphasized that IDF aims to present documentary works of deep humanistic insight, to reflect on humanity's journey within the natural world, to consider the legacy of civilization across generations, and to express Eastern poetics within a diverse society. He highlighted IDF's advocacy for documentary values rooted in authenticity and humanistic care.
The "Glory of Documentary" Screening Section is a dedicated segment aimed at encouraging citizens to pay attention to documentaries and spotlighting the artistic insights of outstanding documentaries from both China and beyond. This section brings high-quality international works and post-screening talks across the city. It offers an academic perspective, nurtures documentary audiences, and sparks discussions on emerging topics. The ultimate goal is to integrate the cultural appeal of global documentaries into daily life, making this feast a documentary arts festival that everyone can share and enjoy.
The "West Lake Honor" Awards Section, or the IDF Competition, aims to discover and honor "documentary makers with attitude" and "documentary works with warmth" and promote and encourage documentary filmmakers to explore and persevere on the road of creative growth. The IDF Competition received a remarkable 613 submissions from 92 countries and regions across six continents. Following preliminary and secondary evaluations, a total of 15 documentaries stood out and were finally shortlisted for the IDF Competition.
Jury Committee Chair Kevin Macdonald delivered remarks at the festival, expressing his admiration for the Xiangshan Campus of CAA. He said that documentaries serve not only as a means to reflect on history but also to envision the future and explore the developmental direction of human society. He also emphasized that IDF is an invaluable global platform for documentary exchange, critical to understanding the past and future of our world.
The Opening Documentary of this year's festival, Blanket Wearer, directed by Park Jung-mi, begins with a haunting question: "How will I survive?" Alone in a foreign land and facing unemployment, the director embarks on a unique "free" journey of survival. At the same time, countless others around the world face similar struggles, as an omnipresent fear of survival intensifies competition, anxiety, climate disasters, ecological destruction, wars, and conflicts. It proposes that the answer may lie not in a relentless survival struggle, but in a redefined understanding of love—the love that unites us all. Blanket Wearer aspires to serve as a guiding light toward a warmer, more interconnected world. The film has been awarded the Distribution Support Prize at the 2024 Jeonju International Film Festival and the Special Screening Award at the 2024 Rome International Film Festival.
From October 25 to 27, the IDF 2024 showcased a selection of 44 exceptional documentaries from around the world, spanning ten thematic categories and including several global, Asian, and Chinese premieres. It also featured academic forums and special events, dedicated to exploring new directions in documentary creation and advancing the development of China's documentary sector.
