December 4, 2009--Winners in the Feature and Short Award categories in the International Documentary Association's 2009 IDA Documentary Awards were announced during tonight's program, giving Sacha Gervasi's ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL its second award of the evening. The story of the band hailed as the "demi-gods of Canadian metal," received IDA's Distinguished Feature honors as well as IDA's Music Award announced earlier this week. Accepting the awards with director Gervasi were Anvil's Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner.

Also announced in the ceremony, which was hosted by Ira Glass, was the Distinguished Short Film Award, which honored the visually stunning SALT. Directed by Michael Angus and Murray Fredericks, SALT takes the viewer on one of Fredericks' extreme journeys to capture the heart of the world's most featureless landscape on Lake Eyre, South Australia.

IDA's Career Achievement Award was presented by composer Philip Glass to his long time friend and collaborator, Errol Morris, director of GATES OF HEAVEN (1978), VERNON, FLORIDA (1981), THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988), FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL (1997) and the Academy Award®-winning THE FOG OF WAR: ELEVEN LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF ROBERT S. MCNAMARA. Individual honors of the 2009 Awards also went to Natalia Almada who received the Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Filmmaker Award; independent film advocate Michael Donaldson who received IDA's Amicus Award; and veteran producer, director and writer Nicolas Noxon who received the organization's Pioneer Award.

A highlight of the evening was a tribute to journalists and documentary filmmakers from around the world who lost their lives in pursuit the truth. Introduced by Current Media's Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were held captive in North Korea and sentence to 12 years hard labor earlier this year, the tribute profiled Christian Poveda (1955 - 2009), Musa Khan Khel (1981 - 2009), Rolando Santiz (1952 - 2009), and Janullah Hashimzada (1969 - 2009).

ABOUT IDA
The IDA is a nonprofit, membership organization based in Los Angeles. The organization was founded in 1982 to promote and celebrate nonfiction filmmakers and is dedicated to increasing public awareness and appreciation of the documentary genre. For more information about IDA visit www.documentary.org or call 213-534-3600.
 
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(A list of winners follows)

2009 IDA DOCUMENTARY AWARDS WINNERS

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Errol Morris
 
PIONEER AWARD
Nicolas Noxon
 
AMICUS AWARD
Michael Donaldson
 
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Director: Sacha Gervasi
Producer: Rebecca Yeldham
Little Dean's Yard; Ahimsa Films; Abramorama; VH1
 
SHORT DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Salt
Directors: Michael Angus, Murray Fredericks
Producer/Writer: Michael Angus
Jerrycan Films
 
CONTINUING SERIES AWARD
POV
Executive Director: Simon Kilmurry
Vice President: Cynthia López
American Documentary, Inc.; PBS
Episodes Submitted:
Inheritance (Dir./Prod.: James Moll; Prod.: Christopher Pavlick; Exec. Prods.: Chris Malachowsky, Ryan Malachowsky)
Campaign (Dir./Prod.: Kazuhiro Soda)
Up the Yangtse (Dir.: Yung Chang; Prods.: Mila Aung-Thwin, Germaine Ying-Gee Wong, John Christou; Exec. Prods.: Daniel Cross, Mila Aung-Thwin, Ravida Din, Sally Bochner)
 
LIMTED SERIES AWARD
Architecture School
Director/Executive Producer/Original Concept: Michael Selditch
Original Concept: Stan Bertheaud
Senior Producer: Rob Tate
Producer: Rachel Clift
Executive Producers: Lynne Kirby, Laura Michalchyshyn
Sundance Channel
 
IDA MUSIC DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Director: Sacha Gervasi
Producer: Rebecca Yeldham
Little Dean's Yard; Ahimsa Films; Abramorama; VH1
 
IDA/HUMANITAS AWARD
Garbage Dreams
Director/Producer/