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42nd IDA Documentary Awards

42nd Annual IDA Documentary Awards Call for Entries

The IDA Documentary Awards is the world’s most distinguished event dedicated exclusively to the documentary genre, celebrating and honoring the year’s best nonfiction films, series, audio documentaries, and programs. It seeks to represent excellence in the documentary field from around the world by emerging and established docmakers.

For all inquiries, please contact us at awards@documentary.org
 

Important Notes

While the Call for Entries opens to the general public on June 1, IDA members have the opportunity to submit their applications early in May. Join or renew as an IDA Member (Doc Maker and up, corporate, institutional, or organizational) to get the best pricing, including our Special *MEMBERS ONLY* Early deadline discount. As a member, you also receive the exclusive opportunity to screen and vote for the winners in the Best Feature and Best Short categories. You can find the detailed deadline and fee schedule in the Rules and Regulations section 4.4. See submission key dates below.

Key Dates

  • May 4: Release of Updated Rules and Regulations
  • May 4: Call For Entries (CFE) Opens for Members Only
  • May 31: MEMBER CFE Early Deadline
  • June 1: Call For Entries (CFE) Opens for Non-Members
  • June 30: MEMBER & NON-MEMBER CFE June Deadline
  • July 31:  MEMBER & NON-MEMBER CFE July Deadline
  • August 20: CFE Closes for Non-Members; Final Deadline Extension Request Form Closes
  • September 1: CFE Closes for Members
  • Extensions granted *by Permission Only*

Projects can submit to the awards competition if they were completed or scheduled to premiere between September 1, 2025, and December 31, 2026. Documentary series entries are eligible for the awards if the majority of their episodes were broadcast or uploaded/premiered in this new eligibility period.