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Exclusive: The upcoming Abba feature, which will air on 14 broadcasters including the BBC and CW, is an attempt to give the global superstars the Asif Kapadia-style doc treatment for the first time while combatting “Anglo-American” snobbery, according to its director.

James Rogan said previous docs about Abba have been “lovely, full of joy and in the style of the arts programing of the late nineties and noughties,” while his team wanted to hand the show a modern narrative treatment, seen in the work of auteurs like Amy and Senna director Kapadia.

Produced by Rogan Productions, Abba: Against the Odds is a documentary first in that it has been funded by 14 broadcasters including the BBC, CW and Scandinavian networks to help take on the might of the streamers, organized under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union (Ebu), which runs Eurovision. The 90-minuter will launch a week before the 50th...

For Sama, Waad al-Kateab’s striking documentary about the start of the protests against the Assad regime in Syria, won the Best Feature prize at the International Documentary Association’s Ida Awards.

Al-Kateab shot hundreds of hours of footage over a course of the five-year siege that offered an unflinching view of life in war; the twentysomething economics student married one of the last doctors in her hometown of Aleppo, and they had a daughter, Sama, as the city crumbled around her.

Other winners Saturday at a ceremony on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles included HBO’s Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland, which won for Best Multipart Documentary, and Homecoming, Beyoncé’s Coachella concert film for Netflix.

Netflix won a leading three awards, including Best Director for American Factory co-directors Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert and Abstract: The Art of Design as Best Episodic Series.

Here’s the full...

Filmmakers Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ “For Sama” (PBS) took top honors at the 35th Annual IDA Documentary Awards at the Paramount Theatre Saturday night. The harrowing and intimate portrait of a young couple who continued to live in Aleppo with their new baby while under intense fire from government troops took home Best Feature. a

Al-Kateab also accepted the coveted Courage Under Fire award, given to someone who demonstrates extraordinary courage in pursuit of the truth. The Channel 4 film has already notched documentary wins from the European Film Awards, the British Independent Film Awards, and Cannes, as well as a PGA nomination.

Another Syrian film, “The Cave” (NatGeo) took home Best Writing for Alisar Hasan and Feras Fayyad. Dan Reed’s searing Michael Jackson exposé “Leaving Neverland” scored Best Multi-Part Documentary; HBO did not submit the Sundance premiere for the Oscars.

Other winners include Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert,...

“For Sama,” Waad al-Kateab’s wrenching story of raising a young daughter in war-torn Syria, has been named the best nonfiction film of 2019 at the International Documentary Association’s 35th annual Ida Documentary Awards, which were handed out on Saturday night on the Paramount Pictures lot in Los Angeles.

Al-Kateab, who directed “For Sama” with Edward Watts, also received the Ida Awards Courage Under Fire Award at the ceremony. Last week, the film also won the top award at the British Independent Film Awards, a rarity for a documentary.

Steven Bognar and Julie Reichert received the Best Director Award, the first time the Ida has handed out that particular prize, for their look at the culture clash when a Chinese company took over an American auto glass factory in Ohio in “American Factory.”

Also Read: 'For Sama' Film Review: Syrian Documentary Finds Wrenching Personal Take on Conflict

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The nominations are out for the 35th annual Ida Documentary Awards. Ten films are vying for the Best Feature nod, and the group has added a Best Director category for the first time — and all of those nominees are women.

One of the female helmers, For Sama director-producer Waad Al-Kataeb, is set to receive the Courage Under Fire Award. That honor is presented to documentarians displaying conspicuous bravery in the pursuit of truth.

“Back in Aleppo, I had no option but to fight the fears and horrors of this war through filming my experience both as a mother and as a female filmmaker,” Al-Kataeb said.

Read the full list of noms below.

“The Ida Documentary Awards recognizes excellence in nonfiction storytelling across a range of forms, and all of this year’s nominees and winners illustrate that documentary storytelling is one of the most vital art forms today,” said Simon Kilmurry,...

The International Documentary Association has announced its initial round of nominees for the 2017 Ida Documentary Awards, including special mentions and nods for limited series, curated series, episodic series, and more. Nominees for Best Feature and Best Short, and awards for creative recognition, will be announced on November 1. The Ida will honor director Marcel Mettelsiefen’s “Watani: My Homeland” with the Pare Lorentz Award. Also receiving a special mention in the category is Joe Berlinger’s “Intent to Destroy.”

Other standouts from this first list of nominees include Bryan Fogel’s controversial “Icarus,” Ryan White’s Netflix series “The Keepers,” Ken Burns’ revelatory miniseries “The Vietnam War,” and many more of the year’s best in documentary offerings.

Read More:Joan Didion and Arthur Miller Get the Documentary Treatment From Family Members, And That Makes All the Difference — Nyff

The 33rd edition of the annual ceremony will take place Saturday, December...