TEHRAN – The documentary “A Fox Under a Pink Moon” by Iranian filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei won the top award of the 38th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which was in the Netherlands.

The Awards Ceremony of the festival was held on Thursday and “A Fox Under a Pink Moon” won the IDFA Award for Best Film in the International Competition, accompanied by a €15,000 cash prize, ISNA reported.

A joint production of Iran, France, the UK, Denmark, and the U.S., the 76-minute documentary had its world premiere at the festival and won its first international award.

The movie shows 16-year-old Soraya, who is already creating stunning drawings and sculptures that are as beautiful as they are dark. This strong-willed Afghan sculptor and illustrator has been trying for five years to leave Iran and join her mother in Austria.

“This film opens a window onto the power of art and hope during the difficult times through which we’re living,” the jury said in a statement.

“Through masterful cinematography often filmed in dangerous conditions, and the protagonist’s radiant energy, this empowering collaboration between an established filmmaker and a young new artist enables her to reclaim identity amid exile and domestic violence, to bloom despite repression, and to find solace through creation. A self-portrait that witnesses the growth of an Afghan artist whose work will continue to resonate,” the jury added.

Mehrdad Oskouei directed this film entirely remotely, with Soraya filming all the footage herself over five years using her phone.

This material is interspersed with shots of her drawings and surreal animations. Making art is no idle pastime for Soraya: she puts all her worries, joys, and fears into her drawings and the sculptures she makes from soaked egg cartons or clay that she finds along her routes. Many of her drawings feature recurring figures: a loyal fox who is her traveling companion, a pink moon that always watches over her, and a clown who never laughs—a character Soraya identifies with.

IDFA is a leading international documentary institute that provides a space for exchange, collaboration, and inspiration—bringing together filmmakers, artists, audiences, and professionals from around the world. 

Its broad scope includes a public festival of films and new media, funding initiatives, markets, talent development, and education programs—alongside a year-round documentary hub in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark.

SS/SAB