The DOXA Documentary Film Festival ended on Sunday (May 10) with a gala screening of Albert Maysles' final film, Iris, and the usual round of awards and honourable mentions.

Anna Roussillon’s Je suis le peuple (I Am the People) bagged the top prize in the feature documentary category.

DOXA's statement reads: “The jury was united in their admiration for this remarkable debut feature. Intimate, funny, and immersive, the film allows us to witness the unfolding events of the Arab Spring and its aftermath through the eyes of a peasant farming family living in a small village near Luxor. It is documentary storytelling at its most compelling and empathic, truly a triumph. We would also like to give an honorable mention to Cain’s Children by Marcell Gerö. Tackling the topic of juvenile murderers imprisoned for most of their lives, the film offers a graceful and moving contemplation of the aftermath of trauma and guilt."

The Short Documentary Award, meanwhile, went to Dan Popa’s "Island and Flight", with an honourable mention going to "I Thought I Told You to Shut Up!"

Kevin Nikkel’s On the Trail of the Far Fur Country received The Colin Low Award for Canadian Documentary, while the Nigel Moore Award for Youth Programming was accepted by an emotional Victoria Lean for her debut film, After the Last River. Pick up this week's Georgia Straight for the full background on Lean's film, and the pressure she faced from mining giant DeBeers while it was in production.