Academy Awards race for Best Documentary Feature has been narrowed down from a record-breaking 170 eligible films to a shortlist of 15.
Competing directors include two who have won Honorary Oscars in recent years: Faces Places co-director Varda, who received the award in November, and Ex Libris – The New York Public Library director Frederick Wiseman, a legendary nonfiction filmmaker who won an Honorary Oscar in 2016, has never been nominated for a competitive one.
Strong Island, Yance Ford’s examination of the murder of his brother, continued its strong showing after being nominated for nearly every early doc award, while LA 92, one of more than half a dozen docs about the 1992 Los Angeles riots and a film that has already won an Emmy, advanced as well, as did One of Us, Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing’s examination of a handful of Hassidic Jews who tried to leave their insular community in Brooklyn.
The Oscars shortlist:
Abacus: Small Enough To Jail, Mitten Media, Motto Pictures, Kartemquin Educational Films and WGBH/FRONTLINE hasing Coral,
Chasing Coral, Exposure Labs in partnership with The Ocean Agency & View Into the Blue in association with Argent Pictures & The Kendeda Fund
City of Ghosts, Our Time Projects and Jigsaw Productions
Ex Libris – The New York Public Library, Ex Libris Films
Faces Places, Ciné Tamaris
Human Flow, Participant Media and AC Films
Icarus, Netflix Documentary in association with Impact Partners, Diamond Docs, Chicago
Media Project and Alex Productions
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, Paramount Pictures and Participant Media
Jane, National Geographic Studios in association with Public Road Productions
LA 92Lightbox
Last Men in Aleppo, Larm Film
Long Strange Trip, Double E Pictures, AOMA Sunshine Films and Sikelia
One of Us, Loki Films
Strong Island, Yanceville Films and Louverture Films
Unrest, Shella Films and Little by Little Films.
The five nominees will be announced with the rest of the Oscars nominations on Jan. 23rd.
