Academy Shortlists 15 Documentary Features

Earlier today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a shortlist of just 15 documentary features eligible for Academy Award nomination from the 147 qualifying films. This is one of those categories that people often find hard to predict, because there is very little published about these films compared to the others, and most people would not have seen most if not all of the nominees. However, many of the experts including those on Indiewire, Huffington Post and Awards Circuit are giving specific mentions to 20 Feet from Stardom and Stories We Tell.

In its own words, Stories We Tell is “a deeply moving portrait of a family dealing with a legacy of secrets and lies, and the elusive nature of truth itself”. Directed by Academy Award nominated screenwriter Sarah Polley, it is a film that seems to deal less with the story being told and more with the people telling it, exploring the fabrication of history that accompanies selective memory and subjective experience. The trailer looks amazing, and evidences why documentary features deserve bigger theatrical releases.

20 Feet from Stardom is your typical Oscar fodder – a film that tackles the very notion while stardom while keeping it firmly on its pedestal. The film looks at the world of backup singers, and it really does look like a soulful, heartwarming documentary with a great soundtrack and interviewees including Mick Jagger. It looks great and from the trailer it’s not surprising this is one of the favorites.

All 15 shortlisted documentary features are listed below, and further analysis will follow nearer the nominations, but have you seen any or all of these? Which films would you like to see nominated? Perhaps your favorite doc of the year didn’t make the cut?

Documentary Feature Shortlist

 The Act of Killing
The Armstrong Lie
Blackfish
The Crash Reel
Cutie and the Boxer
   Dirty Wars
   First Cousin Once Removed
   God Loves Uganda
   Life According to Sam
   Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer
   The Square
   Stories We Tell
   Tim’s Vermeer
   20 Feet from Stardom
   Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington