Submissions for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature

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These are the lists of documentary films that were shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in recent years.

List of selected films and years

1999

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Amargosa Not nominated [1]
American Movie Chris Smith United States The making of a low budget horror movie Not nominated
Beyond the Mat Not nominated
Buena Vista Social Club Wim Wenders A group of elderly Cuban musicians Nominated
Genghis Blues Nominated
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. Errol Morris Not nominated
On the Ropes Brett Morgen United States Nominated
One Day in September Terrorist attacks at the 1972 Summer Olympics Won Academy Award
Pop & Me Not nominated
Smoke and Mirrors: A History of Denial Not nominated
The Source Chuck Workman United States The Beat Generation Not nominated
Speaking in Strings Nominated

2000

2001

2002

2003

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
The Agronomist Not nominated [2]
Balseros Nominated
Bus 174 Not nominated
Capturing the Friedmans American family with dark sexual secrets Nominated
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin Not nominated
The Fog of War Errol Morris United States Robert McNamara and his involvement in the Vietnam War Won Academy Award
Heir to an Execution Not nominated
Inheritance: A Fisherman's Story Not nominated
Lost Boys of Sudan Not nominated
My Architect Nominated
My Flesh and Blood Not nominated
The Weather Underground United States The rise and fall of radical political group of the same name Nominated

2004

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Born into Brothels Won Academy Award [3][2]
Home of the Brave Not nominated
Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train Not nominated
In the Realms of the Unreal Jessica Yu United States Outsider artist Henry Darger's magnum opus The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion Not nominated
Riding Giants Not nominated
The Ritchie Boys Not nominated
The Story of the Weeping Camel Nominated
Super Size Me Morgan Spurlock United States A filmmaker eating nothing but McDonald's fast food for 30 days Nominated
Tell Them Who You Are Not nominated
Touching the Void Not nominated
Tupac: Resurrection Late rapper Tupac Shakur Nominated
Twist of Faith Nominated

2005

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Darwin's Nightmare Nominated [4]
The Devil and Daniel Johnston United States Outsider music artist Daniel Johnston and his struggles with paranoid schizophrenia Not nominated
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Alex Gibney United States Nominated
Mad Hot Ballroom United States Not nominated
March of the Penguins France Won Academy Award
Murderball United States Nominated
Street Fight Marshall Curry United States Nominated

2006

2007

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Autism: The Musical Children on the autism spectrum performing their own stage musical Not nominated [5]
Body of War Not nominated
For the Bible Tells Me So Not nominated
Lake of Fire Not nominated
Nanking Not nominated
No End in Sight Nominated
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience Nominated
The Price of Sugar Not nominated
Please Vote for Me Not nominated
Sicko Michael Moore United States Nominated
Taxi to the Dark Side Alex Gibney United States Won Academy Award
War/Dance Nominated
White Light/Black Rain Not nominated

2008

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) [6]
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts Classical music composer Philip Glass
I.O.U.S.A.
Man on Wire United States Won Academy Award
Trouble the Water

2009

2010

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Exit Through the Gift Shop [7]
Gasland
Inside Job Won Academy Award
Restrepo
The Tillman Story United States The untimely death of former football player turned soldier Pat Tillman Not nominated
Waiting for "Superman"
Waste Land

2011

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Buck Not nominated [8]
Bill Cunningham New York Not nominated
Battle for Brooklyn Not nominated
Hell and Back Again Nominated
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front - Marshall Curry United States The rise and fall of radical environmental group Earth Liberation Front Nominated
Jane's Journey Not nominated
The Loving Story Not nominated
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory Nominated
Pina Wim Wenders Germany Nominated
Project Nim Not nominated
Semper Fi: Always Faithful Not nominated
Sing Your Song Not nominated
Undefeated Won Academy Award
Under Fire: Journalists in Combat Not nominated
We Were Here Not nominated

2012

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Bully Not nominated [9]
Chasing Ice Best Original Song nominee Not nominated
5 Broken Cameras Nominated
The Gatekeepers Nominated
How to Survive a Plague Nominated
The Invisible War Nominated
Searching for Sugar Man Won Academy Award
This Is Not a Film Filmmaker Jafar Panahi's exile from making cinema in Iran Not nominated

2013

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
The Act of Killing Nominated [10]
Blackfish United States Controversies surrounding the mistreatment of whales at Sea World Not nominated
Cutie and the Boxer Nominated
Dirty Wars Nominated
God Loves Uganda Not nominated
The Square Nominated
20 Feet from Stardom Morgan Neville United States Legendary backup singers (eg.Darlene Love) Won Academy Award

2014

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Citizen Koch Not nominated [11][9]
Citizenfour Won Academy Award
Finding Vivian Maier Female photographer Vivian Maier Nominated
The Internet's Own Boy Not nominated
Jodorowsky's Dune Cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's attempts at adapting the classic sci-fi novel Dune Not nominated
Last Days in Vietnam Nominated
Life Itself Steve James United States Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert Not nominated
The Salt of the Earth Nominated
Virunga Nominated

2015

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Amy United Kingdom The life and death of singer Amy Winehouse Won Academy Award [12][13]
Batkid Begins A child Batman fan with cancer Not nominated
Best of Enemies The televised arguments between conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr and progressive novelist Gore Vidal Not nominated
Cartel Land Nominated
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief Church of Scientology Not nominated
He Named Me Malala Not nominated
Heart of a Dog Composer Laurie Anderson's meditative ode to canines Not nominated
The Hunting Ground Best Original Song nominee Not nominated
I Am Chris Farley The late comedian Chris Farley Not nominated
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Brett Morgen United States Grunge rock iconoclast Kurt Cobain's upbringing Not nominated
A Lego Brickumentary Not nominated
Listen to Me Marlon Archival footage examining the life of Academy Award-winning actor Marlon Brando Not nominated
The Look of Silence Nominated
Meru Not nominated
Racing Extinction Best Original Song nominee Not nominated
Tab Hunter Confidential Gay actor Tab Hunter Not nominated
What Happened, Miss Simone? United States The life and troubled times of singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone Nominated
Where to Invade Next Not nominated
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom Ukraine's fight for freedom during the Revolution of Dignity Nominated

2016

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week Not nominated [14]
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Not nominated
Cameraperson Kirsten Johnson United States A cinematographer's collection of documentary footage Not nominated
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words Cult rock composer Frank Zappa Not nominated
Everything is Copy-Nora Ephron:Scriped & Unscripted Not nominated
Fire at Sea Nominated
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life United States African-American animator Floyd Norman Not nominated
Gleason Not nominated
I Am Not Your Negro Raoul Peck FranceUnited States Author James Baldwin's unfinished memoir about being black in America Nominated
Jim: The James Foley Story Journalist James Foley and the untimely death perpetrated by ISIS; Best Original Song nominee Not nominated
Life, Animated Roger Ross Williams United States Owen Suskind, son of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind, diagnosed with autism learning about life and communication through classic Disney animated movies Nominated
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise Not nominated
Norman Lear: Just Another Vision of You TV pioneer Norman Lear Not nominated
OJ: Made in America Ezra Edelman United States The examination of racial divides in America during the O.J. Simpson saga Won Academy Award
13th Nominated
Tower Not nominated
Weiner United States The rise and fall of politician Anthony Weiner due to his excessive sexting Not nominated

2017

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Steve James Nominated [15][16][17]
City of Ghosts Not nominated
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Record executive Clive Davis Not nominated
Dawson City: Frozen Time - Bill Morrison Deteriorating silent films found in Canada Not nominated
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library Not nominated
Faces Places Agnes Varda Nominated
Gilbert Controversial comedian Gilbert Godfried Not nominated
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story Not nominated
Icarus Won Academy Award
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power Not nominated
Jane Brett Morgen Iconic anthropologist Jane Goodall Not nominated
Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond Chris Smith The making of the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon starring Jim Carrey in his Golden Globe-winning depiction of the controversial comedian Not nominated
LA 92 Archival coverage of the 1992 Rodney King riots Not nominated
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 The events that led up to the Rodney King riots Not nominated
Last Men in Aleppo Nominated
Strong Island Yance Ford Nominated
Whitney The life and tragic death of singer Whitney Houston Not nominated

2018

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Charm City Marilyn Ness United States A community in Baltimore, Maryland, over the span of three years of high violence Not nominated [18]
Communion Anna Zamecka Poland Ola, a 14-year old girl who takes care of her dysfunctional, alcoholic father, autistic brother, mother who lives separately, and her preparation of family celebration of her brother's Holy Communion sacrament Not nominated
Crime + Punishment Stephen T. Maing United States A group of black and Latino whistleblower cops and a private investigator who risk everything to expose illegal quota practices and their impact on young minorities Not nominated
Dark Money Kimberly Reed United States The effects of corporate money and influence in the American political system Not nominated
The Distant Barking of Dogs Simon Lereng Wilmont Ukraine Denmark Finland Sweden The life of 10-year-old Ukrainian boy Oleg throughout a year during the War in Donbas Not nominated
Free Solo Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin United States Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite National Park's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall Won Academy Award
Hale County This Morning, This Evening RaMell Ross United States The lives of black people in Hale County, Alabama Nominated
Minding the Gap Bing Liu United States The lives and friendships of three young men growing up in Rockford, Illinois, united by their love of skateboarding Nominated
Of Fathers and Sons Talal Derki Germany Lebanon Netherlands Qatar Syria Radical jihadism and terrorist training in Syria Nominated
On Her Shoulders Alexandria Bombach United States Human rights activist Nadia Murad, as she met with politicians and journalists to alert the world to the massacres and kidnapping happening in Iraq Not nominated
RBG Betsy West, Julie Cohen United States The life, legacy and career of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Nominated
Shirkers Sandi Tan Singapore United Kingdom United States The making of an independent thriller featuring a teenage assassin set in Singapore Not nominated
The Silence of Others Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar United States Spain The silenced fight of the victims from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco Not nominated
Three Identical Strangers Tim Wardle United States United Kingdom The lives of Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran, a set of identical triplet brothers adopted as infants by separate families Not nominated
Won't You Be My Neighbor? Morgan Neville United States The life, legacy and guiding philosophy of children's television host Fred Rogers Not nominated

2019

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Advocate Rachel Leah Jones, Philippe Bellaïche Israel Human rights lawyer Leah Tsemel as she navigates through the Israeli judicial system in defense of Palestinians accused of terrorism Not nominated [19]
American Factory Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert United States Chinese company Fuyao's factory in Moraine that occupies Moraine Assembly, a shuttered General Motors plant Won Academy Award
The Apollo Roger Ross Williams United States The history of Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City Not nominated
Apollo 11 Todd Douglas Miller United States The 1969 Apollo 11 mission Not nominated
Aquarela Viktor Kossakovsky Germany United Kingdom United States Climate change depicted by water and ice around the world Not nominated
The Biggest Little Farm John Chester United States John Chester and his wife Molly as they acquire and establish themselves on Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark, California Not nominated
The Cave Feras Fayyad Syria Denmark Dr. Amani Ballour, a physician in Ghouta who is operating a makeshift hospital nicknamed "the Cave" during the Syrian Civil War Nominated
The Edge of Democracy Petra Costa Brazil Political past of Costa in a personal way, in context with the first term of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the events leading to impeachment of Dilma Rousseff Nominated
For Sama Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts Syria United Kingdom United States Al-Kateab's journey as a journalist and rebel in the Syrian civil war uprising as she and her husband raise their daughter Sama Nominated
The Great Hack Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer United States The Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal Not nominated
Honeyland Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov North Macedonia The life of Hatidže Muratova, a loner beekeeper of wild bees who lives in the remote mountain village of Bekirloja, North Macedonia Nominated
Knock Down the House Rachel Lears United States Four female democrats who run for Congress in the 2018 United States elections: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush and Paula Jean Swearengin Not nominated
Maiden Alex Holmes United Kingdom Tracy Edwards and the crew of the Maiden as they compete as the first all-woman crew in the 1989–1990 Whitbread Round the World Race Not nominated
Midnight Family Luke Lorentzen Mexico Ochoa family who run a private ambulance business Not nominated
One Child Nation Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang United States The fallout of China's one-child policy that lasted from 1980 to 2015 Not nominated

2020

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
All In: The Fight for Democracy Liz Garbus, Lisa Cortés United States Voter suppression and the perspective and expertise of Stacey Abrams, the former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives Not nominated [20]
Boys State Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine United States A thousand teenage boys attending Boys State in Texas, coming to build a representative government from the ground up Not nominated
Collective Alexander Nanau Romania The 2016 public health scandal following the Colectiv nightclub fire Nominated
Crip Camp Nicole Newnham, James Lebrecht United States Camp Jened campers who turned themselves into activists for the disability rights movement in the 1970s and follows their fight for accessibility legislation Nominated
Dick Johnson Is Dead Kirsten Johnson United States Johnson's father Richard "Dick", who suffers from dementia, portraying different ways in which he could ultimately die Not nominated
Gunda Viktor Kossakovsky United States Norway Spain The daily life of a pig, two cows, and a one-legged chicken Not nominated
MLK/FBI Sam Pollard United States The investigation and harassment of activist Martin Luther King Jr. by J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Not nominated
The Mole Agent Maite Alberdi Chile Germany Netherlands Spain United States A private investigator, Rómulo, hires Sergio, an elderly man to go undercover in a nursing home in Chile Nominated
My Octopus Teacher Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed South Africa United Kingdom A year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest Won Academy Award
Notturno Gianfranco Rosi Italy Germany France Different people from areas near war zones in the Middle East who are trying to start over again with their everyday lives Not nominated
The Painter and the Thief Benjamin Ree Norway United States Barbora Kysilkova, an artist, forming a friendship with Karl-Bertil Nordland, a man who stole her artwork Not nominated
76 Days Hao Wu, Weixi Chen, anonymous third China United States The struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan Not nominated
Time Garrett Bradley United States Sibil Fox Richardson, fighting for the release of her husband, Rob, who is serving a 60-year prison sentence for engaging in an armed bank robbery Nominated
The Truffle Hunters Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw United States Italy Greece A group of aging men hunt in the woods in Northern Italy, for a prized quarry, the Alba truffle Not nominated
Welcome to Chechnya David France United States LGBT Chechen refugees as they made their way out of anti-gay purges in Chechnya of the late 2010s Not nominated

2021

Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ref.
Ascension Jessica Kingdon United States The pursuit of the Chinese Dream Nominated [21]
Attica Stanley Nelson Jr., Traci Curry United States The infamous 1971 Attica Prison riot Nominated
Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry R. J. Cutler United States The career and creative process of singer-songwriter Billie Eilish Not nominated
Faya Dayi Jessica Beshir United States Ethiopia Qatar The rituals of khat, a psychoactive plant that plays an important role in Ethiopia's economy and culture Not nominated
The First Wave Matthew Heineman United States A hospital in New York City, as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic Not nominated
Flee Jonas Poher Rasmussen Denmark France Norway SwedenUnited States Amin Nawabi, who shares his hidden past of fleeing his home country of Afghanistan to Denmark for the first time Nominated
In the Same Breath Nanfu Wang United States The response of the Chinese and American governments to the COVID-19 pandemic Not nominated
Julia Julie Cohen, Betsy West United States The life of cooking teacher and television personality Julia Child Not nominated
President Camilla Nielsson Denmark Norway United States Zimbabwe The career of Nelson Chamisa who takes on the corrupt ruling party in Zimbabwe Not nominated
Procession Robert Greene United States The six men, who suffered abuse by priests, looking for peace Not nominated
The Rescue Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin United States United Kingdom The 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue Not nominated
Simple as Water Megan Mylan United States The Syrian families across five countries, revealing the impact of war, separation, and displacement Not nominated
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson United States The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival Won Academy Award
The Velvet Underground Todd Haynes United States The life and times of influential rock band The Velvet Underground Not nominated
Writing with Fire Sushmit Ghosh, Rintu Thomas India The journalists running the Dalit women-led newspaper Khabar Lahariya, as they shift from 14 years of print to digital journalism using smartphones Nominated

See also

References

  1. ^ "Academy Announces Films Remaining in Competition for Best Documentary Feature". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. January 3, 2000. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Kilday, Gregg (November 21, 2003). "Oscar's documentary dozen". Today.com. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  3. ^ "Academy Announces Documentary Films in Competition for 78th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. November 15, 2005. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  4. ^ 15 Films Selected for Oscar Short List in Doc Feature Category-IndieWire
  5. ^ Doc Soup: A New Award for Documentaries-Doc Soup-POV Blog-PBS
  6. ^ "2009 Academy Awards Best Documentary Short List Unveiled - Film Junk".
  7. ^ "Oscar's 2010 Feature Documentary Shortlist Revealed". ComingSoon.net. 18 November 2010.
  8. ^ Oscars: Documentary shortlist unveiled — Variety
  9. ^ a b "85th Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature Shortlist Announced | what (not) to doc". whatnottodoc.com. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  10. ^ "86th Oscars: Best Documentary Feature Shortlist Announced | what (not) to doc". whatnottodoc.com. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  11. ^ Tim Gray. "15 Documentaries Land on Oscar's Short List". Variety. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  12. ^ "15 Documentary Features Advance in 2015 Oscar Race". oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  13. ^ "Oscars 2016: 124 documentaries submitted for consideration-Entertainment Weekly". ew.com. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  14. ^ Patrick Hipes. "Oscars: 2016 Feature Documentary Submissions Unveiled". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  15. ^ "90th Academy Awards (2017): Documentary Feature Eligibility List". 19 January 2018.
  16. ^ Antonia Blyth. "Oscars 2018: A Look At Contenders In The Best Documentary Feature Race". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  17. ^ "One of these 15 movies will win best documentary at the Oscars-Entertainment Weekly". ew.com. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  18. ^ Kiefer, Halle (December 17, 2018). "Get Ready to Fill That Void: The Academy Is Rolling Out Its 91st Oscars Shortlists". Vulture. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  19. ^ Pedersen, Erik (December 16, 2019). "Oscars: Academy Releases Shortlists For Nine Categories Including Documentary, International Film, VFX, Song, Score & Shorts". Deadline. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  20. ^ Carey, Matthew (February 9, 2021). "Oscars Documentary Feature Shortlist: Snubs, Surprises And A Netflix-Amazon Showdown". Deadline. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  21. ^ Carey, Matthew (December 21, 2021). "'Flee' Scores Rare Oscar Shortlist Double, Joins 'Summer of Soul,' 'The Rescue,' 'Ascension' In Continued Hunt For Academy Awards". Deadline. Retrieved September 18, 2022.