This is a list of shortlisted finalists for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Documentary branch has used it as a preliminary round, before the final five nominated films are announced in mid-January.
History While the Academy did not begin preparing formal "short-lists" until the 1990s, during select years in the 1980s, The Academy rewarded "Certificates of Special Merit" to documentaries that had been considered by the Academy's Documentary Screening Committee and had come close to a nomination, but failed to make it as the final five.
Starting in 1995, the Academy's Documentary reviewing committee (prior to the creation of the documentary branch) initiated a process by a semi final list of eligible documentary films would be reviewed and voted upon by bi-costal committees, prior to the selection of the final five nominees. The number of shortlisted films changed between the years, with 15 films making the shortlists in 1997, 17 in 1998, 12 in 1999, and an unknown number in 1995 and 1996. Initially, the shortlists were not publicly announced, although inclusions and snubs were reported upon.
Since 1999, the shortlists have usually been announced publicly alongside other categories shortlists in mid-December.
The movement came after several controversies in the 1980s and 90s, such as the omission of critically acclaimed and popular favorites: Shoah (1985), The Thin Blue Line (1988), Roger & Me (1989),Collins, Glenn. "Film Makers Protest to Academy", The New York Times, 24 February 1990. Accessed March 6, 2011. Paris Is Burning (1990), Hoop Dreams (1994) and Crumb (1995)."Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert: Hoop Dreams: from short subject to major league"; current.org; July 30, 1995. The process also allows more voters to participate in the nomination second phase.
Even though the shortlisting process has been well established for nearly three decades, various other acclaimed documentaries have not been nominated: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), Grizzly Man (2005), Red Army (2014), Jane (2017), They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) and Apollo 11 (2019).Oscars Have No Hidden 'Agenda' to Thwart Popular Documentaries – Los Angeles Times
List of selected films and years
1982
Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result After the Axe Sturla Gunnarsson Docu-drama about corporate downsizing and the personal toll of being fired, following an executive whose career and family life unravel after termination. Becoming American: The Odyssey of a Refugee Ken Levine and Ivory Waterworth Levine Follows a Laotian refugee family’s journey from a Thai refugee camp to resettlement in the United States and the challenges of cultural adjustment. Ben's Mill Michel Chalufour and John Karol Portrait of a water-powered woodworking mill in rural Vermont and the craft traditions surrounding its community. Fire on the Water Robert Hillmann Examines conflict on the Texas Gulf Coast as Vietnamese refugee shrimpers and local fishermen clash amid racial tension and intimidation. In Our Water Meg Switzgable A New Jersey family discovers its well water is contaminated by a nearby landfill and fights for government accountability. Just Another Missing Kid John Zaritsky Investigates a child kidnapping case and the frantic search and media/police response surrounding it. The Kid Who Couldn't Miss Paul Cowan Docudrama that questions the wartime record and celebrated legend of Canadian WWI ace Billy Bishop. A Portrait of Giselle Muriel Balash Documentary about the ballet Giselle, featuring notable dancers and the role’s performance history. Vietnam Requiem Bill Couturié and Jonas McCord Examines post-traumatic stress disorder among Vietnam War veterans, including interviews with former soldiers incarcerated after returning home.
1984
Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Abortion: Stories From North and South Gail Singer Examines abortion access and personal experiences of women in both developed and developing countries. Erika: Not in Vain, Once Upon a Time Barry J. Spinello A moving portrait of courage and everyday heroism, Tells the story of a family's struggle to deal with the consequences of their four-year-old daughter's terrible accident and her subsequent dependence on medical life-support systems. The Good Fights: The Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War Noel Buckner and Mary Dore Chronicles American volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade who fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War. High Schools Charles Guggenheim Explores the state of American public high schools and the social pressures facing students. Hopi: Song of the Fourth World Pat Ferrero Examines the culture and political struggles of the Hopi people, including land disputes in Arizona. In the Name of the People Frank Christopher The film follows four filmmakers who secretly entered El Salvador, marched with guerrillas across the country, and followed them into combat against government forces in San Salvador. Marlene Maximilian Schell Documentary portrait of actress and singer Marlene Dietrich. Nicaragua: No Pasaran David Bradbury Examines the political situation in Nicaragua during the Sandinista era. One Man’s Fight For Life Michael M. Scott Every year 130,000 Americans are diagnosed as having lung cancer. The program dealt with the case of Said Ullah, a 35-year-old Pakistani immigrant who was told of his fatal illness in 1982 . Raoul Wallenberg: Buried Alive David Harel Investigates the disappearance and fate of diplomat Raoul Wallenberg. Strategic Thrust: The Making of Nuclear-Free Palau James Heddle Documents the movement to make Palau nuclear-free amid U.S. strategic interests in the Pacific. Streetwise Martin Bell Follows homeless and runaway youth surviving on the streets of Seattle. The Times of Harvey Milk Rob Epstein Chronicles the life and assassination of San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. Tosca's Kiss Daniel Schmid Portrait of retired opera singers living at Casa Verdi in Milan.
1988
Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Lodz Ghetto Kathryn Taverna and Alan Adelson The segregation of the Jewish population at Łódź Ghetto during WWII Alan Adelson – Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival
1996
Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story Susan Warms Dryfoos Documentary portrait of caricaturist and illustrator Al Hirschfeld. Mandela Angus Gibson and Jo Menell Official film biography of Nelson Mandela and his struggle against apartheid. My Knees Were Jumping: Remembering the Kindertransports Melissa Hacker Survivor accounts of the Kindertransport rescue of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe. Suzanne Farrell: Elusive Muse Anne Belle and Deborah Dickson Documentary portrait of ballerina Suzanne Farrell and her career (including her relationship with choreographer George Balanchine). Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press Rick Goldsmith Profile of journalist and media critic George Seldes and press freedom in the United States. Trinkets and Beads Christopher Walker About the Huaorani people of Ecuador and the impact of missionaries and oil development on their lives. When We Were Kings Leon Gast Chronicles the 1974 Ali–Foreman heavyweight championship boxing match in Zaire.
1997
Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life Michael Paxton Biographical documentary on writer and philosopher Ayn Rand. Colors Straight Up Michèle Ohayon Chronicles an experimental arts-in-education program working with at-risk youth in New York City. 4 Little Girls Spike Lee Tells the story of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, which killed four African American girls. A Life Apart: Hasidism in America Oren Rudavsky and Menachem Daum Documentary about the Hasidic Jewish community and culture in the United States. The Long Way Home Mark Jonathan Harris Explores the plight of Jewish refugees in Europe after World War II and the creation of the State of Israel. Waco: The Rules of Engagement William Gazecki Investigates the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas.
1998
Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Dying to Tell the Story Greg MacGillivray and David Breashears Follows narrator Amy Eldon on a personal journey to find meaning in the death of her older brother, 22-year-old Reuters photographer Dan Eldon. Dan was among a group of five journalists attacked by a mob during the Somali famine in Somalia in 1993; he and three others were stoned to death. Everest Greg MacGillivray and David Breashears The film follows includes a description of the training required in order to climb the 29,031 feet to the summit of Mount Everest and the challenges faced during the ascent, such as avalanches, blizzards, and oxygen deprivation The Farm: Angola, USA Liz Garbus, Wilbert Rideau and Jonathan Stack Set in the notorious and largest American maximum-security prison, Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola. Frank Lloyd Wright Ken Burns Explores the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright The Human Race aka Rock the Boat Robert Houston In an epic adventure on the high seas, a crew of HIV+ sailors enter the Trans-Pacific Yacht Race from California to Hawaii. The Last Days James Moll The film tells the stories of five Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust, focusing on the last year of World War II, when Nazi Germany occupied Hungary and began mass deportations of Jews in the country to concentration and extermination camps, primarily Auschwitz. It depicts the horrors of life in the camps, but also stresses the optimism and perseverance of the survivors. Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth Robert B. Weide Explores the life of the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce Regret to Inform Barbara Sonneborn Features filmmaker Barbara Sonneborn as she goes to the Vietnamese countryside where her husband was killed. Her translator is a fellow war widow named Xuan Ngoc Nguyen and together, the two women try to understand their losses. The film includes interviews with Vietnamese and American widows. Return with Honor Freida Lee Mock and Terry Sanders Focuses on about U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Wallowitch & Ross: This Moment Richard Morris The film follows acclaimed composer and cabaret performer John Wallowitch and partner Bertram Ross, Martha Graham's lead dancer and co-director of the Graham Company..
1999
Film Director(s) Countrie(s) Subject(s) Result Amargosa Todd Robinson Marta Becket and the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel American Movie Chris Smith The making of a low budget horror movie in Wisconsin Beyond the Mat Barry W. Blaustein The lives of professional wrestlers outside of the ring, primarily Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and Jake Roberts, as well as some aspiring wrestlers Buena Vista Social Club Wim Wenders Follows the contemporary history of Cuban music, featuring the musicians who recorded the 1996 acclaimed album Buena Vista Social Club Genghis Blues Roko Belic Paul Pena and the art of Tuvan throat singing Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. Errol Morris Fred A. Leuchter Jr., capital punishment and Holocaust denial On the Ropes Brett Morgen andNanette Burstein Three young boxers and their coach One Day in September Kevin Macdonald Terrorist attacks at the 1972 Summer Olympics Pop & Me Chris Roe The director's travels around with his own father, interviewing fathers and sons about their own father-son relationships Smoke and Mirrors: A History of Denial Torrie Rosenzweig Tobacco in the United States The Source Chuck Workman The Beat Generation and their impact on literary and popular culture Speaking in Strings Paola di Florio Italian-born violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
2000