Short List of Documentaries in Contention for the Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its finalists for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar.

Among some of the films on the shortlist are the Amy Winehouse doc Amy; What Happened, Miss Simone?, about singer Nina Simone; and Listen to Me Marlon, culled from 200-plus hours of audiotapes Oscar winner Marlon Brando made during his career. A number of films touching on controversial subjects during the past year also made the cut including The Hunting Ground, about campus rape; 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, about the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white man in Florida; Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief, an in-depth look at the Church of Scientology;Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom, which chronicles the unrest in the Eastern European country; and He Names Me Malala, about the amazing young girl who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for being outspoken about her country’s education system.

Director Alex Gibney

Michael Moore who is no stranger at the Academy Awards where he picked up an Oscar for Bowling For Columbine could be back in the race this year with his latest doc, Where to Invade Next. The film had its world debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

Here is the complete list of documentaries that will vie for nominations for the 88th Academy Awards, whittled down from 124 entries. Noms will be announced January 14, and the Oscar will be handed out during the Oscarcast on February 28 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Amy, On the Corner Films and Universal Music
Best Of Enemies, Sandbar
Cartel Land, Our Time Projects and The Documentary Group
Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief, Jigsaw Productions
He Named Me Malala, Parkes-MacDonald and Little Room
Heart Of A Dog, Canal Street Communications
The Hunting Ground, Chain Camera Pictures
Listen To Me Marlon, Passion Pictures
The Look Of Silence, Final Cut for Real
Meru, Little Monster Films
3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, The Filmmaker Fund, Motto Pictures, Lakehouse Films, Actual
Films, JustFilms, MacArthur Foundation and Bertha BRITDOC
We Come As Friends, Adelante Films
What Happened, Miss Simone?, RadicalMedia and Moxie Firecracker
Where To Invade Next, Dog Eat Dog Productions
Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, Pray for Ukraine Productions