The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its shortlist of films under consideration for inclusion in the best documentary feature category of the Academy Awards next year. A huge 134 titles were submitted, which the Academy’s documentary branch has meticulously whittled down to just 15. Branch members will now decide which of those shortlisted will receive an Oscar nomination. Among the titles in competition are the much-discussed CitizenFour, Life Itself and Last Days In Vietnam – all three of which are widely considered to be frontrunners.
CitizenFour documents the initial meetings between NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and a small number of journalists – including filmmaker Laura Poitras. Life Itself is a detailed portrait of renowned film critic Roger Ebert, and Last Days In Vietnam examines the withdrawal from Saigon by American forces at the close of the Vietnam War.
Other films selected for further consideration include subject matter such as the fight to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage, war crimes committed in Afghanistan, artistic relationships and collaboration, filmmaking, political fundraising, art forgery, internet activism, conservation and murder.
The full list is as follows:
- Art And Craft by Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker
- The Case Against 8 by Ben Cotner and Ryan White
- Citizen Koch by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin
- CitizenFour by Laura Poitras
- Finding Vivian Maier by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
- The Internet’s Own Boy by Brian Knappenberger
- Jodorowsky’s Dune by Frank Povich
- Keep On Keepin’ On by Alan Hicks
- The Kill Team by Dan Krauss
- Last Days In Vietnam by Rory Kennedy
- Life Itself by Steve James
- The Overnighters by Jesse Moss
- The Salt Of The Earth by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and Wim Wenders
- Tales Of The Grim Sleeper by Nick Broomfield
- Virunga by Orlando von Einsiedel
The Academy Award nominations will be announced on January 15th, 2015, when we will find out whether the frontrunners – CitizenFour, Life Itself and Last Days In Vietnam – will make the final cut. The Oscars will then take place on February 22nd, 2015.