The Academy Advances 15 Titles for Its Oscar Documentary Shortlist

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ documentary branch has advanced 15 films out of 170 submissions to vie for the final five Documentary Feature nominations.

As expected, Brett Morgan’s “Jane,” Agnes Varda and JR’s “Faces Places,” two Syria non-fiction features, “Last Men in Aleppo” and “City of Ghosts,” two social action environmental documentaries, “An Inconvenient Sequel” and “Chasing Coral,” and timely Russian doping expose “Icarus” made the shortlist.

Netflix landed three films, including “Chasing Coral,” “Icarus” and transgender filmmaker’s Yance Ford’s black lives matter documentary “Strong Island.” Amazon delivered Grateful Dead movie “Long Strange Trip,” which qualified even at four hours long, as well as “City of Ghosts.” Participant Media backed immigration feature “Human Flow” from Ai Wei Wei as well as “An Inconvenient Sequel” and

Four features were directed or co-directed by women, including “Faces Places, “An Inconvenient Sequel,” “One of Us,” and “Unrest.”

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Mitten Media, Motto Pictures, Kartemquin Educational Films and WGBH/FRONTLINE

“Chasing Coral,” Exposure Labs in partnership with The Ocean Agency & View Into the Blue in association with Argent Pictures & The Kendeda Fund

“City of Ghosts,” Our Time Projects and Jigsaw Productions

“Ex Libris – The New York Public Library,” Ex Libris Films

“Faces Places,” Ciné Tamaris

“Human Flow,” Participant Media and AC Films

“Icarus,” Netflix Documentary in association with Impact Partners, Diamond Docs, Chicago Media Project and Alex Productions

“An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” Paramount Pictures and Participant Media

“Jane,” National Geographic Studios in association with Public Road Productions

“LA 92,” Lightbox

“Last Men in Aleppo,” Larm Film

“Long Strange Trip,” Double E Pictures, AOMA Sunshine Films and Sikelia

“One of Us,” Loki Films

“Strong Island,” Yanceville Films and Louverture Films

“Unrest,” Shella Films and Little by Little Films

With so many features in the running, many were left out. They include two Syria documentaries, “Cries from Syria” and “Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of Isis,” Turkish cat movie “Kedi,” Rebecca Miller’s “Arthur Miller: Writer,” charming “California Typewriter,” the portrait of Obama’s last year in office, “The Final Year,” Oakland police expose “The Force,” election night roundup “11/8/16,” Errol Morris’s “The B-Side,” Tribeca-winner “Bobbi Jene,” Sundance hit “Casting JonBenet,” critical favorite “Dawson City: Frozen Time,” Sundance jury-winner “Dina,” activist portrait “Dolores,” “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton,” LA riot documentaries “LA 92” and “Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992,” “Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press,” Laura Poitras’ “Risk,” Baltimore high school dance movie “Step,” Rory Kennedy’s “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton,” “Tickling Giants,” “Trophy,” “Whose Streets?” and
“The Work.”

Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.

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