Documentary Award Contenders
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- DirectorSteve JamesStarsThomas SungHwei Lin SungCyrus Vance Jr.A small financial institution called Abacus becomes the only company criminally indicted in the wake of the United States' 2008 mortgage crisis.
- DirectorIrene TaylorStarsMorgan GeyserAnissa WeierAngie GeyserTells the story of two 12-year old girls, who attempted to murder one of their friends in an attempt to appease Slenderman, a fictional monster from a horror website.
- DirectorDoug NicholStarsSilvi AlcivarKen AlexanderTom HanksCalifornia Typewriter is a story about people whose lives are connected by typewriters. The film is a meditation on creativity and technology featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Sam Shepard, David McCullough and others.
- DirectorJeff Orlowski-YangStarsAndrew AckermanPim BongaertsNeal CantinCoral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.
- DirectorMatthew HeinemanStarsAbdelaziz AlhamzaMohamad AlmusariHamoud AlmousaA documentary that follows the efforts of "Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently," a handful of anonymous activists who banded together after their homeland was taken over by ISIS in 2014. With deeply personal access, this is the story of a brave group of citizen journalists as they face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile, risking their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today.
- DirectorEvgeny AfineevskyStarsHadi Al AbdullahRaed Al SalehRiad Al-AsaadCRIES FROM SYRIA is a searing, comprehensive account of a brutal five-year conflict from the inside out, drawing on hundreds of hours of war footage from Syrian activists and citizen journalists, as well as testimony from child protesters, leaders of the revolution, human rights defenders, ordinary citizens, and high-ranking army generals who defected from the government. Their collective stories are a cry for attention and help from a world that little understands their reality or agrees on what to do about it. A documentary by Evgeny Afineevsky, director of the Oscar-nominated film WINTER ON FIRE, CRIES FROM SYRIA premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
- DirectorBill MorrisonStarsMichael GatesKathy Jones-GatesRoscoe 'Fatty' ArbuckleThe history of Dawson City, the gold rush town that had a historical treasure of forgotten silent films buried in permafrost for decades until 1978.
- DirectorColin HanksStarsJesse HughesJosh HommeDave CatchingA little over a year ago, nine terrorists drove into Paris with guns, grenades, and suicide belts. They were there to perpetrate a coordinated, calculated mass murder on behalf of ISIL and, more symbolically, to launch an assault on culture itself, by turning the city's houses of mirth - soccer stadiums, cafés, restaurants, and of course, the Bataclan concert hall - into monuments to death and fear. They wanted to spill blood, to shut the West up.
- DirectorFrederick WisemanStarsPaul HoldengräberElvis CostelloPatti SmithA look within the walls of the New York Public Library.
- DirectorJRAgnès VardaStarsAgnès VardaJRJeannine CarpentierDirector Agnes Varda and photographer/muralist J.R. journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsJane GoodallHugo Van LawickHugo Eric Louis van LawickThe life and work of the renowned primatology scientist, Jane Goodall, especially on her research about chimpanzees.
- DirectorCeyda TorunStarsYaman BarlasSariArzu GölA profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
- DirectorJeff MalmbergChris ShellenStarsAndrea CrestiChiara Del CiondoloGianna FioreOnce upon a time there was a tiny hill town in Tuscany that found a remarkable way to confront their issues - they turned their lives into a play. "Spettacolo" is a portrait of this 50-year-old tradition, where their piazza becomes their stage and every villager from 6 to 90 plays a part - the role of themselves.
- DirectorYance FordStarsYance FordHarvey WalkerKevin MyersWhen filmmaker Yance Ford investigates the 1992 murder of a young Black man, it becomes an achingly personal journey, since the victim, 24-year-old William Ford Jr., was the filmmaker's brother.
- DirectorZaradasht AhmedStarsAbu FallahHans HusumMudhafar"Nowhere to Hide" follows a man - the medic and father Nori Sharif - through 5 years of dramatic change in the war-torn Diyala-province; one of the most dangerous provinces in the middle of Iraq. From the time of the American retreat to the fall of Nori's home town, we follow him filming stories of survivors. In a world trapped between ISIS and the different Iraqi Militias, his integrity and humanitarian vision is the only thing that drives him to continue against all odds. Even when, as last man standing, he is forced to turn the camera towards himself. We are given a unique insight into one of the worlds most dangerous and inaccessible areas - the "triangle of death" in central Iraq. We get to know and hear the stories of the people who live there; survivors of this 'new war" that has become the norm - where the enemy is invisible, and there is nowhere to hide.
- DirectorAmanda LipitzStarsGari McIntyreAmanda LeonardBlessin GiraldoSTEP documents the senior year of a girls' high-school step dance team against the background of inner-city Baltimore.
- DirectorSabaah FolayanDamon DavisStarsLezley McSpaddenMichael Brown Sr.David WhittAn unflinching look at how the police killing of 18-year-old Mike Brown inspired a community to fight back and sparked a global movement.
- DirectorBonni CohenJon ShenkStarsAl GoreCory BookerGeorge W. BushA decade after An Inconvenient Truth (2006) brought climate change to the heart of popular culture, the follow-up shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution.
- DirectorMatthew HeinemanStarsAbdelaziz AlhamzaMohamad AlmusariHamoud AlmousaA documentary that follows the efforts of "Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently," a handful of anonymous activists who banded together after their homeland was taken over by ISIS in 2014. With deeply personal access, this is the story of a brave group of citizen journalists as they face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile, risking their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today.
- DirectorPeter BrattStarsDolores HuertaMartin Luther KingLuis ValdezIn the 1950's, a working-class wife and mother of eleven children helps to establish a farmer's union, which later develops into a platform for feminism and gender equality.
- DirectorDuane AndersenDon ArgottYung ChangStarsAbby LinneOn the morning of Election Day 2016, Americans of all stripes woke up and went about living their lives. These were the hours leading up to Donald Trump's unexpected, earth-shaking victory, but, of course, no one knew that yet.
- DirectorSierra PettengillPacho VelezStarsRonald ReaganNancy ReaganMikhail GorbachevMade up entirely of archival news and White House footage, this documentary captures the pageantry, absurdity, and mastery of the made-for-TV politics of Ronald Reagan.
- DirectorChris PerkelStarsClive DavisSimon CowellJimmy IovineA look at the life and work of music producer, Clive Davis.
- DirectorChristina ClusiauShaul SchwarzStarsTim BlackPhilip GlassChristo GomesThis in-depth look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa unravels the complex consequences of treating animals as commodities.
- DirectorRory KennedyStarsNick CarrollDarrick DoernerLaird HamiltonFilmmaker Rory Kennedy examines the career of American Laird Hamilton, a man who has spent his life conquering untameable walls of water and changed the sport of big wave surfing forever.
- DirectorGreg KohsStarsIoannis AntonoglouLucas BakerNick BostromGoogle's DeepMind has developed a program for playing the 3000 year old game Go using AI. They test AlphaGo on the European champion, then March 9-15, 2016, on the top player, Lee Sedol, in a best of 5 tournament in Seoul.
- DirectorPat KondelisStarsDave BlissRob FaubionRoshaun ValentineThe background of the 2003 murder of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy and the attempted, related cover-up of NCAA violations rampant in the Baylor basketball program by Coach Dave Bliss.
- DirectorBryan FogelStarsBryan FogelDave ZabriskieDon CatlinWhen Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.
- DirectorAmber FaresThe Speed Sisters are the first all-women race car driving team in the Middle East. They're bold. They're fearless. And they're tearing up tracks all over Palestine.
- DirectorBill Ross IVTurner RossStarsSimon BennettDavid ByrneChristian DelmotteIn the summer of 2015, legendary musician David Byrne staged an event at Brooklyn's Barclays Center to celebrate the art of Color Guard: synchronized dance routines involving flags, rifles, and sabers. Recruiting performers that include the likes of Saint Vincent, Nelly Furtado, Ad-Rock, and Ira Glass to collaborate on original pieces with 10 color guard teams from across the US and Canada, Contemporary Color is a beautifully filmed snapshot of a one-of-a-kind live event.
- DirectorKasper CollinStarsLee MorganHelen MorganWayne ShorterAn exploration of the relationship between jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who was implicated in his murder in 1972.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsJohn Perry BarlowTom ConstantenSam CutlerA look at the 30-year career of The Grateful Dead.
- DirectorCatherine BainbridgeAlfonso MaioranaStarsGeorge ClintonRobbie RobertsonGary GiddinsA documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history.
- DirectorBarbara KoppleStarsCory BinneyScott FisherAugust GettyAre there limits to your love for your family? One family's acceptance is tested when a champion diver, destined for the Olympics, announces they're transitioning from male to female and invites their YouTube followers along for every moment. It's a story about unconditional love and finding the courage to be yourself.
- DirectorAlexandre O. PhilippeStarsMarli RenfroAlfred HitchcockTere CarrubbaAn unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the "man behind the curtain", and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.
- DirectorKitty GreenStarsHannah CagwinAeona CruzLiv BagleyIn the months following the unsolved murder of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, responses were elicited from her Colorado hometown community, creating a work of art from the collective memories and mythologies the crime inspired.
- DirectorPetra EpperleinMichael TuckerStarsChrista EpperleinPetra EpperleinUwe EpperleinA filmmaker journey through the former East Germany looking into her father's 1999 suicide.
- DirectorFeras FayyadSteen JohannessenStarsKhaled Umar HarahBatulMahmoudKhaled, Mahmoud and Subhi volunteer with the White Helmets trying to save lives of hundreds of victims in the besieged city of Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War.
- DirectorAntonio SantiniDan SicklesStarsDina BunoScott LevinFrank CostanzoAn eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.
- DirectorLysa HeslovStarsNichole AlredJas BootheRachel EnglerDirector Lysa Heslov's documentary, "Served Like a Girl, provides a candid look at several American women as they transition from active duty to civilian life after serving tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our wounded U.S. female service personnel often return to a stark reality, one that is rarely discussed or considered. Struggling with PTSD, homelessness, broken families, serious illness, physical injuries, and the aftermath of military sexual abuse, these amazing women find ways to adapt and overcome debilitating challenges through participation in the "Ms. Veteran America" competition. Guided by event founder and veteran, Jas Boothe, the women leverage their experiences gained through competition to recover the parts of themselves and their personal identities they had lost on the battlefield. Called "Engaging, Honest and Powerful," this film is a beautiful tapestry interlaced with poignant moments, social commentary, and humor.
- StarsStevie NicksBonoDr. Dre"The Defiant Ones" examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.
- StarsFrancis Ford CoppolaSteven SpielbergMeryl StreepThe wartime contributions of five prominent Hollywood film directors during World War II are profiled.
- StarsGemma HoskinsAbbie SchaubVirginia AnzengruberA seven-part docuseries about the unsolved murder of a nun and the horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death.
- StarsDan RatherGil TroyLesley StahlA TV documentary miniseries chronicling the trends, pop culture, and important events that took place from 1990 to 1999.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughChadden HunterGordon BuchananDavid Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
- StarsPeter CoyoteHuy DucJames WillbanksA comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.
- CreatorConnor SchellBill SimmonsJohn DahlStarsBrent MusburgerChuck DLarry BirdA collection of documentary films focused on sports.
- CreatorSusan LacyStarsMartin ScorsesePeter BogdanovichTony BennettDocumentary series focusing on great American artists and personalities.
- StarsWill LymanSarah ChildressPriyanka BoghaniFRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world and American television's top long-form news and current affairs series since 1983
- StarsAmerica FerreraTerrence HowardStanley TucciIndependent Lens is an award-winning PBS documentary series that streams on the PBS App and airs on public television. Independent Lens documentaries focus on stories of underrepresented communities and universal challenges found across America. The series has been awarded numerous Emmys and Peabodys, and has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards.
- CreatorMarc WeissStarsStacey AbramsRashida TlaibLucy McBathPOV, a cinema term for "point of view," is television's longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. Since 1988, POV has presented more than 300 of the best, boldest, and most innovative documentaries to PBS audiences across the country.
- StarsShane SmithGianna ToboniThomas MortonDocumentary series featuring startling, groundbreaking stories from around the world.
- DirectorHeidi EwingRachel GradyStarsEttyChani GetterAri HershkowitzPenetrating the insular world of New York's Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.