2016 Award Contenders: Documentary
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- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
- DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- DirectorKirsten JohnsonStarsKirsten JohnsonAisha BukarEric W. DavisExposing her role behind the camera, Kirsten Johnson reaches into the vast trove of footage she has shot over decades around the world. What emerges is a visually bold memoir and a revelatory interrogation of the power of the camera.
- DirectorGianfranco RosiStarsSamuele PucilloMattias CucinaSamuele CaruanaCapturing life on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a frontline in the European migrant crisis.
- DirectorClay TweelStarsSteve GleasonMike GleasonScott FujitaAfter he is diagnosed with ALS, former professional football player Steve Gleason begins making a video diary for his unborn son, as he, his wife, and their friends and family work to raise money for ALS patients as his disease progresses.
- DirectorRoger Ross WilliamsStarsOwen SuskindCornelia SuskindRon SuskindA coming-of-age story about a boy and his family who overcame great challenges by turning Disney animated movies into a language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood.
- DirectorDavid FarrierDylan ReeveStarsDavid FarrierDylan ReeveDavid StarrJournalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.
- DirectorKeith MaitlandStarsMonty MuirViolett BeaneCole Bee WilsonAnimation, testimony, and archival footage combine to relate the events of August 1, 1966 when a gunman opened fire from the University of Texas clock tower, killing 16 people.
- DirectorJosh KriegmanElyse SteinbergStarsAnthony WeinerHuma AbedinJordan Zain WeinerAn examination of disgraced New York Congressman Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign and today's political landscape.
- DirectorJames D. SolomonJessica RobinsonStarsWilliam GenoveseShannon BeebyAaron AdlerThe brother of Kitty Genovese investigates the circumstances of her murder and the truth of the story that dozens of locals witnessed the crime and did nothing to intervene.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsThe BeatlesJohn LennonGeorge HarrisonA compilation of found footage featuring music, interviews, and stories of The Beatles' 250 concerts from 1963 to 1966.
- DirectorNanfu WangStarsYe HaiyanHuangWang JianfenA human rights activist and filmmaker travels to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused, while being followed by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors.
- DirectorOtto BellStarsAisholpan NurgaivDaisy RidleyRys NurgaivThirteen-year-old Aisholpan trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her nomad family to become an eagle huntress.
- DirectorAdam IrvingStarsCharles BilalCourtney BrownSally ButlerHow one man's love of transport led to a lifetime of incarceration.
- DirectorBonni CohenJon ShenkStarsRobin BourlandDaisy ColemanCharles ColemanA look at the effects that online bullying has on the lives of teenagers and their community.
- DirectorRod BlackhurstBrian McGinnStarsAmanda KnoxMeredith KercherRaffaele SollecitoAmerican exchange student Amanda Knox is charged with the 2007 death of another student in Italy.
- DirectorFisher StevensStarsLeonardo DiCaprioBan Ki-moonAlejandro G. IñárrituA look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.
- DirectorWill AllenStarsWill AllenDimitrius PulidoPhillipe CoquetAn inside look at Buddhafield, a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogKatia KrafftMaurice KrafftAn exploration of active volcanoes around the world.
- DirectorBrian OakesStarsJames FoleyUnai AranzadiZac BaillieAn in-depth look at the life and work of American journalist James Foley, who was killed by ISIS terrorists in 2014.
- DirectorFenton BaileyRandy BarbatoStarsNancy RooneyHarry MapplethorpeGeorge StackAn examination of the life and work of the revered and controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsEd SheehanBobby CorriganRick SimeoneA history of rat infestations in major cities throughout the world.
- DirectorJacob BernsteinNick HookerStarsTom HanksSteven SpielbergAmy AdamsA look at the life and work of writer/filmmaker Nora Ephron.
- DirectorJessica EdwardsStarsMavis StaplesJeff TweedyAdam AyresHer family group, the Staple Singers, inspired millions and helped propel the civil rights movement with their music. After 60 years of performing, legendary singer Mavis Staples' message of love and equality is needed now more than ever.
- DirectorSophie RobinsonLotje SodderlandStarsDavid LynchSophie RobinsonHente SodderlandAfter suffering a stroke at age 34, a woman documents her struggles, setbacks and eventual breakthrough as she relearns to speak, read and write.
- DirectorDeborah S. EsquenaziA documentary that follows the struggle for exoneration of four Latina lesbians who were wrongfully convicted of gang rape against two young girls.
- DirectorJon GreenhalghStarsJohn du PontDave SchultzMike GostigianDocumentary filmmaker Jon Greenhalgh examines the life of Dave Schultz, a professional wrestler who was part of 'Team Foxcatcher', funded by multi-millionaire John du Pont.
- StarsJohn HeilemannMark McKinnonAlex WagnerGroundbreaking weekly docu-series that pulls back the curtain on American politics. Hosts John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and Jenn Palmieri go behind the scenes for an unbiased, inside look at the stories beyond the headlines.
- StarsH.W. BrandsChris ConnellyGil TroyA documentary series focusing on the Reagan presidency, the AIDS crisis, the end of the Cold War, Wall Street corruption, the tech boom, the expansion of television, and the evolving music industry.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughJamie McPhersonHuw CordeyThe fascinating relationship between predators and their prey, and the strategies predators use to catch their food and prey use to escape death.
- StarsKeith DavidJamie FoxxDocumentary chronicles the personal and professional life of Jackie Robinson from his birth in 1919 to his death in 1972. Robinson's rise from humble beginnings to became an American hero and pivotal figure in American history are detailed.
- StarsDermot MulroneyTodd BoydQuestloveSoundbreaking explores the history of recorded music. Featuring more than 150 original interviews, the series charts a century's worth of innovation and experimentation, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of brand new sounds.
- CreatorConnor SchellBill SimmonsJohn DahlStarsBrent MusburgerChuck DLarry BirdA collection of documentary films focused on sports.
- 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
- StarsRon OllieBrittany WagnerJohn III FranklinIntense look inside the world of junior college football, chronicling the stories of players and coaches in the classroom and on the field.
- StarsMorgan SpurlockBrian Walkingstick BurgessPaul DebevecCNN and Morgan Spurlock investigate intriguing topics of our times by digging deep to learn how the real story unfolds from the inside.
- 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.
- StarsLisa LingJex BlackmoreTaQuita McKinneyAward-winning journalist and former co-host of The View Lisa Ling goes on a gritty, breathtaking journey to far corners of America.
- DirectorMarina ZenovichStarsCrystal MangumJoe AllevaBradley BannonA documentary examination of the accusations of sexual misconduct against the Duke University lacrosse team that were ultimately found to be baseless
- DirectorLouise OsmondStarsJan VokesHoward DaviesBrian 'Daisy' VokesAn inspirational true story of a group of friends from a working men's club who decide to take on the elite 'sport of kings' and breed themselves a racehorse
- DirectorJudd EhrlichStarsTsiotenhariio HerneJacelyn LazoreMimi LazoreMembers of an all-Native girls lacrosse team try to prove the game is their rightful inheritance, putting more than just a championship on the line.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsIggy PopJim JarmuschBob WallerAn in-depth look at legendary punk band The Stooges.
- DirectorBarbara KoppleStarsSharon JonesStarr Duncan-LoweBinky GriptiteDreams never expire but sometimes they are deferred. The film follows the talented and gregarious soul singer of the Grammy-nominated R&B band "Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings." In the most challenging year of her life, Sharon Jones confronts pancreatic cancer. As she struggles to find her health and voice again, the film intimately uncovers the mind and spirit of a powerful woman determined to regain the explosive singing career that eluded her for 50 years.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsYo-Yo MaKinan AzmehKayhan KalhorCellist Yo-Yo Ma and other international artists of The Silk Road Project discuss their philosophies on music and culture.
- DirectorIdo HaarStarsTiffany CrawfordKutimanSamantha MontgomeryA documentary on the collaborative relationship between New Orleans based songwriter/YouTube star Samantha Montgomery and composer/video artist Ophir Kutiel.
- DirectorStephen KijakStarsYoshikiHiroshi MorieSugizoA documentary film about the legendary Japanese rock band X JAPAN.
- DirectorRobert GreeneStarsKate Lyn SheilStephanie CoatneyMichael Ray DavisActress Kate Lyn Sheil prepares to portray the role of Christine Chubbuck, a real-life news reporter who took her own life on local Florida television in 1974.
- DirectorPenny LaneStarsGene TognacciAndy BoswellJohn CausbyThe mostly true story of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, an eccentric genius who built an empire with his goat-testicle impotence cure and a million-watt radio station.
- DirectorVitaliy ManskiyStarsLee Zin-MiYu-YongHye-YongA propaganda documentary about North Korea that reveals a few hidden facts because the director continues filming between the scripted scenes.
- DirectorKim A. SnyderStarsGene RosenSyeda Suriya AhmedAbbey ClementsA look at how the community of Newtown, Connecticut came together in the aftermath of the largest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsDavid SangerEmad KiyaeiEric ChienA documentary focused on Stuxnet, a piece of self-replicating computer malware that the U.S. and Israel unleashed to destroy a key part of an Iranian nuclear facility, and which ultimately spread beyond its intended target.
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.