Sarah Polley, Joshua Oppenheimer among DGA doc nominees

Posted by · 10:46 am · January 14th, 2014

The DGA kept the documentary race competitive yesterday by nominating five Oscar-shortlisted films — three of them from female directors. “Stories We Tell” and “The Act of Killing” are among the titles in the hunt.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'The Act of Killing,' 'Stories We Tell' take top awards at Cinema Eye Honors

Posted by · 9:10 am · January 9th, 2014

The Cinema Eye Honors for documentary filmmaking spread the wealth at last night’s awards, as winners ranged from “The Act of Killing” to “Stories We Tell” to Dave Grohl’s “Sound City.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Classic Oscar-winning doc 'Harlan County, USA' honored by Cinema Eye

Posted by · 4:17 am · December 18th, 2013

Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning 1976 documentary “Harlan County, USA” will receive the Legacy Award at the Cinema Eye Honors ceremony on January 8, months after the group named it among the 25 most influential docs of all time.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Oscar hopeful 'The Square' leads International Documentary Association winners

Posted by · 12:30 am · December 7th, 2013

“The Square,” one of the 15 titles shortlisted by the Academy earlier this week, is looking increasingly formidable in the Best Documentary Feature race: last night, it won the IDA’s top prize, beating the likes of “Stories We Tell” and “Blackfish.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

At least Alex Gibney got ONE of his docs to the next phase of Academy voting

Posted by · 9:47 am · December 3rd, 2013

The Academy has narrowed the field of 147 documentary feature contenders to 15, and the key omissions appear to be Alex Gibney’s “We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks,” Martha Shane and Lana Wilson’s “After Tiller” and and Errol Morris’ “The Unknown Known,” among others.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

PGA surprises with documentary nominees, but Alex Gibney makes the cut

Posted by · 6:00 pm · November 26th, 2013

Unlike many other guilds, the Producers’ Guild of America doesn’t regularly match the Oscars, and this year’s nominees are a particularly unexpected bunch. Alex Gibney’s WikiLeaks doc “We Steal Secrets” is among the contenders.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Roundup: Should honorary Oscars return to the telecast?

Posted by · 4:14 am · November 19th, 2013

In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, Mark Harris takes issue with the separation of honorary Oscars from the Academy Awards telecast, particularly in a year of such high-profile recipients. Also, Academy members experience doc overload, and a critic takes issue with character posters.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Alex Gibney on 'The Armstrong Lie' and the Assange connection

Posted by · 4:00 pm · November 10th, 2013

We talk to the Oscar-winning documentary director about how he had to change his entire approach on his long-gestating project about disgraced athlete Lance Armstrong. He also discusses the unexpected connection that emerged between the film and his other 2013 release, “We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'The Act of Killing,' 'Cutie and the Boxer' lead Cinema Eye nominations

Posted by · 4:54 pm · November 6th, 2013

The nominations for the documentary-focused Cinema Eye Awards were announced today, and it was good news for “The Act of Killing” and “Cutie and the Boxer.” The fomer, in particular, is shaping up as a recurring nominee this awards season.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Three documentaries nominated for European Film Award

Posted by · 5:46 pm · November 4th, 2013

Three films have been nominated for the European Film Award for Best Documentary Feature. Two of them — “The Act of Killing” and “The Missing Picture” — are competing for an Oscar in the same category.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

IDA Awards nominate 'Stories We Tell,' 'Act of Killing'

Posted by · 9:55 am · October 29th, 2013

Is this a preview of the documentary Oscar race?

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Cinema Eye's list of 25 most influential docs ranges from Michael Moore to Orson Welles

Posted by · 5:05 am · October 17th, 2013

Only five Oscar-winning films make the grade.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Academy to revise Documentary Short rules and expand voting branch

Posted by · 10:00 am · March 29th, 2013

Changes will give more voters a say in the award.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

AMPAS and Michael Moore showcase this year's Oscar docs

Posted by · 11:54 am · February 22nd, 2013

Check out the Moore-hosted panel discussion with all the nominees.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Oscar Guide 2013: Best Documentary Feature

Posted by · 7:32 am · February 14th, 2013

‘5 Broken Cameras,’ The Gatekeepers,’ ‘How to Survive a Plague,’ ‘The Invisible War’ and ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ square off.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

From 'Ai Weiwei' to 'Sugar Man,' handicapping this year's documentary feature race

Posted by · 10:15 am · January 5th, 2013

The field of documentary feature contenders this year is bursting at the seams with quality and the signs of a true golden age for the form. And this even with a number of the year’s best having failed to make the finalists cut. Issues tackled are wide-ranging, artistry is apparent in a number of entries and the stories that are being shared are as powerful as ever. How do you even begin to handicap this thing?

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Bart Layton on reflecting the subjective nature of truth in 'The Imposter'

Posted by · 9:30 am · December 29th, 2012

The British film is one of 15 shortlisted by the Academy for Best Documentary Feature.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'Central Park Five,' 'Queen of Versailles,' 'West of Memphis' shafted by Academy's doc branch

Posted by · 12:29 pm · December 3rd, 2012

15 titles proceed in a competitive year for the category.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention