Oscar Narrows Features to 15: First Thoughts on Snubs and Frontrunners

About an hour ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this year's Documentary Feature Shortlist.  The 15 films that made the cut are:

THE BEACHES OF AGNES
Directed by Agnes Varda

BURMA VJ
Directed by Anders Østergaard

THE COVE
Directed by Louie Psihoyos

EVERY LITTLE STEP
Directed by James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo

FACING ALI
Directed by Pete McCormack

FOOD, INC.
Directed by Robert Kenner

GARBAGE DREAMS
Directed by Mai Iskander

LIVING IN EMERGENCY: STORIES OF DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
Directed by Mark N. Hopkins

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS
Directed by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith

MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN
Directed by Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey

SERGIO
Directed by Greg Barker

SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION
Directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman

UNDER OUR SKIN
Directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson

VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR
Directed by Matt Tyrnauer

WHICH WAY HOME
Directed by Rebecca Cammisa

First reactions after the jump...

First reactions - The snubs:

There are a lot of missing films on this list, the most surprising of which - for me - is RJ Cutler's THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE.  Cutler is a respected and active member of the Academy and his film is one of the biggest of the year.  I'm also surprised that my darkhorse candidate, Aron Gaudet's THE WAY WE GET BY - a film that I thought could actually score a nomination - failed to make the cut, particularly in a year when a number of smaller films did. 

Other omissions - Michael Moore's CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY (which as I noted yesterday is not truly a surprise), James Toback's TYSON (ditto), Jeff Stilson's GOOD HAIR (a Gotham nominee) and Yoav Shamir's DEFAMATION (which has been dominatng the European doc prizes this fall).  And you can take note that the Academy once again failed to recognize Joe Berlinger, whose environmentally-themed CRUDE seemed like catnip to a group that shortlisted (FIELDS OF) FUEL last year.

A number of folks expressed surprise over the omission of ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, but as I wrote last month, even a series of high profile endorsements (Tilda Swinton! Michel Gondry!) was unlikely to move the film to the shortlist.  It's a rare film that makes the Academy forget its bias against music documentaries (TUPAC: RESURRECTION is the only one nominated in decades) and its IDA Best Documentary nomination notwithstanding, ANVIL! wasn't able to buck tradition.

More surprising is the fact that neither of this year's Sundance jury prize winners - Ondi Timoner's WE LIVE IN PUBLIC and Kim Longinotto's ROUGH AUNTIES - are on the list, nor are the Best Director winners - Havana Marking's AFGHAN STAR (which was ruled ineligible after a rogue TV broadcast) and Natalia Almada's EL GENERAL (which may or may not have been in contention).  AFGHAN STAR may have another shot for Oscar - it's the UK's entry for Foreign Language Film - and it's up for Best Documentary at the IDA Documentary Awards next month.  Almada will receive the IDA's Emerging Filmmaker Award.

First reactions - The frontrunners:

In my mind, the Academy's list solidifies BURMA VJ, THE COVE and FOOD, INC. as frontrunners for the nomination - with perhaps a battle between THE COVE and FOOD, INC. for the award.

FOOD, INC. remains the only film that's nominated at the Cinema Eye Honors, the Gothams and the IDA Documentary Awards.  All three films are up for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking at the Cinema Eye Honors, which are set to be announced January 15 - just before the Oscar ballots are due.

If I had to throw down on the other two nominees at this point, I'd go with Agnes Varda's THE BEACHES OF AGNES, a kind of career capper for a great filmmaker, and MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN, which surprised when it led last week's IDA nominations.

THE COVE is up for 7 Cinema Eye Honors, leading the pack at that event.  BURMA VJ is up for 5, FOOD, INC. for 4.  BEACHES OF AGNES is up for 2 awards at Cinema Eye - Directing and Animation.  MUGABE will vie against BURMA VJ and 4 other films in the International Feature category.

Much more to come...

Comments

[Suzanne P.]

I can’t believe CRUDE was snubbed…Why does Berlinger always get ignored by the Academy? “Brother’s Keeper” has inspired many young filmmakers; Paradise Lost launched an international movement to free the West Memphis Three and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster is considered one of the great rock and roll films of all time. And CRUDE is one of the best reviewed films of the year…what gives?

[thé]

Hello
I think this is a good list of 15 films.I like that you share this list.Its interesting for me to read this post about certain surprises which you have written.Thank you..

[Jason]

The Way We Get By should have been nominated!

[KateC]

Berlinger's considered a TV director by the Academy, and they won't consider his films as anything but sidelines. Also, the Academy likes films that look polished, ala feature films. Anvil was too joky, Capitalism too rough (and too much the same), Davis G.'s already won, etc.

The Cove is perfect. It's socially responsible, looks great, and is suitably exotic.

[Alex]

I'm not a big fan of neither "The Cove" nor "Food Inc.", the first lost me on excessive information and too many forced connections, basically when I saw the horrible massacrer I was desensitized. "Food Inc." is terribly didactic and formal.
Tow of the best docs of the year are not in the list "The September Issue" and "The Way We Get By", both a very good example of good cinematic storytelling.
Too bad!

[kre]

My money is on THE COVE - especially with the Hollywood tie-in...FLIPPER, all the people at Industrial Light and Magic...and it's incredibly dramatic arcs for a broad audience. Plus that many audience awards tells you something...and not to mention that South Park loosely covered that film (amongst the reality shows of this subject as well).

Personally, I agree that DEFAMATION should've had a nod (not sure the ADL would agree, but who cares), as with THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE which was superb. ANVIL... would've been tremendous!!!!