The official shortlist has been announced for the Academy Award’s Documentary Feature category.

It wasn’t a surprise to see Burma VJ on there which we screened at The Frontline Club a few months ago and I’m very glad to see another two films that will be shown at the club soon, The Most Dangerous Man in America -  which we will be showing on the 29th November (booking link is here) and Sergio which we will be screening in the new year.

This means our last two Sunday screenings of the year are both on the Oscar shortlists.

This Sunday we are showing the incredible China’s Unnatural Disaster which is nominated in the Documentary Shorts category and the filmmakers are flying in for the Q&A. Booking link is here.

Surprise omissions from the list are The September Issue, Capitalism: A Love Story, Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner We Live in Public, Tyson, The Way We Get By and Anvil.

The 15 films shortlisted:
* “The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
* “Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
* “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
* “Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
* “Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
* “Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
* “Garbage Dreams,” Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
* “Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,” Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
* “Mugabe and the White African,” Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
* “Sergio,” Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
* “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
* “Under Our Skin,” Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
* “Valentino The Last Emperor,” Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
* “Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

You can see the official press release here

My opinions on the list are at The Documentary Blog