DOCUMENTARY feature SHORTLIST:
| “Ascension” |
| “Attica” |
| “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” |
| “Faya Dayi” |
| “The First Wave” |
| “Flee” |
| “In the Same Breath” |
| “Julia” |
| “President” |
| “Procession” |
| “The Rescue” |
| “Simple as Water” |
| “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” |
| “The Velvet Underground” |
| “Writing with Fire” |
138 documentaries were narrowed down to 15 by the Academy today. Of the 15, the top 5 I predicted to make the cut were made finalists. I’ll stick with those as my predictions for the final nominations, placing five other films I predicted as the alternates. A few disappointments include “Street Gang” and “The Sparks Brothers” both missing out on nominations.
Per the Academy’s press release:
Nominations voting begins on Thursday, January 27, 2022, and concludes on Tuesday, February 1, 2022. Nominations for the 94th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. The 94th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland® in Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
“Ascension”
MTV Documentary Films
“The First Wave”
National Geographic Documentary Films
“Flee”
Neon
“The Rescue”
Greenwich Entertainment
“Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”
Searchlight Pictures
#1: “Ascension” — MTV Documentary Films
IMDB Synopsis: The absorbingly cinematic Ascension explores the pursuit of the “Chinese Dream.” This observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.
WHY’S IT GOING TO GET NOMINATED: Lot’s of love so far this awards season.
#2: “The First Wave” — National Geographic Documentary Films
IMDB Synopsis: A documentary following nurses, doctors, and administrators as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHY’S IT GOING TO GET NOMINATED: It feels like a documentary about the pandemic has to get in. If I’m reading it wrong, perhaps the Academy will avoid them because we’ve been living it for almost two years.
#3: “FLEE” — NEON
IMDB Synopsis: FLEE tells the extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time.
WHY’S IT GOING TO GET NOMINATED: With the amount of love this film has received, of the three categories it has the best chances in, the Best Documentary category is the closest to a lock.
#4: “The Rescue” — Greenwich Entertainment
IMDB Synopsis: A chronicle of the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.
WHY’S IT GOING TO GET NOMINATED: Another film receiving lots of love this awards season.
#5: “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” — Searchlight Pictures
IMDB Synopsis: Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a feature documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African American music and culture, and promoted Black pride and unity.
WHY’S IT GOING TO GET NOMINATED: Of all the documentaries, “Summer of Soul” feels like the strongest lock and the odds-on favorite to take the whole thing. With critical love this awards season as well as love for the director, Questlove, in his first feature, you’ll be seeing this film a lot more before it finally wins.
OSCAR NOMINATION ALTERNATES
#6: “President” — Greenwich Entertainment
IMDB Synopsis: A young and charismatic leader takes on the corrupt ruling party in Zimbabwe’s 2018 presidential election.
#7: “Procession” — NETFLIX
IMDB Synopsis: A group of survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests battle for justice.
#8: “The Velvet Underground” — Apple TV+
IMDB Synopsis: The Velvet Underground explores the multiple threads that converged to bring together one of the most influential bands in rock and roll.
#9: “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” — NEON
IMDB Synopsis: An intimate look at the singer-songwriter’s journey, navigating life on the road, on stage, and at home, while creating her debut album.
#10: “In the Same Breath” — HBO Original Documentary
IMDB Synopsis: How did the Chinese government turn pandemic cover ups in Wuhan into a triumph for the Communist party?
