19th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Awards
New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem, New York
Thursday, January 8, 2026

Outstanding Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking

COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
Apple Original Films

Ryan White | Director
Craig Brewer, John Davis, John Fox | Producers


2000 Meters to Andriivka • PBS Distribution
Afternoons of Solitude • Grasshopper Film
Cover-Up • Netflix
The Perfect Neighbor • Netflix
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk • Kino Lorber
Seeds • Interior Films

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Outstanding Direction

Geeta Gandbhir
The Perfect Neighbor • Netflix

Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee, Geeta Gandbhir | Producers


Mstyslav Chernov – 2000 Meters to Andriivka
Albert Serra – Afternoons of Solitude
Ryan White – Come See Me in the Good Light
Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus – Cover-Up
David Osit – Predators
Brittany Shyne – Seeds

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Outstanding Editing

The Perfect Neighbor • Netflix

Editing by Viridiana Lieberman

Geeta Gandbhir | Director
Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee, Geeta Gandbhir | Producers


2000 Meters to Andriivka – Michelle Mizner
Cover-Up – Amy Foote, Peter Bowman and Laura Poitras
I Am Not Everything I Want to Be – Alexander Kashcheev
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow – Julia Loktev and Michael Taylor
Orwell: 2+2=5– Alexandra Strauss
Riefenstahl– Stephan Krumbiegel, Olaf Voigtländer and Alfredo Castro

Outstanding Production (tie)

The Alabama Solution • HBO Max

Production by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman

Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman | Director

Outstanding Production (tie)

Apocalypse in the Tropics • Netflix

Production by Petra Costa and Alessandra Orofino

Petra Costa | Director


2000 Meters to Andriivka – Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath
Antidote – James Jones
Mr. Nobody Against Putin – Helle Faber
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow – Julia Loktev

Outstanding Cinematography

Seeds • Interior Films

Cinematography by Brittany Shyne

Brittany Shyne | Director
Danielle Varga, Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, Brittany Shyne | Producers


Afternoons of Solitude – Artur Tort
Architecton – Ben Bernhard
Come See Me in the Good Light – Brandon Somerhalder
Folktales – Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo and Tor Edvin Eliassen
The Tale of Silyan – Jean Dakar

Outstanding Original Score

COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
Apple Original Films

Composed by Blake Neely

Ryan White | Director
Craig Brewer, John Davis, John Fox | Producers


2000 Meters to Andriivka – Sam Slater
Cover-Up – Maya Shenfeld
The Eyes of Ghana – Kris Bowers
Folktales – Todd Griffin
Orwell: 2+2=5 – Alexeï Aïgui

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Outstanding Sound Design

Deaf President Now! • Apple TV

Sound Design by James LeBrecht, Greg Francis and Nina Hartstone

Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim | Directors
Michael Harte, Jonathan King, Amanda Rohlke, Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim | Producers


Architecton – Alexander Dudarev
Folktales – Andreas Lindberg Svensson
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore – Bonnie Wild
One to One: John and Yoko – Sean Ono Lennon, Sam Gannon and Simon Hilton
Seeds – Daniel Timmons and Ben Kruse

Outstanding Visual Design

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
Magnolia Pictures

Visual Design by Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Josh Shaffner

Amy Berg | Director
Jennie Bedusa, Amy Berg, Mandy Chang, Christine Connor, Ryan Heller, Matthew Roozen | Producers


Ghost Boy – Nominees To Be Determined
In Waves and War – Nominees To Be Determined
The New Yorker at 100 – Norn Jordan
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted – Joseph Midthun
Zodiac Killer Project – Nominees To Be Determined

Outstanding Debut

Seeds • Interior Films

Brittany Shyne | Director
Danielle Varga, Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, Brittany Shyne | Producers


Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore – Directed By Shoshannah Stern
Monk in Pieces – Directed By Billy Shebar and David C. Roberts
Remaining Native – Directed By Paige Bethmann
The Shepherd and the Bear – Directed By Max Keegan
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted – Directed By Isaac Gale and Ryan Olson

Spotlight Award

To the West, in Zapata

David Bim | Director


Always – Directed By Deming Chen
The Encampments – Directed By Michael T Workman and Kei Pritsker
Flophouse America – Directed By Monica Strømdahl
Sanatorium – Directed By Gar O’Rourke

Audience Choice Prize

The Tale of Silyan • National Geographic

Tamara Kotevska | Director
Anna Hashmi, Jean Dakar, Tamara Kotevska | Producers


Apocalypse in the Tropics – Directed By Petra Costa
Coexistence, My Ass! – Directed By Amber Fares
Come See Me in the Good Light – Directed By Ryan White
The Eyes of Ghana – Directed By Ben Proudfoot
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley – Directed By Amy Berg
The Librarians – Directed By Kim A. Snyder
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore – Directed By Shoshannah Stern
Mr. Nobody Against Putin – Directed By David Borenstein
Prime Minister – Directed By Michelle Walsh and Lindsay Utz

— 19th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Awards —

Audience Choice Prize lONGLIST

Cover-Up • Netflix

Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | Directors
Yoni Golijov, Olivia Streisand, Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | Producers

Cutting Through Rocks • Gandom Films Production

Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni | Directors
Eyni Sara Khaki, Mohammad Reza Eyni | Producers

Deaf President Now! • Apple TV+

Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim | Directors
Michael Harte, Jonathan King, Amanda Rohlke, Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim | Producers

Folktales • Magnolia Pictures

Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Director/Producers

Orwell: 2+2=5 • NEON

Raoul Peck | Director
Raoul Peck, Alex Gibney, Blair Foster, Tamara Rosenberg, Nick Shumaker, George Chignell | Producers

The Perfect Neighbor • Netflix

Geeta Gandbhir | Director
Geeta Gandbhir, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee | Producers

— 19th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Awards —

Unforgettables Honorees

Noam Shuster-Eliassi
Coexistence, My Ass! • Home Made Docs

Amber Fares | Director
Amber Fares, Rachel Leah Jones, Valérie Montmartin | Producers

Andrea Gibson & Megan Falley
Come See Me in the Good Light • Apple TV+

Ryan White | Director
Jessica Hargrave, Ryan White, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen | Producers

Seymour Hersh
Cover-Up • Netflix

Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | Directors
Yoni Golijov, Olivia Streisand, Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | Producers

Sara Shahverdi
Cutting Through Rocks • Gandom Films Production

Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni | Directors
Eyni Sara Khaki, Mohammad Reza Eyni | Producers

Pasha Talankin
Mr. Nobody Against Putin • Made in Copenhagen

David Borenstein | Director
Helle Faber | Producer

Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister • Magnolia Pictures

Michelle Walsh, Lindsay Utz | Directors
Cass Avery, Leon Kirkbeck, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane, Katie Peck, Clarke Gayford | Producers

Fatma Hassona
Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk • Kino Lorber

Sepideh Farsi, Fatma Hassona | Directors
Sepideh Farsi | Producer

BEST Nonfiction Short

All The Empty Rooms

Joshua Seftel | Director


Am I the skinniest person you’ve ever seen? – Directed by Eisha Marjara
Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud – Directed by Brent Renaud & Craig Renaud
Crying Glacier – Directed by Lutz Stautner
The Devil is Busy – Directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton
The Long Valley – Directed by Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck and Robert Machoian
Mama Micra – Directed by Rebecca Blöcher
perfectly a strangeness – Directed by Alison McAlpine
We Were The Scenery – Directed by Christopher Radcliff
Who Loves The Sun – Directed by Arshia Shakiba

Heterodox Award

The Voice of Hind Rajab • WILLA

Kaouther Ben Hania | Director
Nadim Cheikhrouha, James Wilson, Odessa Rae | Producers


BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions – Kahlil Joseph
East of Wall – Kate Beecroft
Peter Hujar’s Day – Ira Sachs
To a Land Unknown – Mahdi Fleifel
The Rehearsal – Nathan Fielder

Outstanding Broadcast Film

Pee-wee as Himself • HBO Max

Matt Wolf | Director
Matt Wolf, Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez | Producers


Deaf President Now! – Directed by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim (Apple TV+)
Democracy Noir – Directed by Connie Field (SWR / ARTE / DR)
Enigma – Directed by Zackary Drucker (HBO | Max)
My Mom Jayne – Directed by Mariska Hargitay (HBO | Max)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) – Directed by Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson (Hulu, Onyx Collective)

Outstanding Nonfiction Series

Social Studies • FX on Hulu

Lauren Greenfield | Director
Lauren Greenfield, Frank Evers, Wallis Annenberg, Regina K. Scully, Andrea Van Beuren, Caryn Capotosto | Executive Producers


Chimp Crazy – Directed by Eric Goode (HBO | Max)
Couples Therapy – Directed by Pax Wassermann and Bennett Elliott (Paramount+)
Dallas, 2019 – Directed by Darius Clark Monroe (PBS/Independent Lens)
The Sing Sing Chronicles – Directed by Dawn Porter (MSNBC)
The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth – Directed by Juliette Eisner (National Geographic)

Outstanding Anthology Series

Conan O’Brien Must Go • HBO Max

Conan O’Brien, Jeff Ross | Executive Producers


Harlem Ice – Executive Producers Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Robin Roberts, Geeta Gandbhir, Meredith Kaulfers and Alisa Payne (Disney+)
Omnivore – Executive Producers René Redzepi, Ben Liebmann, Chris Rice, Matt Goulding, Collin Orcutt and Mateo Willis (Apple TV+)
Our Oceans – Executive Producers Jonathan Smith and James Honeyborne (Netflix)
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night – Executive Producers Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers and Juaquin Cambron (Peacock)
Tucci In Italy – Executive Producers Stanley Tucci, Lottie Birmingham, Amanda Lyon and Simon Raikes (National Geographic)

Outstanding Broadcast Editing

Social Studies • FX on Hulu

Editing by Alyse Ardell Spiegel, Helen Kearns, Catherine Bull, and
Charles Little II

Lauren Greenfield | Director
Lauren Greenfield, Frank Evers, Wallis Annenberg, Regina K. Scully, Andrea Van Beuren, Caryn Capotosto | Executive Producers


Deaf President Now! – Edited by Michael Harte (Apple TV+)
My Mom Jayne – Edited by JD Marlow (HBO | Max)
Pee-wee as Himself – Edited by Damian Rodriguez (HBO | Max)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) – Edited by Joshua L. Pearson (Hulu)
Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos – Edited by Andy Grieve (HBO | Max)

Outstanding Broadcast Cinematography

Omnivore • Apple TV+

Cinematography by Tom Elliot, Sy Turnbull, and Jurgen Lisse

René Redzepi, Matt Goulding, Chris Rice, Ben Liebmann, Michael Antinoro, Max Wagner, Collin Orcutt, Mateo Willis | Executive Producers


Chef’s Table: Legends – Director of Photography Will Basanta (Netflix)
Dallas, 2019 – Director of Photography Christine Ng (PBS/Independent Lens)
No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski – Director of Photography Steve Lidgerwood (National Geographic)
Our Oceans – Director of Photography Roger Munns, Roger Horrocks, Justin Maguire, Ryan Tidman and Jamie McPherson (Netflix)
Social Studies – Director of Photography Bryan Donnell, Jenna Rosher and Jerry Risius (FX on Hulu)

About the Cinema Eye Honors

Cinema Eye was founded in 2007 on three ideals: creating events to support and build a sense of community amongst those who make documentary films; recognizing the entire creative team of craftspersons that create these films; and recognizing excellence, innovation and boldness in the artistry of nonfiction filmmaking.

Cinema Eye was the first and remains the only international nonfiction award to recognize the whole creative team, presenting annual craft awards in directing, editing, producing, cinematography, original score and graphic design/animation. Cinema Eye presents and produces the annual Cinema Eye Weekend and Honors Awards Ceremony.

The Cinema Eye Honors recognize feature and short-length films and series with an emphasis on nonfiction work that is designed for public distribution, whether primarily theatrical, festival, broadcast or streaming. Cinema Eye seeks to encourage audiences to engage with nonfiction work that crosses all genres, whether observational, journalistic, activist, essayistic, light-hearted or provocative as well as those exciting works that blur the lines between nonfiction and fiction. Since its founding, Cinema Eye has sought to change the conversation that film critics, festivals and awards bodies have surrounding documentary film, shifting the emphasis from importance of topic to artistic craft.

The Honors Awards Ceremony is the culmination of Cinema Eye Weekend, a multi-day, multi-city celebration that acknowledges the best work in nonfiction film through screenings and events. The final days of Cinema Eye Weekend take place in New York City, where a series of events bring together many of the year’s most accomplished filmmakers.

Cinema Eye is led by a core team of filmmakers and programmers who are committed to the organization’s mission.

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