Oscars shortlist includes Collective and MLK/FBI
An expose about government corruption around a Bucharest nightclub fire, a look into the extent of the FBI’s surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. and an exploration of the origins of the disability rights movement are among the documentary films that are advancing to the next round of Oscar voting.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday unveiled its shortlists for several categories, including documentary feature, international feature, original song, original score, visual effects and makeup and hairstyling. Titles as diverse as Tenet (for score and visual effects), Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (for the original song “Wuhan Flu”), Eurovision Song Contest (for song) and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story (for score, song and makeup) are in the initial mix.
Academy Award nominations will be announced on March 15.
The documentary category includes Collective, MLK/FBI, Netflix’s Crip Camp and Dick Johnson is Dead. The competitive list also has The Truffle Hunters, Time, Boys State, All In: The Fight for Democracy, about voter suppression, Welcome to Chechnya, about Russia’s anti-LGBTQ efforts, and 76 Days, about the early pandemic in Wuhan.
The 15 films were culled from 238 eligible titles. Somewhat surprisingly, Bryan Fogel’s Jamal Khashoggi assassination documentary The Dissident was not included. Fogel’s previous film Icarus won the Academy Award.
