A trio of other lauded docs are nominated for five awards apiece, including Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension,” Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi,” and E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s “The Rescue.” Both Kingdon and Beshir are first-time feature filmmakers, while Vasarhelyi and Chin are long-time Cinema Eye faves, and Chin currently ranks as the most-winning Cinema Eye honoree in the event’s history, with five wins.
Historically, films nominated for Cinema Eye will often go on to other nominations and critics prizes. Over the last five years, 96 percent of the Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Feature were also Cinema Eye nominees and 88 percent of Oscar nominees received multiple Cinema Eye nominations, including all of last year’s Oscar-nominated documentaries. A number of this year’s nominees have been recognized for their work on multiple projects, including Dan Deacon (nominated in Original Score for both “Ascension” and “All Light, Everywhere”); plus Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, and Carolyn Hepburn, who have received nominations for their work as producers on two different films (“The Velvet Underground” and “In the Same Breath”). Liz Garbus, who won the 2021 award for Outstanding Nonfiction Series for “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” was nominated for the Audience Choice Prize for “Becoming Cousteau” and Outstanding Broadcast Film for “All In: The Fight for Democracy.” Courtesy Everett Collection While many returning veterans are among this year’s nominees, more than 65 percent of this year’s nominations went to first-time filmmakers and craftspersons. Among film directors, women make up 48 percent of today’s announcements, while at least 57 percent of this year’s directors are filmmakers of color, which is a record for Cinema Eye. HBO led all distributors/broadcasters with a total of 16 nominations, followed by Hulu with 12, and 11 nominations for both National Geographic Documentary Films and Neon/Super LTD.
Cinema Eye was founded in 2007 “to recognize excellence in artistry and craft in nonfiction filmmaking. Its mission is three-fold: to build the documentary community by creating spaces where practitioners of the artform can connect with one another; to celebrate the whole creative team that works to create a nonfiction film; and to encourage artistic boldness and risk-taking within the form.” A full list of nominees follows. Outstanding Nonfiction Feature Ascension Faya Dayi Flee The Rescue Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) The Velvet Underground Outstanding Direction Ascension Faya Dayi Flee In the Same Breath Procession Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Outstanding Editing Homeroom The Rescue Roadrunner: A Film about Anthony Bourdain Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) The Velvet Underground Outstanding Production The First Wave Flee In the Same Breath President The Rescue Outstanding Cinematography All Light, Everywhere Ascension Cusp Faya Dayi The Rescue NatGeo Outstanding Original Score All Light, Everywhere Ascension Flee Julia maini – towards the ocean, towards the shore Procession Outstanding Sound Design All Light, Everywhere Faya Dayi Flee Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) The Velvet Underground Outstanding Graphic Design/Animation Becoming Cousteau Flee Rebel Hearts The Sparks Brothers Wojnarowicz: Fck You Fggot F*cker Outstanding Debut Ascension A Cop Movie Faya Dayi Jacinta Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Outstanding Nonfiction Short Águilas A Broken House Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma Terror Contagion Three Songs for Benazir Sundance Audience Choice Prize Becoming Cousteau Billie Eilish – The World’s a Little Blurry Flee Homeroom Julia Lily Topples the World Listening to Kenny G The Rescue Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It Roadrunner: A Film about Anthony Bourdain The Sparks Brothers Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Try Harder! The Velvet Underground Writing With Fire Spotlight Fruits of Labor The Neutral Ground North by Current Socks on Fire Two Gods Heterodox Bo Burnham: Inside A Cop Movie The Inheritance El Planeta The Souvenir Part II
The Unforgettables (Non-Competitive Honor) Flee, Amin Homeroom, Denilson Garibo Introducing, Selma Blair, Selma Blair Jacinta, Jacinta Hunt Lily Topples the World, Lily Hevesh Listening to Kenny G, Kenny G Mr. Bachmann and His Class, Mr. Bachmann My Name is Pauli Murray, Pauli Murray Not Going Quietly, Ady Barkan Procession, Joe Eldred, Mike Foreman, Ed Gavagan, Dan Laurine, Michael Sandridge, & Tom Viviano The Rescue, Rick Stanton Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, Rita Moreno Roadrunner: A Film about Anthony Bourdain, Anthony Bourdain The Sparks Brothers, Ron Mael and Russell Mael Writing With Fire, Meera Nevi The following nominations were previously announced on Wednesday, October 20. 2021, during the annual Cinema Eye Fall Lunch in Los Angeles. Broadcast Film All In: The Fight for Democracy David Byrne’s American Utopia Disclosure In the Same Breath Tina Nonfiction Series 1971: The Year that Music Changed Everything City So Real Exterminate All the Brutes The Lady and the Dale Last Chance U: Basketball Philly D.A. Anthology Series Earth at Night in Color Generation Hustle High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America How to with John Wilson Pretend It’s a City Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi Broadcast Editing Allen v Farrow City So Real David Byrne’s American Utopia Exterminate All the Brutes How to with John Wilson Outstanding Broadcast Cinematography 100 Foot Wave City So Real David Byrne’s American Utopia Earth at Night in Color High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America Shorts List Films Elena Jobs for all! The Last Cruise Takeover We Were There to Be There Your Street Legacy Award The Watermelon Woman Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
