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The streaming landscape can feel endless. It’s not and we’re here to help. Netflix has hundreds of documentaries in its streaming library, but they’re not all created equal, and we’ve narrowed down the options for you with 25 of our top picks for the best documentary movies currently available to watch on the streaming platform. If you’re looking for something light and visually stunning, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re looking for something gruesome yet fascinating, there are options for you below. If you only have half an hour or 40 minutes to kill, Netflix has something for you.

So peruse our list below, and get watching!

“American Nightmare” “American Nightmare” (Netflix)

The three-episode “American Nightmare” is a fascinating chronicle the spins the true crime genre on its head. It follows the 2015 kidnapping of Denise Huskins, who was labeled “the real ‘Gone Girl'...

It’s not news that the documentary market continues to be in flux, particularly for political documentaries, with many filmmakers complaining about a lack of distribution channels. So it’s good news that Netflix has closed a hybrid licensing deal for six documentary films that played well at festivals over the past year, but were not acquired by any distributor. Rather than leave the orphans in limbo, Netflix opted to give this group of diverse titles a distribution home.

The films include Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s “The White House Effect” and “In Waves and War,” Chris Smith’s “Devo,” Kimberly Reed’s “I’m Your Venus,” Matthew O. Henderson’s “A King Like Me,” and the late Sacha Jenkins’ “Sunday Best.”

This out-of-the-box Netflix deal gives the docs Netflix Original status in English-speaking territories the U.K., United States, and Canada. In territories outside the English language, they are available non-exclusively.

Exclusive: Wavelength has revealed the 2025 recipients of its Wave Grant. Pratima Mani, Shanice Brette, Ana Chavez, Erika Yang, and Lauryn Darden & Ragan Henderson each will receive $5,000 to create their first short film alongside production mentorship from Wavelength’s executive team. Read a bio for each recipient below.

The Wave Grant, which stands for “Women at the Very Edge,” aims to help a female or non-binary first-time filmmaker of color with the production of their first short film. In addition to the grant, Wavelength — the production company behind such films as Thank You Very Much and Athlete A — provides mentorship in the producing, development and post-production of the filmmaker’s story as well as fundraising and distribution strategy.

“We’ve built a grant program that doesn’t just support first-time filmmakers\ but actively launches them into careers in film and television,” said Jenifer Westphal, Wavelength’s founder, CEO and executive producer.

So the stock market is crashing and the U.S. is now looking to start a trade war with not only Canada, Mexico, and China, but Europe as well… that doesn’t mean it’s a bad time time to start a business, right? At least not according to the upcoming documentary “Any Problem Is No Problem,” which will be the closing-night screening at the upcoming AmDocs Film Festival in Palm Springs.

From the Emmy-winning team behind “The Rescue List,” this new cinema vérité-style peek into the work of tech-business incubation showcases a three-month crash-course thousands only dream of participating in.

Of the over 8,000 applicants for the Crypto Startup School, only 26 are accepted. These future tech company leaders lay their hopes on the line as they learn from others in the business, network with fellow entrepreneurs and engineers, and ultimately pitch investors during a Demo Day. For many, this opportunity...

True crime documentaries have become a cultural phenomenon. There’s something unsettling yet gripping about real-life mysteries, shocking crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Why do we love them so much? Maybe it’s the intrigue of uncovering the truth. Maybe it’s the psychology of criminals and their motivations. Or maybe it’s just the sheer intensity of these stories—because real life is often more disturbing than fiction.

Netflix has become a goldmine for the best true crime docs, offering everything from high-profile murder cases to bizarre scams and cult exposés. If you’re looking for your next binge-worthy obsession, here are 13 must-watch true crime documentaries (and a few docuseries’) currently streaming on Netflix.

1. Amanda Knox (2016)

This riveting documentary takes a deep dive into one of the most infamous murder trials of the 21st century. In 2007, Amanda Knox, an American student in Italy, was accused of murdering her roommate,...

Every American soldier has left Afghanistan, but that doesn’t mean Afghanistan has left them. Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen’s heartfelt documentary gives new meaning to the term “forever war” by showing the lasting impact that multiple deployments have had on a trio of Navy SEALs still struggling to truly come home years after retiring from the military. “In Waves and War” — the title is taken from a passage in “The Odyssey” about moving on from suffering in order to embark on a new adventure — focuses on, and ultimately becomes part of, an emerging movement to treat post-traumatic stress disorder via two hallucinogens that have shown remarkable results when taken in tandem.

Those would be ibogaine and 5-MeO-dmt. The former is derived from the bark root of the iboga tree in Gabon, while the latter is extracted from Sonoran Desert toads — an imposing cocktail to be sure, but one...

New York-based Wavelength, which co-financed TIFF world premiere On Swift Horses, has hired former Imagine Entertainment executive Caitlin Cleary as director of scripted development.

Based in Brooklyn, Cleary’s primary focus will be narrative features as she collaborates with president Joe Plummer and London-based managing director Dan Bowen to expand the company into the scripted space and branded entertainment.

Her arrival comes as the company founded by Jenifer Westphal builds a feature roster including On Swift Horses, Daniel Minahan’s adaptation of Shannon Pufahl’s novel set in the 1950’s American West starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter...

Exclusive: UTA has signed Walter Woodman, Patrick Cederberg, Matthew Hornick and Sidney Leeder, the filmmakers behind the creative collective shy kids, for representation in all areas.

A group of multi-faceted creatives based out of Toronto, shy kids has recently become synonymous with the OpenAI Sora filmmaking movement, with projects like the viral short film Air Head. Known for their style blending technology, innovation, humor and rhythm, they create most of their projects from scratch and are proficient in various aspects such as writing, directing, producing, shooting, editing, animating, VFX, and composing music.

Currently, shy kids is involved in producing series for such major entertainment companies as Disney, HBO, AMC, and Netflix. Notable projects the collective has worked on includes Lionsgate’s Nerve and The CW’s The Originals, as well as Netflix’s Emmy-nominated The Great Hack and Emmy-winning Athlete A.

In 2022, shy kids premiered their Ethan Eng-directed feature...

Bowen produced Nick Cave documentary 20,000 Days On Earth.

Emmy-winning New York-based Wavelength, the company behind 2023 Andy Kaufman Venice documentary Thank You Very Much, has opened a London office and named former Pulse Films and Vice creative production executive Dan Bowen as UK managing director.

Bowen will work closely with Wavelength’s Emmy-winning duo Jenifer Westphal, founder, CEO and executive producer, and Joe Plummer, president and executive producer, to build on the company’s global strategy.

Bowen will lead the expansion of Wavelength’s burgeoning commercials and branded entertainment division into the UK market. To date, it has created campaigns for clients such as lululemon,...

Exclusive: PBS’s Independent Lens strand has acquired feature doc One with the Whale, spotlighting a Siberian Yupik community facing up to climate change and animal rights activists.

Co-directed by Pete Chelkowski and environmental journalist Jim Wickens (Ecostorm), the doc was filmed over two years on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, and explores the traditions and customs, values and lifestyles of a tight-knit Yupik village known as Gambell.

Being based on a small ice-covered island near the Bering Sea, the Yupiks have witnessed the increasingly damaging impact of climate change on their environment and way of life, while their centuries-old practices as traditional hunter gatherers have been attacked by online animal rights activists. The doc will follow the story of Chris Apassingok, a teenager and local hero who harpooned a 50-foot whale that fed the village for months. After his story emerged, he was...

Mike Prall, Emily Katz to work closely with founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal, president Joe Plummer.

New York-based studio Wavelength, whose credits include Cusp, Athlete A, and The Cave Of Adullam, has hired Mike Prall as head of studios, Emily Katz as head of development.

The executives will be based in New York and arrive at a busy time as the company prepares to open its first international office in London following partnerships with international producers on seven of its 2022 films including Aisha, Radical Dreamer, and The Last Year Of Darkness.

Prall and Katz will work closely with Wavelength founder,...

Jewish Story Partners, the non-profit film fund that launched six months ago, announced its second round of grant recipients on Monday. The winners came after an open submissions call that saw a 226% increase in participation from the first round.

An additional $280,000 has been awarded this year, bringing Jsp’s 2021 spend to $500,000 as they identify nonfiction work telling diverse Jewish stories. International filmmakers and fiction projects will be sought in the future. The group anticipates to hand out $800,000 in 2022 and $1 million by 2023.

New funders include the Lynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Jewish Documentary Films, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Kronhill Pletka Foundation and Koret Foundation.

Monday’s grants will fund noted documentary filmmakers including: Kate Amend, Marilyn Ness, Pratibha Parmar, Dan Sturman and Ondi Timoner.

“Jewish documentary films are a window into the richness and complexity of the arc of Jewish history and Jewish lives today,” said Lynn and...

Grierson Awards: Netflix And BBC Neck-And-Neck

Netflix was nearly neck-and-neck with the BBC at last night’s Grierson Awards, winning five gongs including for David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet in Best Single Documentary – Domestic. The streamer was only one behind the BBC’s six wins as the pair dominated on a night where the BBC tends to be out in front. Netflix’s other victories came for Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell (Best Music Documentary), Athlete A (Best Sports Documentary), My Octopus Teacher (Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary) and A Love Song For Latasha (Best Short). BBC2 doc Once Upon a Time in Iraq won two awards (Best History Documentary and Best Documentary Series) while all other BBC awards went to BBC4 shows. Channel 4 won for The School That Tried To End Racism (Best Constructed Documentary Series) and Yinka Bokinni (Best Documentary Presenter), while...

Exclusive: Wavelength, the Emmy-winning film studio behind titles including Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Farewell Amor, has signed an exclusive agreement with ICM Partners for global representation.

ICM will now represent all of the projects owned by Wavelength across the mediums of scripted and non-scripted television, documentary TV, motion pictures and digital programming. It will also act as a sales agent for the company’s motion picture projects, advising on their creation, development, financing and production, as well as other means of exploiting them, while assisting in bringing together negotiations and additional key elements.

“Wavelength has always been dedicated to honest storytelling and driving innovation,” said the studio’s President and Executive Producer, Joe Plummer. “Partnering with a renowned global agency like ICM will open new doors for us and take our projects to the next level. We couldn’t have chosen a better agency to represent our studio.

PBS dominated the documentary portion of this year’s News and Documentary Emmys, landing ten awards overall — including three for “Pov,” two for “Independent Lens” and two for “Frontline,” which are three of the public broadcaster’s long-running, signature series.

Netflix followed with four wins, then Showtime with three. The documentary Emmys were awarded on Wednesday by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the second of two individual ceremonies; categories honoring TV news were handed out on Tuesday.

“Tonight, we celebrate these documentary professionals who in the unprecedented year of 2020 delivered the insightful, clear, factual and timely filmmaking necessary to make sense of the tumultuous times that we live in,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO, NATAS.

Ozy CEO Carlos Watson had originally signed on to host the documentary ceremony, but bowed out earlier this week following a New York Times article chronicling questionable claims and practices inside his company.

The winners of the Documentary categories of the 42nd Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards are in, with PBS once again topping the contenders with 10 wins, while Netflix nabbed four trophies.

The PBS documentary Belly of the Beast, which exposed eugenics and reproductive injustice in California prisons, won Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary honors. Showtime’s Kingdom of Silence, a look at journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s life, work, and murder, topped the Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary honors, while Netflix’s Athlete A, a study of the US Gymnastics scandal involving disgraced doctor Larry Nassar, came in as the Outstanding Investigative Documentary winner.

The awards were announced by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). The News & Documentary Emmy Awards are presented as two ceremonies. Categories honoring Television News Programming were presented Tuesday. Both ceremonies were livestreamed.

“Tonight, we celebrate these documentary professionals who in the unprecedented year of 2020 delivered the insightful,...

PBS led all networks in nominations for the 42nd annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, landing 52 overall — thanks to the strength of signature series “Frontline,” “Independent Lens,” “Pov,” “Nova,” “PBS News Hour” and “Nature.”

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced this year’s nominees on Tuesday morning, noting that more than 2,200 submissions were entered, from content that premiered in calendar year 2020. CNN was next with 41 nods, including five each for “AC360,” CNN Films and “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” CNN Films docs earning nominations included three for “John Lewis: Good Trouble.”

When combined with various partnerships, “Frontline” landed the most nominations overall, with 19. Next in line, with 16 each, were CBS’ “60 Minutes” and Vice’s “Vice News Tonight.”

Best documentary nominations included three for PBS: Frontline’s “Once Upon A Time In Iraq,” Independent Lens’ “Belly of the Beast” and Pov’s “Advocate.” They’re up against Netflix’s “Athlete A,...

The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors announced this year’s crop of nominees today, singling out 60 stories from more than 1,300 submissions for its prestigious award honoring broadcasting and streaming media during 2020. The Peabody Awards recognize the finest work produced for television, podcasts/radio and the web in entertainment, news, documentary, arts, children’s/youth, public service and multimedia programming.

“During an incredibly turbulent and difficult year, these nominees rose to the occasion and delivered compelling and empowering stories,” said chair of the Peabody Board of Jurors Martha Nelson. “From Covid-19 coverage to poignant explorations of identity, each nominee not only told a powerful story but also made a significant impact on media programming and the cultural landscape. We’re thrilled to recognize their outstanding and inspiring work.”

Perhaps unsurprising given the landscape of the last 18 months, the Peabody honorees skewed more heavily towards news programs, with only 10 Entertainment selections, as...

Winners will be announced virtually in June

“Ted Lasso,” the “Euphoria” Christmas special and Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You” are among the 60 Peabody Award nominees for 2021, the organization’s board of jurors announced Tuesday.

The nominations span documentaries, news programming, television and streaming. PBS led the pack with 12 nominations for its nonfiction programming like the recent “Asian Americans” series and “PBS NewsHour” coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Netflix and HBO followed with nine and five nominations, respectively.

The 30 winners will be announced a ceremony to be held virtually in June.

“During an incredibly turbulent and difficult year, these nominees rose to the occasion and delivered compelling and empowering stories,” said Martha Nelson, chair of the Peabody Board of Jurors. “From Covid-19 coverage to poignant explorations of identity, each nominee not only told a powerful story but also made a significant impact on media programming and the cultural landscape.

After being branded as “the enemy of the people” in recent years, both here and in some other countries, journalists may be surprised to find themselves portrayed as heroes in a number of recent documentaries, including an Oscar-contending film.

Collective, the Romanian film nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Film, centers in large part on reporter Catalin Tolontan, who exposed a shocking corruption scandal precipitated by a deadly fire at a Bucharest nightclub. Tolontan and his colleagues got to the bottom of why burn victims kept mysteriously dying in Romanian hospitals in the weeks and months after the blaze.

“These journalists,” notes director Alexander Nanau, “were the only ones who started to investigate all the lies and the manipulation within the health care system and the political class.”

Tolontan’s investigation uncovered a scheme by a pharmaceutical company to sell secretly diluted disinfectant to hospitals. The weakened cleaning...

Netflix has dominated the Oscar documentary race the last few years, winning Documentary Feature in 2020 and 2018, but the release of the Academy shortlists Tuesday confirms it faces a battle this time around, from a rival streamer.

Amazon Studios landed two films on the feature shortlist—Time, directed by Garrett Bradley, and All In: The Fight for Democracy, directed by Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés. Time, which touches on mass incarceration through the experience of one Black family in Louisiana, must be considered a solid favorite in the Oscar race, having tied for the Gotham Award and amassing multiple critics’ prizes.

Netflix made the Oscar shortlist, as expected, with its top two contenders—Crip Camp, directed by Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, and Dick Johnson Is Dead, from director Kirsten Johnson. It also muscled in with mollusk-themed My Octopus Teacher, ensnaring in its tentacles a fifth of the 15 shortlist slots. But...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has unveiled “longlists” that narrow the field in 24 categories at the Ee British Academy Film Awards. The longlists were part of an overhaul of BAFTA voting procedures instituted in September to increase the diversity of nominations. Longlists existed in BAFTA voting prior to 2012 but were eliminated that year.

Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” led all films by being longlisted in 15 different categories, buoyed by four different cast members in the Best Supporting Actor category. It was followed by David Fincher’s “Mank” with 14, Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” with 13 and Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World” with 12.

Other films that hit double digits included “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Mauritanian” and “Saint Maud,” which were each shortlisted in 11 categories.

The lists cast a wide net, with Best Film semifinalists including everything from “Da 5 Bloods,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom...

Another important moment in the awards season has come our way today. Yes, the Academy has released their lists of what’s eligible in a few of the Oscar categories. In short, we now know what’s up for Academy Award nominations in the Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best International Feature categories. Until we get to a shortlist, everything is up for grabs, but now we know what’s at least in the running, and that’s good… Here now are the lists: Animated Feature Film “Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus” “Bombay Rose” “Calamity” “The Croods: A New Age” “Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train” “Dreambuilders” “Lane” “On-Gaku: Our Sound” “Onward” “Over the Moon” “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” “Ride Your Wave” “Scoob!” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” “Soul” “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” “Terra Willy” “Trolls World Tour...

The Oscars Best Documentary Feature race, which set a new record for entries in December when it passed the previous record of 170, has now left all previous years in the dust with 240 eligible films.

An additional 25 documentary features were placed in the members-only online screening room devoted to the category on Saturday, in what the Academy told voters would be “the final batch” of this year’s entries. It was the last of seven groups of documentaries that qualified and were placed into the screening room: 25 in July, 12 in August, 16 in September, 33 in October, 36 in November, a huge group of 93 in December and now 25 in January.

Academy rules put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic made it easier than usual for documentaries to qualify for the Oscars this year, which opened the door for a field that obliterated the previous record, which was set in 2017. Films could qualify simply...

Nominees for the Hollywood Music in Media Awards are being unveiled Friday, with a packed slate of songs and scores in film, TV and videogame categories. Names in contention range from Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard and Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross as returning veterans in the score divisions to stars like Taylor Swift, H.E.R., Brandi Carlile, Travis Scott, Haim and Janelle Monae as nominated songwriters for feature film themes.

Kenny Loggins has been tagged for the HMMAs; Career Achievement in Music honor, which has previously gone to figures including Diane Warren, Smokey Robinson and composer John Debney.

Loggins will perform on the livestreamed awards show, which has been set for 7 p.m. Pt on Jan. 27, to be webcast on the Hmma site in lieu of the traditional live ceremony (which last year took place at Avalon in Hollywood). He’ll be joined in the performance ranks by Andra Day, Rita Wilson,...

To Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, directors of the Netflix documentary Athlete A, the women who came forward to call out rampant sexual abuse within the USA Gymnastics program are “American heroes.”

“We were used to watching them as amazing athletes do incredible things,” Shenk says during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Documentary awards-season event. “But really when they were presented with this challenge of how to overcome a system that really abused many of them along the way, they had to step up in a totally unexpected way and they did it in such an inspiring way.”

Athlete A exposes the culture within USA Gymnastics, the organization that oversees the U.S. Olympic Team, that in Shenk’s words chose “money and medals over the health and safety of these young athletes.”

Deadline’s Amanda N’Duka asked the filmmakers about the response from USA Gymnastics to their documentary.

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists has announced its 2020 AWFJ Eda winners, where the most-nominated film “Nomadland” walked away with six categories including best film, actress (Frances McDormand) and cinematography (Joshua James Richards). Filmmaker Chloé Zhao won three individual prizes for directing, adapted screenplay and editing.

The AWFJ recognizes the year’s best regardless of gender in the conventional “best of” categories and this year, women dominated on both sides. In a change from years prior, Jennifer Merin, founder and film critic, says, “we decided to exclude women who won Best Of Awards from competition in our Female Focus Award categories.”

Other winners included Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”) in lead and supporting actor while Yuh-Jung Youn (“Minari”) won best supporting actress, surpassing Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”) in wins so far this awards season.

See the full winners list below.

Following the continuing success of its long-running Contenders events during Oscar and Emmy seasons, Deadline is making new additions to the franchise with Contenders Documentary, focusing on the year’s most noteworthy non-fiction films, and Contenders International, with its eye on a great lineup of foreign-language entries. Both of these events, designed to put the spotlight on worthy movies that don’t always get the attention they deserve, will be presented virtually due to the pandemic — as we did for the Emmys — in their inaugural year over the course of one weekend, with International taking place on Saturday, January 9, and Documentary on Sunday, January 10. Both will be starting their livestreams at 8 a.m. Pt.

Fifteen studios, streamers and distributors will be participating in the kickoff for Contenders International, with an impressive and varied presentation involving clips and filmmaker/talent Q&As from a total of 23 films from around the world...

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists has announced their nominees for their 2020 Eda awards, with Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” leading with nine nominations including best film and director. With 25 individual categories, their awards are divided into three sections: the standard “Best Of” section, the “Female Focus” awards and “Eda Special Mentions.” Women dominated the “best of” section, with four of the five slots occupied by women.

Regina King’s “One Night in Miami” was the second-highest nomination leader with eight, and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” nabbed six mentions. “Our Eda Awards always honor the year’s best regardless of gender,” says Awfj and Eda Awards founder Jennifer Merin. “We are thrilled that in 2020 three female-directed films have emerged as our most-nominated films. Even better, two of these and several other multi-nominated films tell stories centering on strong and complex female characters from diverse backgrounds.”

The Awfj will announce their winners on Jan.

Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” continued its reign this weekend, winning four awards — including best film, director, actress (Frances McDormand) and adapted screenplay — at the Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards.

Zhao won director at all five critics awards handed out in the last week.

Leslie Odom Jr. picked up his first prize for his portrayal of Sam Cooke in Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” with Chadwick Boseman being named the runner-up in both lead and supporting categories for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Da 5 Bloods.”

Other winners were also repeats from past critics groups, including Delroy Lindo nabbing best actor for “Da 5 Bloods” and Maria Bakalova taking supporting actress for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Eliza Hittman netted a win for “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” in best original screenplay — the second trophy for the film in that race this season.

The full list of winners and runners-up are below:...

For many in the film community, Sundance 2020 was their last live American film festival. A swath of movies and talent debuted before moving on to release on multiple platforms. Some even entered this year’s extended Oscar conversation: “The Father,” “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Promising Young Woman,” and a long list of stellar documentaries, including “Athlete A,” “Boys State,” “Collective,” “Crip Camp,” “The Painter and the Thief,” and “Welcome to Chechnya.”

One year later and, like every other festival, Sundance is virtual. Also like other festivals: It’s subject to the vagaries of Covid. It’s shorter — seven days instead of 11 — and the tighter selection reflects that. There are 71 features, a nearly 40 percent drop from 118 last year. It also lacks big names, with few distributors choosing to use the festival as a launchpad. “We are not programming to quotas,” said new festival director Tabitha Jackson. “We are making sure we...

For many in the film community, Sundance 2020 was their last live American film festival. A swath of movies and talent debuted before moving on to release on multiple platforms. Some even entered this year’s extended Oscar conversation: “The Father,” “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Promising Young Woman,” and a long list of stellar documentaries, including “Athlete A,” “Boys State,” “Collective,” “Crip Camp,” “The Painter and the Thief,” and “Welcome to Chechnya.”

One year later and, like every other festival, Sundance is virtual. Also like other festivals: It’s subject to the vagaries of Covid. It’s shorter — seven days instead of 11 — and the tighter selection reflects that. There are 71 features, a nearly 40 percent drop from 118 last year. It also lacks big names, with few distributors choosing to use the festival as a launchpad. “We are not programming to quotas,” said new festival director Tabitha Jackson. “We are making sure we...

It’s an understatement to say that real life is more shocking than the movies these days, but documentary filmmakers have always known this to be true. As the nonfiction medium continues to churn through the most popular moment in its history, this year’s documentary highlights met their moment and then some, with a wide range of purposeful work tackling major issues of the moment through ambitious approaches that often transcended formal conventions. Sure, 2020 brought us “Tiger King” and a gazillion election season specials, but the best documentaries of the year didn’t just thrill or enlighten us; they did it in fresh and exciting ways that went beyond the call of duty. Here are the highlights.

David Ehrlich, Kate Erbland, and Kristen Lopez contributed to this report.

“All In: The Fight for Democracy”

A lot of movies about the political process tend to be reductive adventures in talking heads.

Deadline has confirmed that Dan Silver, Disney+ VP of Nonfiction Originals is going to Netflix as Director of Documentary Feature Films.

He’ll report to Lisa Nishimura, VP Independent Film and Documentary Features at Netflix.

As part of a recent Disney restructuring, the Disney+ Unscripted Content and Production teams moved to Peter Rice’s Disney General Entertainment group under Gary Marsh.

At Disney+, Silver oversaw development on such unscripted series as The Imagineering Story, Howard, Encore, Muppets Now, Marvel’s 616 and the upcoming On Pointe.

Silver’s previous resume highlights while at Disney includes leading Marvel Entertainment’s platforms and content-new media as well as nonfiction content Marvel Live! Eat the Universe and the podcast Wolverine: The Long Night. Silver was an EP at ABC News Digital, Senior Director of Development at ESPN Films, and an EP on the movie The Queen of Katwe.

Netflix has had a four-year winning...

A super-crowded documentary field means that many are called and few are chosen. And critics carry more sway than ever in this pandemic year, helping to cull the long list of would-be awards contenders. Every win from whatever source helps to turn a movie into a must-see.

Thus Monday’s fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Award winners — which recognize the year’s achievements in documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on digital platforms, for which I voted in several categories — push Best Documentary Feature “Dick Johnson Is Dead” (Netflix) and its Best Director Kirsten Johnson into the lead for the Oscar shortlist of 15, which the Academy will announce on February 9, 2021.

Netflix dominated the field with six wins, including “Dick Johnson is Dead,” popular hit “My Octopus Teacher,” which took home Best Cinematography and Best Science/Nature Documentary, Best Narration winner “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet,” and, with “Athlete A,...

Dick Johnson Is Dead, Netflix’s personal documentary exploring a daughter’s look into the decline of her aging father, took top honors from the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards for Best Documentary Feature as well as Best Director for Kirsten Johnson.

The awards, which were spread out among several winners, saw no single docu dominate, and in fact another Netflix film, My Octopus Teacher, was the only other film to win more than one trophy, taking Best Science/Nature Docu and Best Cinematography.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution and Gunda had led nominations with five each but were shut out. Mr. Soul! which also had five noms, did take Best First Documentary Feature. Among other significant winners were John Lewis: Good Trouble for Best Historical/Biographical docu, and Apple TV+’s Boys State as Best Political Documentary.

“We couldn’t be more excited about being able to celebrate such a...

The fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards announced the 2020 winners Monday morning, honoring “Dick Johnson Is Dead” for best documentary feature as well as the film’s Kirsten Johnson for best director.

The film focuses on Richard Johnson, the director’s father, who suffers from dementia and imagines different ways in which he could die with a darkly comedic tone. The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and won the special jury award for innovation in non-fiction storytelling.

“My Octopus Teacher” took home two awards for best cinematography and best science/nature documentary.

Like most award shows this year, the Critics Choice Doc Awards had to go virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We couldn’t be more excited about being able to celebrate such a diverse group of films and filmmakers and subjects this year of all years, on the fifth occasion of the CCDAs, and with 2020 being what it is,...

“Dick Johnson is Dead” won both Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Kirsten Johnson) at the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. This Netflix film came into the competition with four bids; it lost the cinematography race to another Netflix title, “My Octopus Teacher,” and thee narration award to “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” “The Way I See It” won for score while “Totally Under Control” took editing. See the full list of Ccda winners announced on November 16 below.

The six genre prizes were awarded as follows: “MLK/FBI” (Best Archival Documentary); “John Lewis: Good Trouble” (Best Historical/Biographical Documentary); both “Beastie Boys Story” and “The Go-Go’s” (Best Music Documentary); “Boys State” (Best Political Documentary”); “My Octopus Teacher” (Best Science/Nature Documentary); and both “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” (Best Sports Documentary).

The Shoes in the Bed title “Mr. Soul!” won one of its...

Kirsten Johnson’s playful “Dick Johnson Is Dead” has been named the best nonfiction film of 2020 at the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday morning.

Johnson also won the Best Director award for her Netflix film, in which she deals with the impending death of her father by staging his death in a variety of ways.

Melissa Haizlip won the Best First Documentary Feature award for “Mr. Soul!,” while other awards went to “My Octopus Teacher” for cinematography, “Totally Under Control” for editing, “The Way I See It” for music and “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet” for narration.

“MLK/FBI” was named Best Archival Documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” Best Historical/Biographical Documentary, “Boys State” Best Political Documentary” and “My Octopus Teacher” Best Science/Nature Documentary.

There were two ties: “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes” and “Athlete A” tied in the Best Sports Documentary category,...

The Academy dropped another 33 feature films into the online screening room for members of its Documentary Branch on Oct. 30, giving the Oscars doc race its biggest influx of new films to date. The branch now has 86 films to consider, with two or three more batches of films (and potentially more than 50 additional contenders) likely to be added to the field by early January.

Coming the same week that the Critics Choice Documentary Awards announced its nominees and the International Documentary Association’s Ida Documentary Awards revealed the 30-film shortlist from which it will make its final choices, the Academy move kicked the Oscar doc race into another gear in a year that promises to be highly competitive.

Among the docs that were made available to voters this week were Bryce Dallas Howard’s film about fatherhood, “Dads,” which means she’ll be competing against her father, Ron Howard, who is...

“Athlete A” was set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2020, but after the event was cancelled due to Covid-19 the gut-wrenching documentary, which spotlights an ongoing sexual assault scandal within the USA women’s gymnastics program, premiered on Netflix on June 24. Directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, the BAFTA-nominated duo behind 2017’s “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” follow a team of investigative journalists from the Indianapolis Star as they broke the story of Dr. Larry Nassar abusing young female gymnasts for decades. The shocking film details how the powerful #MeToo movement helped bring decades of corruption within USA Gymnastics to light, and it could be a top contender for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

See‘Crip Camp’: Support from critics and the Obamas could help Netflix earn its 2nd consecutive Best Documentary Oscar

The documentary begins with the story of Maggie Nichols, a top...

The International Documentary Association has announced a shortlist of 30 films from which it will choose its nominations for the 2020 Ida Documentary Awards, with a list that includes “76 Days,” “Boys State,” “Crip Camp,” “MLK/FBI,” “The Reason I Jump,” “The Truffle Hunters,” “Time” and “Welcome to Chechnya.”

The list also included a generous helping of foreign-made docs, including “Notturno,” “Acasa, My Home,” “Collective,” “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange,” “Gunda,” “Me and the Cult Leader,” “A Metamorfose dos Passaros,” “Once Upon a Time in Venezuela” and “Softie.”

The rest of the list: “City Hall,” “Disclosure,” “The Forbidden Reel,” “I Walk on Water,” “The Mole Agent,” “Reunited,” “Self Portrait,” “Stray,” “‘Til Kingdom Come,” “To See You Again,” “Unapologetic,” “The Viewing Booth” and “Wintopia.”

The shortlisted films present a dramatically different view of the year in nonfiction filmmaking than the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday. Only three films — “Crip Camp,...

Earlier today, the Critics Choice Association, of which I happen to be a member, announced the nominations for the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards. Cca has obviously had the main awards, the Critics Choice Awards, pushed because of Covid, but the Documentary Awards, known as Ccda, is going to be held on November 16th, so there’s a forthcoming awards show to look forward to. Leading the nominees here were Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, Gunda, and Mr. Soul!, each of which scored five nominations. Read on below for the full list of nominees from the announcement, and stay tuned for winners next month… Here now are the full nominations: Los Angeles, CA — The Critics Choice Association (Cca) has announced the nominees for the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards (Ccda). The winners will be revealed in a Special Announcement on Monday, November 16, 2020. The Critics Choice Associationwill once again...

Three films lead the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards with five nominations apiece. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” and “Gunda,” both nabbed nominations for Best Documentary Feature and Best Director as well as three others apiece while “Mr. Soul!” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best First Documentary Feature as well as three more.

Netflix led the way of all distributors with an impressive 31 nominations. In addition to “Crip Camp,” the studio also earned Best Documentary Feature bids forr “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “A Secret Love,” and “The Social Dilemma.” Rounding out the top category nominees are “Belushi” and “The Go-Gos” from Showtime, “Feels Good Man” from Wavelength and PBS Independent, “The Fight” from Magnolia, “The Painter and the Thief” from Neon, and “Time” from Amazon. “Gunda” is Neon’s second nominee and “Mr. Soul!” comes to us from Shoes in the Bed.

“Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” “Gunda” and “Mr. Soul” lead the fifth annual Critics Choice Association’s documentary nominations, with five apiece. Among the eclectic list of nominees are Taylor Swift, Greta Thunberg, veteran filmmaker Werner Herzog and longtime disability advocate Judith Heumann, as well as docs about such notables as John Lewis, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee and Frank Zappa.

Recognized with four nominations each are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “My Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”

In terms of distributors, Netflix led with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine. Showtime had six, while HBO, Amazon, National Geographic, PBS Independent Lens and Shoes in the Bed Productions earned five each.

It’s the fifth annual documentary honors for the group, honoring projects released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of Cca members. Winners will be announced at a presentation on Nov.

“Crip Camp,” “Gunda” and “Mr. Soul!” led all films in nominations for the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which were announced on Monday by the Critics Choice Association.

The three films each received five nominations, including nods in the Best Documentary Feature category. As usual, that category cast a very wide net and contains far more nominees than other awards for nonfiction filmmaking — 14 this year, with nominations also going to “Athlete A,” “Belushi,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Feels Good Man,” “The Fight,” “The Go-Go’s,” “My Octopus Teacher,” “The Painter and the Thief,” “A Secret Love,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Time.”

Films with four nominations are “Athlete A,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “Octopus Teacher” and “Totally Under Control.”

The list was missing many of the year’s most acclaimed nonfiction films, including “Welcome to Chechnya,” “The Dissident,” “Collective,” “Disclosure,” “76 Days” and “On the Record,” none of which received any nominations.

In a year packed with superb documentaries, the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards nominations, which honor the best non-fiction achievements of 2020, will help other awards groups to winnow down the list of must-sees. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” (Netflix), “Gunda” (Neon), and “Mr. Soul!” lead this year’s nominations with five each. Netflix leads the field with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine.

“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”

Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.

The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...

In a year packed with superb documentaries, the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards nominations, which honor the best non-fiction achievements of 2020, will help other awards groups to winnow down the list of must-sees. “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” (Netflix), “Gunda” (Neon), and “Mr. Soul!” lead this year’s nominations with five each. Netflix leads the field with 31 nominations, followed by Neon with 14 and Magnolia Pictures with nine.

“The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch, in an official statement. “Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”

Winners will be announced on November 16, 2020.

The Sundance debut “Crip Camp” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and also earned nods for James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, along with Best Editing,...

In what is signaling a very good year for documentaries, the Critics’ Choice Association on Monday announced its list of nominations for the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, and if the past is any clue it could be an indicator of what to expect from the Oscars next spring.

With an inclusive list, to say the least, of about 50 films from approximately 200 submissions, three docs led the way with five noms apiece: Mr. Soul, about a historic Black TV show; Gunda, a touching film about the daily life of a pig and farm companions from exec producer Joaquin Phoenix; and Netflix’s Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, an archival film about a summer camp catering to disabled young people.

Close behind with four nods each were Alex Gibney’s striking Covid-19 docu Totally Under Control that was actually just completed about two weeks ago; the personal story of a father and daugher, Dick Johnson Is Dead; the remarkable nature doc My Octopus Teacher; and gymnastics scandal pic Athlete A. The latter three hail from Netflix, which swamped the competition with 31 nominations, a more than 2-to-1 distance between next closest distributor Neon with 14. They are the only two distributors to reach double digits.

Overall the critics were in a generous mood, offering 15 films noms for Best Documentary Feature alone.

“At a unique time for the entertainment industry and the world, documentaries are more important and fortunately more abundant and more available and more essential than ever,” said Christopher Campbell, president of the documentary branch of Cca. “In 2020, documentaries have taken us to places and shown us perspectives we’ve never experienced before. They’ve chronicled events and life stories that are enlightening and enthralling — and sometimes frightening. It is a great honor for the Cca to celebrate these stories and subjects and shed light on the work of so many incredible filmmakers. The Documentary Branch faced its greatest task yet considering the quantity and quality of nonfiction cinema released this year. Ultimately, these nominees represent the best of the best of a remarkably fruitful moment for documentary filmmaking.”

Nominees were selected by Critics’ Choice members who were divided into five committees to whittle down the field.

Belushi (Showtime)

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)

Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)

Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)

The Fight (Magnolia Pictures)

The Go-Go’s (Showtime)

Gunda (Neon)

Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)

My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

The Painter and the Thief (Neon)

A Secret Love (Netflix)

The Social Dilemma (Netflix)

Time (Amazon Studios)

Best Director

Garrett Bradley, Time (Amazon Studios)

Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, Athlete A (Netflix)

Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)

Victor Kossakovsky, Gunda (Neon)

James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)

Dawn Porter, John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)

Benjamin Ree, The Painter and the Thief (Neon)

Best First Documentary Feature

Robert S. Bader, Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)

Chris Bolan, A Secret Love (Netflix)

Melissa Haizlip, Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)

Arthur Jones, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)

Elizabeth Leiter and Kim Woodard, Jane Goodall: The Hope (National Geographic)

Elizabeth Lo, Stray (Magnolia Pictures)

Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Rewind (Grizzly Creek Films/PBS Independent Lens)

Best Cinematography

Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)

Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)

Victor Kossakovsky and Egil Håskjold Larsen, Gunda (Neon)

Scott Ressler, Neil Gelinas and Stefan Wiesen, The Last Ice (National Geographic)

Gianfranco Rosi, Notturno (Stemal Entertainment)

Ruben Woodin Dechamps, The Reason I Jump (Kino Lorber)

Best Editing

Don Bernier, Athlete A (Netflix)

Eli Despres, Greg Finton and Kim Roberts, The Fight (Magnolia Pictures)

Lindy Jankura and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control (Neon)

Helen Kearns, Assassins (Greenwich Entertainment)

Victor Kossakovsky and Ainara Vera, Gunda (Neon)

Eileen Meyer and Andrew Gersh, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)

Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Score

Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)

Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It (Focus Features)

Tyler Durham, Sven Faulconer and Xander Rodzinski, The Last Ice (National Geographic)

Peter Nashel and Brian Deming, Totally Under Control (Neon)

Daniel Pemberton, Rising Phoenix (Netflix)

Jeff Tweedy, Long Gone Summer (ESPN)

Jeff Tweedy, Spencer Tweedy and Sammy Tweedy, Showbiz Kids (HBO)

Best Narration

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix)

David Attenborough, Narrator

David Attenborough, Writer

Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)

Kirsten Johnson, Narrator

Kirsten Johnson, Writer

Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds (Apple)

Werner Herzog, Narrator

Werner Herzog, Writer

Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)

Blair Underwood, Narrator

Melissa Haizlip, Writer

My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

Craig Foster, Narrator

Craig Foster, Writer

Time (Amazon Studios)

Fox Rich, Narrator

Fox Rich, Writer

Totally Under Control (Neon)

Alex Gibney, Narrator

Alex Gibney, Writer

Best Archival Documentary

Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)

Belushi (Showtime)

Class Action Park (HBO Max)

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)

MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)

Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)

Spaceship Earth (Neon)

Best Historical/Biographical Documentary

Belushi (Showtime)

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)

Howard (Disney+)

John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)

Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Production)

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix)

Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (HBO)

Best Music Documentary

Beastie Boys Story (Apple)

Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan (Magnolia Pictures)

The Go-Go’s (Showtime)

Laurel Canyon (Epix)

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (Magnolia Pictures)

Other Music (Factory 25)

Zappa (Magnolia Pictures)

Best Political Documentary

All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios)

Boys State (Apple)

John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)

MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)

The Social Dilemma (Netflix)

Totally Under Control (Neon)

The Way I See It (Focus Features)

Best Science/Nature Documentary

Coded Bias (7th Empire Media/PBS Independent Lens)

Fantastic Fungi (Moving Art)

Gunda (Neon)

I Am Greta (Hulu)

The Last Ice (National Geographic)

My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

Spaceship Earth (Neon)

Best Sports Documentary

Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)

Athlete A (Netflix)

Be Water (ESPN)

A Most Beautiful Thing (50 Eggs Films)

Red Penguins (Universal Pictures)

Rising Phoenix (Netflix)

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Super Ltd)

Best Short Documentary

Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible (ESPN)

(Directors: Kristen Lappas and Tom Rinaldi. Producers: Craig Lazarus, José Morales, Lindsay Rovegno, Victor Vitarelli and Ben Webber)

The Claudia Kishi Club (Netflix)

(Director and Producer: Sue Ding)

Crescendo! (Quibi)

(Director: Alex Mallis. Producers: Matt O’Neill and Perri Peltz)

Elevator Pitch (Field of Vision)

(Director and Producer: Martyna Starosta)

Hunger Ward (Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/Ryot Films)

(Director and Producer: Skye Fitzgerald. Producer: Michael Scheuerman)

Into the Fire (National Geographic)

(Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. Producers: Mark Bauch, Harri Grace and Dan Lin)

My Father the Mover (MTV Documentary Films)

(Director: Julia Jansch. Producer: Mandilakhe Yengo)

The Rifleman (Field of Vision)

(Director: Sierra Pettengill. Producer: Arielle de Saint Phalle)

The Speed Cubers (Netflix)

(Director and Producer: Sue Kim. Producers: Evan Krauss and Chris Romano)

St. Louis Superman (MTV Documentary Films)

(Directors and Producers: Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Producer: Poh Si Teng)

Most Compelling Living Subjects Of A Documentary (Honor)

Dr. Rick Bright – Totally Under Control (Neon)

Steven Garza – Boys State (Apple)

The Go-Go’s – The Go-Go’s (Showtime)

Judith Heumann – Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)

Dick Johnson – Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)

Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher – Athlete A (Netflix)

Fox Rich – Time (Amazon)

Pete Souza – The Way I See It (Focus Features)

Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (Netflix)

Greta Thunberg – I Am Greta (Hulu)

Distributor Nominations

Netflix: 31

Neon: 14

Magnolia Pictures: 9

Showtime: 6

Amazon Studios: 5

HBO: 5

National Geographic: 5

PBS Independent Lens: 5

Shoes in the Bed Productions: 5

Apple: 4

ESPN: 3

Focus Features: 3

Wavelength Productions: 3

Field of Vision: 2

Hulu: 2

IFC: 2

MTV Documentary Films: 2

Sony: 2

7th Empire Media: 1

50 Eggs Films: 1

Disney+: 1

Epix: 1

Factory 25: 1

Greenwich Entertainment: 1

Grizzly Creek Films: 1

HBO Max: 1

Kino Lorber: 1

Moving Art: 1

Quibi: 1

Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/Ryot Films: 1

Stemal Entertainment: 1

Super Ltd: 1

Universal: 1...

It makes sense that this year’s AFI Fest closed on Thursday night with the premiere of director Errol Morris’ wild and entertaining documentary “My Psychedelic Love Story.” In a year in which reality has smacked all of us in the face, nonfiction filmmaking is in the spotlight more than ever, from a string of docs that deal with issues at stake in the upcoming election to more freewheeling works like Morris’ film, a Wtf concoction from a director who only gets this playful once in a while.

It’s undeniable that the Oscars race for Best Picture is off to a slow start, with fewer films than usual playing the scaled-down fall film festivals and studios reluctant to commit to theatrical openings as the pandemic stretches on. But the race for Best Documentary Feature promises to be a robust one. More than 50 films are now available in the Academy...