DOC NYC Shortlist Gives Oscar Lift To The Rescue, Ascension, Introducing, Selma Blair And A Dozen More – Deadline

DOC NYC gave a boost to 15 Oscar-contending documentaries Tuesday, naming them to its prestigious shortlist of the years best nonfiction films.

Early favorites Flee, Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), The Rescue, Ascension, and Becoming Cousteau made the DOC NYC shortlist, as did Introducing, Selma Blair, the intimate documentary about actress Selma Blairs battle with MS, and The Velvet Underground, Todd Haynes film on the influential avant-garde rock band fronted by Lou Reed.

DOC NYC has earned a reputation as an accurate predictor of Oscar success. Last year, the festival gave shortlist recognition to three of the docs that went on to claim Oscar nominations: Time, Collective, and Crip Camp.

For eight of the last nine years, DOC NYC has screened the documentary feature that went on to win the Academy Award, the festival noted. The festival has also screened 39 of the last 45 Oscar-nominated documentary features.

DOC NYCs features shortlist is overseen by Artistic Director Thom Powers in consultation with the festivals programming team, according to the festival. All of the shortlisted docs will screen at DOC NYC, which runs in-person from November 10-18. In all, 127 features and 125 shorts made it into the festivals 12th annual edition. Much of the program will be available to viewers across the country through DOC NYCs online platform.

Were delighted to welcome filmmakers back into New York theaters to have conversations with audiences, Powers noted, after a year in which many of those opportunities were lost.

Also making the features shortlist is Attica, Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Currys searing examination of one of the bloodiest prison uprisings in U.S. history. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain was welcomed onto the list; its Oscar prospects have appeared uncertain after it became mired in controversy over director Morgan Nevilles decision to use artificial intelligence to generate the voice of the late writer and chef for a few lines in the film.

A jury made up of filmmakers Hao Wu, Nadia Hallgren and Kimberly Reed will choose awards for shortlisted docs, including prizes for directing, producing, cinematography, and editing.

DOC NYC also announced its shortlist of 15 short documentaries. Several of the films earning recognition have been covered by Deadline, including The Queen of Basketball, Audible, and Joe Buffalo.

Below are the DOC NYC shortlists for features and shorts.

Short List: Features

ASCENSIONDir/Prod: Jessica KingdonProd: Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan TruesdellWinner of the Best Documentary Feature Award at the Tribeca Film Festival,Ascensionis an impressionistic portrait of Chinas industrial supply chain that depicts a thriving capitalism in a communist state. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary Films)

ATTICADir/Prod: Stanley Nelson, Traci A. CurryFilmmakers Stanley Nelson, a 2016 DOC NYC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and Traci A. Curry team up to revisit the 1971 New York prison uprising that was the largest in U.S. history. (Courtesy of SHOWTIME Documentary Films)

BECOMING COUSTEAUDir/Prod: Liz GarbusProd: Dan Cogan, Mridu Chandra, Evan HayesOscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus takes a nuanced look at Jacques Cousteaus passions, achievements, blind spots, and tragedies. (Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films)

BRING YOUR OWN BRIGADEDir/Prod: Lucy WalkerProd: Holly Becker, Julian Cautherley, Lyn Davis Lear, Martha MitchellOscar-nominated director Lucy Walker focuses on one day in Californias 2018 megafire season to discover why these infernos are growing more common. (Courtesy of CBS/Paramount)

FAYA DAYIDir/Prod: Jessica BeshirWinner of multiple festival prizes,Faya Dayitakes us on an ethereal journey through Harar, Ethiopia, the hometown of director Jessica Beshir, as she follows the harvesting of the euphoria-inducing khat plant. (Courtesy of Janus Films)

FLEEDir: Jonas Poher RasmussenProd: Monica Hellstrm, Signe Byrge Srensen, Charlotte De La GournerieDenmarks official Academy Awards submission for Best International Film,Fleeuses animation to tell the story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym), who fled Afghanistan as a boy, relying on human smugglers to reach Denmark. (Courtesy of NEON)

HOMEROOMDir/Prod: Peter NicksProd: Sean HaveyDirector Peter Nicks, the recipient of DOC NYCs 2021 Robert and Anne Drew Award, follows the senior class of Oakland High School through the tumultuous year of 2019-2020. (Courtesy of Hulu)

IN THE SAME BREATHDir/Prod: Nanfu WangProd: Jialing Zhang, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn HepburnIn this penetrating film essay, filmmaker Nanfu Wang seeks to understand how governments shaped information at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic both in China and the United States. (Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films)

INTRODUCING, SELMA BLAIRDir: Rachel FleitProd: Mickey Liddell, Pet Shilaimon, Troy NankinFilmmaker Rachel Fleit documents actress Selma Blair as she adapts to living with multiple sclerosis with humor and unflinching candor. (Courtesy of discovery+)

JULIADir/Prod: Betsy West, Julie CohenProd: Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Holly SiegelThe Oscar-nominated directors ofRBGdeliver a touching portrait of the iconic television chef Julia Child who became a celebrity in her fifties, defying expectations for women of her generation. (Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

PROCESSIONDir: Robert GreeneProd: Susan Bedusa, Bennett Elliott, Douglas TirolaSix midwestern men all survivors of childhood sexual assault at the hands of Catholic priests and clergy come together to direct a drama therapy-inspired experiment designed to collectively work through their trauma. (Courtesy of Netflix)

THE RESCUEDir/Prod: E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy ChinProd: P.J. van Sandwijk, John BattsekThe Oscar-winning directors ofFree Solotake us inside the dramatic rescue of 12 young soccer players and their coach trapped by monsoon floods inside a cave in Thailand. (Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films)

ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAINDir/Prod: Morgan NevilleProd: Caitrin RogersOscar-winning director Morgan Neville creates a multifaceted portrait of Anthony Bourdain, drawing upon extensive unseen footage from his travels and emotional memories from his friends. (Courtesy of Focus Features)

SUMMER OF SOUL (OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)Dir: Ahmir Questlove ThompsonProd: Joseph Patel, David Dinerstein, Robert FyvolentAcclaimed musician Ahmir Questlove Thompson makes his directorial debut shaping a treasure trove of footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures / Onyx Collective / Hulu)

THE VELVET UNDERGROUNDDir/Prod: Todd HaynesProd: Christine Vachon, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, David BlackmanFilmmaker Todd Haynes explores the history of The Velvet Underground and the 1960s New York scene of experimental art, music, and film. (Courtesy of Apple Original Films)

Short List: Shorts

[The Short List: Shorts selection is overseen by shorts programmer Samah Ali in consultation with the festivals programming team].

AudibleDir: Matt OgensProd: Geoff McLeanAfter breaking their winning streak, Maryland School for the Deafs championship high school football team shares their triumphs, trials, and how they will bounce back. (Courtesy of Netflix)

The Bree Wayy: Promise Witness RemembranceDir: Dawn PorterProd: Niema Jordan, Kimberly Reynolds, Cubie KingDawn Porters uplifting short takes us behind the scenes of Amy Sheralds Breonna Taylor portrait, bringing grace and dignity to the tragic loss of her life. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary Films)

A Broken HouseDir/Prod: Jimmy GoldblumProd: Dick Gephardt, Matt Weaver, Harrison NalevanskyArtist Mohamad Hafez rebuilds monuments, neighborhoods, and cities of his beloved Syria, working through his longing for home. (Courtesy of POV Shorts / The New Yorker)

Camp Confidential: Americas Secret NazisDir/Prod: Daniel Sivan, Mor LoushyProd: Benji Bergmann, Jono BergmannCamp Confidentialreveals the secret government-sanctioned camp that smuggled Nazis into the United States after World War II, as camp workers come forward for the first time in history. (Courtesy of Netflix)

Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. LeyendeckerDir: Ryan WhiteProd: Christopher Leggett, Marc Gilbar, Jessica Hargrave, Conor Fetting-Smith, Rafael MarmorExploring the work of one of the grandfathers of modern marketing,Codedunpacks illustrator J.C. Leyendeckers advertisements that animated his male partner and became an easter egg of queer coding in art. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary Films)

Dont Go Tellin Your MommaDir: Topaz Jones, rubberbandProd. Luigi RossiAccompanying Topaz Joness album,Dont Go Tellin Your Mommais a visual marvel documenting the Black ABCs and growing up in New Jersey. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

Eagles (guilas)Dir/Prod: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Maite ZubiaurreA raw portrait of the team of people called Aguilas del Desierto, who search for missing migrants along the southern border of Arizona. (Courtesy of POV Shorts / The New Yorker)

Joe BuffaloDir/Prod: Amar ChebibProd: Hayley Morin, Mack StannardSkateboard legend Joe Buffalo faces himself in this raw portrait of trauma, addiction, and finding freedom in skating. (Courtesy of The New Yorker)

Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great DayDir: Christine TurnerProd: Lily PlotkinThis chilling reflection examines the horrific history of lynchings as cultural events and celebrations that included souvenirs and postcards. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary Films)

Nothing to DeclareDir/Prod: Garret DalyProd: Martina McGlynnTwo men laugh about their days of mischief and wonder as they remember their most iconic adventure: hopping on a one-way plane to New York.

The Queen of BasketballDir: Ben ProudfootProd: Elizabeth Brooke, Abby Lynn Kang Davis, Gabriel Berk Godoi, Brandon Somerhalder, Sarah StewartLusia Harris, the first and only woman ever officially drafted to the NBA, takes a seat and shares her story as a woman before her time and a legend in the womens basketball community. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

A Ship from GuantnamoDir: Dara Kell, Veena RaoProd: Beth Jacob, Mansoor AdayfiUnjustly stuck behind bars for more than 20 years, Moath al Alwi builds elaborately detailed ships out of scrap materials from Guantnamo Bay. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

SnowyDir: Kaitlyn Schwalje, Alex Wolf LewisProd: Rebecca Stern, Justin LevyStuck in the trenches of the family basement, the beloved family pet Snowy is about to get a new lease on life. (Courtesy of TIME Studios)

What Youll RememberDir: Erika CohnProd: Marcia JarmelThis emotional video diary profiles a family struggling with housing insecurity and what the parents hope remains in their childrens memories. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

They Wont Call It MurderDir: Melissa Gira Grant, Ingrid RaphalProd: Ruun Nuur, Chase WhitesideA sobering chronicle of police killings in Columbus, Ohio, this documentary captures some of the countless stories of police brutality that havenever been classified as murders by law enforcement. (Courtesy of Field of Vision)

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DOC NYC Shortlist Gives Oscar Lift To The Rescue, Ascension, Introducing, Selma Blair And A Dozen More - Deadline