All year I’ve been thinking about the 2015 Cinema Eye Honors, in the same way that many other critics spend the time thinking of the Oscars. I know, it’s not good to think too much about awards, but this is a special event and I can’t help but get excited about the doc community celebrating the best of their bunch. Plus, I’ve pretty much known the best doc of this year since January: Life Itself. And I made a call over a year ago in my review for Particle Fever and have been hoping I was right that it would get at least a nomination in the graphics and animation category.
I’m glad to say Particle Fever did get that nomination, as well as one for the audience award. And Life Itself is one of the most nominated, with four categories. Here’s the kicker I experienced when the nominations were announced from the CPH:DOX festival this week: this is too good a year. It’s going to be very difficult to pick my choices for the winners let alone predict what will actually receive the honors. Just take a look for yourself:
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Life Itself
The Overnighters
Virunga
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Nick Broomfield, Tales of the Grim Sleeper
Robert Greene, Actress
Steve James, Life Itself
Jesse Moss, The Overnighters
Laura Potras, Citizenfour
Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Kate Amend, The Case Against 8
Sabine Lubbe Baker and Niels van Koevorden, Ne Me Quitte Pas
Mathilde Bonnefoy, Citizenfour
Marshall Curry, Point and Shoot
Robert Greene, Actress
Steve James and David E. Simpson, Life Itself
Outstanding Achievement in Production
Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky, Citizenfour
Ben Cotner and Ryan White, The Case Against 8
Katy Chevigny, Ross Kauffman and Marilyn Ness, The E-Team
Orwa Nyrabia and Hans Robert Eisenhauer, The Return to Homs
Joanna Natesegara and Orlando von Einsiedel, Virunga
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Laura Poitras, Kirsten Johnson, Katy Scoggin and Trevor Paglen, Citizenfour
Ross Kauffman and Rachel Beth Anderson, The E-Team
Niels van Koevorden, Ne Me Quitte Pas
Andrew Droz Palermo, Rich Hill
Franklin Dow and Orlando von Einsiedel, Virunga
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television
The Education of Muhammad Hussein
Hillsborough
Jimi Hendrix: Here My Train A Comin’
The Price of Gold
Six by Sondheim
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design or Animation
Kyle McKeveny and Matt St. Leger, Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart
Syd Garon, Jodorowsky’s Dune
MK12, Particle Fever
Syd Garon and Benoit St. Jean, Red Army
Jeremy Landman, The Unknown Known
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, 20,000 Days on Earth
Joshua Abrams, Life Itself
David Perlick-Molinari, Mateo
David Wingo, The Great Invisible
Edwyn Collins, The Possibilities Are Endless
Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film
Approaching the Elephant, directed by Amanda Rose Wilder
Evolution of a Criminal, directed by Darius Clark Monroe
Finding Vivian Maier, directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
The Return to Homs, directed by Talal Derki
20,000 Days on Earth, directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
Spotlight Award
1971, directed by Johanna Hamilton
An Honest Liar, directed by Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein
Evaporating Borders, directed by Iva Radivojevic
Living Stars, directed by Gaston Duprat and Mariano Cohn
My Name Is Salt, directed by Farida Pacha
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking
Hacked Circuit, directed by Deborah Stratman
Joanna, directed by Anita Kopacz
The Lion’s Mouth Opens, directed by Lucy Walker
Notes on Blindness, directed by Peter Middleton and James Spinney
One Year Lease, directed by Brian Bolster
Audience Choice
20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
Finding Vivian Maier
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Keep On Keepin’ On
Life Itself
Mistaken for Strangers
Particle Fever
The Case Against 8
