And 10 other documentaries were nominated today, too.
The nominees for the 89th Academy Awards were announced this morning, and as hoped, O.J.: Made in America was included among the contenders for Best Documentary Feature. Sadly, it didn’t also become the first doc nominated for Best Picture, as some thought possible, but it does have a special distinction anyway: longest documentary ever nominated for an Oscar. Mostly because Shoah was snubbed.
With its running time of 467 minutes, O.J. is now also the second-longest nominee of all time, falling quite short of overtaking record-holder Noce I Dnie, a 632-minute Polish contender for Best Foreign Language Film in 1977. If O.J. takes its category, though, it would break the record for longest Oscar winner. Currently holding that honor is the Soviet epic War and Peace, which was named Best Foreign Language Film in 1969 and which runs 427 minutes (414 minutes for the U.S. release).
This year’s nominees also are special for nonfiction fans in that a doc once again showed up in the Best Original Song category. It’s really not the best song from a doc last year let alone one of the five best songs, period, but at least the Academy keeps considering nonfiction films in other categories. Or at one single extra category anyway.
Below are the documentary nominees for this year’s Academy Awards, with the feature category heavy on films involving race relations in America. Winners will be revealed at the big show on February 26th.
Best Documentary Feature
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America
13th
Best Documentary Short Subject
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe’s Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets
Best Original Song
The Empty Chair, Jim: The James Foley Story
