84th Academy Awards – DOCS!

On Wednesday of Oscar Week, the third annual “Docs!” night spotlighted the work of the nominated filmmakers in the Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature categories. The program included film clips from all of the nominated documentaries in both categories, followed a panel discussion with each group of nominees. On hand was program host Michael Moore – Oscar-winning director and Documentary Branch governor.

In his intro to the various clips, Moore remarked that nothing compares to watching a film with other fellow Americans in a theater and something that should be experienced together collectively. According to the director, “the public has turned to the documentary genre recently to learn the truth.” I was pleased with his enthusiastic acknowlegement of the Documentary Women filmmakers. “There are more women in the documentary branch than any other branches.”

My personal favorite of the group is GOD IS BIGGER THAN ELVIS – in 1963 actress Delores Hart, best known for her roles opposite Elvis Presley, chose to leave Hollywood behind and become a Benedictine nun. Oscar nominated Documentary Short filmmakers Julie Anderson and Rebecca Camissa said Sister Dolores will be coming to the Academy Awards. Moore’s funny response was that he’d like to see Hart and Sacha Baron Cohen’s THE DICTATOR on the red carpet together. It’s been previously reported that Cohen may appear Sunday night in character for his upcoming film.

The Oscar nominated Documentary Short filmmakers (from left to right): Kira Carstensen, “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”, Lucy Walker, “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”, Shareen Obaid-Chinoy, “Saving Face”, Dan Junge, “Saving Face”, James Spione, “Incident in New Baghdad”, Julie Anderson, “God is the Bigger Elvis”, Rebecca Camissa, “God is the Bigger Elvis” and Robin Fryday, “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”; during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “DOCS!” event on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

THE 2011 NOMINEES ARE:

Documentary (Feature)

• “Hell and Back Again” – Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
• “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” – Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
• “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” – Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
• “Pina” – Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• “Undefeated” – TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Rich Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

• “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” – Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• “God Is the Bigger Elvis” – Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• “Incident in New Baghdad” – James Spione
• “Saving Face” – Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
• “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” – Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements in 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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