Sundance Institute

A banner year for documentaries at the box office has officially extended into awards season. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its Oscars nominations in all 24 categories this morning, with Sundance Institute-supported nonfiction films all but sweeping the Best Documentary Feature category.

The nominated documentary features include RBG, which tells the inspiring story of America’s intrepid Supreme Court justice, and Minding the Gap, from young first-time director Bing Liu, who went from making skateboarding videos to creating a no-holds-barred exploration of the deeply entrenched effects of the cycle of abuse. Also receiving Best Documentary nods are World Cinema Grand Jury Prize winner Of Fathers and Sons, which captures the chilling moments when Syrian children turn into jihadists, and Art of Nonfiction Fellow RaMell Ross’s Hale County This Morning, This Evening, a lyrical portrait of black lives in a small town. Hale County This Morning, This Evening along with Of Fathers and Sons and Minding the Gap were supported by the Documentary Film Program, and all four films premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

Find the complete list of nominations for Sundance-supported films below.

Best Documentary Feature

Hale County This Morning, This Evening, directed by RaMell Ross

Minding the Gap, directed by Bing Liu

Of Fathers and Sons, directed by Talal Derki

RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen

Best Documentary Short

End Game, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

A Night at the Garden, directed by Marshall Curry

Best Original Song

“I’ll Fight,” RBG

Best Live Action Short

Fauve, directed by Jérémy Comte

Looking for more? Check out our Meet the Artist videos with RaMell Ross, Bing Liu, and other nominated filmmakers.