Today, the Academy announced 15 films that will compete for 5 nominations for this year’s Academy Awards in the Documentary Feature category. According to the press release, 124 documentaries were initially submitted for consideration and these were the five selected. Several notable titles are missing including Into the Abyss, Beats, Rhymes & Life, Senna and several others. Notable in this list is the lack of recognizable documentarians. Names like Alex Gibney (Magic Trip), Werner Herzog (Into the Abyss) and Morgan Spurlock (The Greatest Movie Ever Sold) have frequently appeared through the years on these lists, yet, are completely absent this year. Among the films listed below, If a Tree Falls, Jane’s Journey, Paradise Lost 3, Pina, Project Nim, Under Fire and We Were Here probably have the best chances, though a case could be made for any of the other submissions.

As a point of reference, We Were Here is the only title on this list I have seen so far this year.

Documentary Short Film

• Battle for Brooklyn
• Bill Cunningham New York
• Buck
• Hell and Back Again
• If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
• Jane’s Journey
• The Loving Story
• Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
• Pina
• Project Nim
• Semper Fi: Always Faithful
• Sing Your Song
• Undefeated
• Under Fire: Journalists in Combat
• We Were Here