Notably absent from this list are documentaries with heavy political commentary. That won’t help many of these translate to Oscar nominations. Of these, Life Itself, Particle Fever and Virunga are the most likely to jump onto the Oscar ballot.

The Nominations

Best Documentary

The Green Prince
Life Itself
Merchants of Doubt
Particle Fever
Virunga

Producers Guild Data

Year Founded: 1950 (Film)/1957 (TV)/1962 (Unified)
First Awards: 1989 (26)