Update: Winner “Undefeated”

— Documentary (Feature) —

“Hell and Back Again” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner

From his embed with US Marines Echo Company in Afghanistan, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis reveals the devastating impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris. The film seamlessly transitions from stunning war reportage to an intimate, visceral portrait of one man’s personal struggle at home in North Carolina, where Harris confronts the physical and emotional difficulties of re-adjusting to civilian life with the love and support of his wife, Ashley. Masterfully contrasting the intensity of the frontline with the unsettling normalcy of home, HELL AND BACK AGAIN lays bare the true cost of war.

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman

On December 7th, 2005, federal agents conducted a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the Earth Liberation Front — an organization the FBI has called America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.”

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT is the remarkable story of the group’s rise and fall, told through the transformation and radicalization of one of its members, Daniel McGowan. Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thriller, the film interweaves a chronicle of McGowan facing life in prison with a dramatic investigation of the events that led to his involvement with the ELF. Using never-before-seen archival footage and intimate interviews — with cell members and with the prosecutor and detective who were chasing them — IF A TREE FALLS asks hard questions about environmentalism, activism, and the way we define terrorism.

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

The story of the West Memphis Three, from their 1993 murder convictions to 2011 release from prison.

“Pina” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel

PINA is a feature-length dance film in 3D with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, featuring the unique and inspiring art of the great German choreographer, who died in the summer of 2009.
Wim Wenders takes the audience on a sensual, visually stunning journey of discovery into a new dimension: straight onto the stage with the legendary Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch ensemble, he follows the dancers out of the theatre into the city and the surrounding areas of Wuppertal – the place, which for 35 years was the home and centre for Pina Bausch’s creativity.

“Undefeated” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas
Under the stewardship of Coach Bill Courtney, the Manassas High School football team has reversed its reputation as a perennial loser and established a winning record that is a source of pride for its players. The problems faced by several of the young men, however, threaten to undermine the team’s chances of making the playoffs.

— Documentary (Short Subject) —

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin

In the days leading up to Barack Obama’s victory in the 2008 election, a former civil rights activist looks back on the early days of the movement.

“God Is the Bigger Elvis” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
In 1963, actress Dolores Hart, best known for her roles opposite Elvis Presley and her performance in the teen drama WHERE THE BOYS ARE, chose to leave Hollywood behind and become a Benedictine nun.

“Incident in New Baghdad”James Spione

U.S. Army Specialist Ethan McCord recalls the tragic incident in Iraq that triggered his debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder and altered his view of the war

“Saving Face” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
A British-Pakistani plastic surgeon works to help women who have been injured in acid attacks, while his patients struggle to come to terms with the aftermath of their disfigurement.

“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

In the wake of the devastating tsunami in Japan, the people of the region hardest hit by the disaster draw a measure of hope from the annual cherry blossom season as they fight to rebuild their lives.

In an effort to both pare down the number of documentaries eligible for Oscar consideration and increase the involvement of the entire 157-member documentary branch, the academy’s documentary branch has adopted new rules for the 2013 ceremony.

But the change, which would come into effect for the 2013 Oscars, is raising concerns among some filmmakers, including members of the academy’s own documentary branch, that the new rule will favor wealthier documentary makers who have professional publicists over the vast majority of colleagues who typically struggle to finance their films, let alone publicize them.

Here a list of filmmaker quotes:

A New York Times or LA Times review does not make a lot of sense to me, because the academy already requires a one-week run in a theater… …Now in addition to running ads we have to hire publicists and get guaranteed a review.

Joe Berlinger, whose most recent film, “Paradise Lost 3,” has made this year’s shortlist for best feature documentary.

New rules in the Oscar documentary process are not going to make things harder for documentary filmmakers

Michael Moore (TheWrap)

The changes do not address the key problem, which is 99% of the documentaries being made are not released in theaters. So tightening up the rules for theatrical release just highlights the issue all the more… I would prefer to see the academy figure out a way to get rid of the theatrical requirement and recognize that the distinction between theatrical and non-theatrical for documentaries is a phony one and makes no sense in the modern world of documentary production.

Lawrence Hott, a two-time Oscar nominee, said in an email to L.A. Times

“I am doing a film on death row inmates who are waiting for execution. Of course, it fascinates me to look into deep abysses of the human soul. Left and right, wherever you look, there is an abyss.”

Here are some preview clips from the upcoming film:

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