Doc Corner: 138 titles qualify for Best Documentary Feature

By Glenn Dunks

The Academy has released the longlist of titles in competition for the Best Documentary Feature category. The number is 138, a significant reduction from previous years that were well over the 200 mark. According to The Wrap, it is the lowest number since 2015. That certainly makes our job easier as well as that of the Academy’s documentary branch members who now have to get this down to a list 15 before the final five are announced on nomination morning.

Why is the number so much lower? Well, there are three good reasons for that... 

1. There’s still a pandemic happening, so fewer documentaries have been made let alone released.
2. The eligibility year is also shorter given those first few months of 2021 don’t count.
3. A new Emmy rule states that any film on the Academy’s viewing portal cannot then qualify for the television academy’s awards so if producers make this choice now they can't unmake it.

The full list, links to reviews, thoughts and other musings after the jump…

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