"OJ: Made in America," "13th" and "Gleason" Lead Critics' Choice Documentary Nominations

AWARDS BEAT

Ava DuVernay‘s “13th,” the political documentary “Weiner,” the wrenching character study “Gleason” and the ESPN miniseries “O.J.: Made in America” are among the 10 documentaries nominated as the year’s best in the inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, which announced its nominations on Monday.

Other nominees included the live-action/animation hybrid “Tower,” the touching portrait “Life, Animated,” the historical exploration “The Witness,” David Farrier and Dylan Reeve’s offbeat “Tickled” and Kirsten Johnson’s unconventional self-portrait “Cameraperson.”

Emphasizing the blurry line between film and television docs, “13th,” which DuVernay made for Netflix, was nominated for both best theatrical doc and best TV/streaming doc. “O.J.: Made in America,” which screened as a seven-and-a-half-hour feature in order to qualify for the Oscars, was nominated in two film categories, one TV categories and two categories that were open to both mediums.

Also Read: Critics' Choice Awards Launch New Documentary Awards

“O.J.: Made in America,” “13th” and “Gleason” led all work with five Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards nominations each, while “Cameraperson” and “Life, Animated” received four, and “Tower,” “Weiner,” “The Eagle Huntress” and “Audrie & Daisy” all received three.

In addition to “13th,” nominees for Best Documentary Feature (TV/Streaming) were “30 for 30: Fantastic Lies,” “Amanda Knox,” “Audrie & Daisy,” “Before the Flood,” “Holy Hell,” “Into the Inferno,” “Jim: The James Foley Story,” “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” and “Rats.”

Best Director nominations went to Johnson, Roger Ross Williams for “Life, Animated,” Clay Tweel for “Tickled,” Keith Maitland for “Tower,” Clay Tweel for “Gleason,” Ezra Edelman for “O.J.: Made in America” and Ron Howard for “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years.”

Also Read: '13th' NYFF Review: Ava DuVernay Connects the Dots From Slavery to #BlackLivesMatter

Nominations were also made for first-time directors, innovative films, songs from documentaries and political, sports and music docs. The full list of nominees is below.

Along with the 13 categories in which a single winner will be named, the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards also singled out seven people in the Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary category, all of whom will be saluted at the ceremony. The honorees are Danny Fields (“Danny Says”), Iggy Pop (“Gimme Danger”), Kirsten Johnson (“Cameraperson”), Owen Suskind (“Life, Animated”), Sharon Jones (“Miss Sharon Jones!”), Steve Gleason (“Gleason”) and Theo Padnos (“Theo Who Lived”).

This is the first year that the Broadcast Film Critics Association and Broadcast Television Journalists Association, the sister organizations that give out the Critics’ Choice Awards, will have a separate ceremony devoted to non-fiction filmmaking. In the past, the organization has given out a single award for a feature documentary, but nothing for TV docs.

Also Read: 'OJ: Made in America': The 5 Biggest Shockers (Photos)

The Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards gala will take place at BRIC in Brooklyn, New York, on November 3.

The nominees were chosen by committees consisting of members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and Broadcast Television Journalists Association, the sister organizations that together give out the Critics’ Choice Awards. (Full disclosure: I am a member of the BFCA and served on committees that determined nominations in several of the categories.)

According to a Critics’ Choice press release, winners will be chosen by “qualified members of BFCA and BTJA.”

The nominees:

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Cameraperson”
“Fire at Sea”
“Gleason”
“Life, Animated”
“O.J.: Made in America”
“13th”
“Tickled”
“Tower”
“Weiner”
“The Witness”

BEST DIRECTION OF A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Ezra Edelman, “O.J.: Made in America”
Ron Howard, “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years”
Kirsten Johnson, “Cameraperson”
Keith Maitland, “Tower”
Clay Tweel, “Gleason”
Roger Ross Williams, “Life, Animated”

Also Read: 'Tower,' Doc About First US Mass School Shooting, Picked Up by Kino Lorber

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Otto Bell, “The Eagle Huntress”
David Farrier and Dylan Reeve, “Tickled”
Adam Irving, “Off the Rails”
Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, “Weiner”
James D. Solomon, “The Witness”
Nanfu Wang, “Hooligan Sparrow”

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
“Audrie & Daisy”
“Newtown”
“O.J.: Made in America”
“13th”
“Weiner”
“Zero Days”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE (TV/STREAMING)
“Amanda Knox”
“Audrie & Daisy”
“Before the Flood”
“Holy Hell”
“Into the Inferno”
“Jim: The James Foley Story”
“Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures”
“Rats”
“13th”
“30 for 30: Fantastic Lies”

Also Read: 8 Key Characters in Netflix True-Crime Documentary 'Amanda Knox' (Photos)

BEST DIRECTOR (TV/STREAMING)
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures”
Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn, “Amanda Knox”
Ava DuVernay, “13th”
Werner Herzog, “Into the Inferno”
Morgan Spurlock, “Rats”
Fisher Stevens, “Before the Flood”

BEST FIRST FEATURE (TV/STREAMING)
Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker, “Everything Is Copy”
Will Allen, “Holy Hell”
Jessica Edwards, “Mavis!”
Sophie Robinson and Lotje Sodderland, “My Beautiful Broken Brain”
Deborah Esquenazi, “Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four”
Jon Greenhalgh, “Team Foxcatcher”

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
“The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth”
“The Eighties”
“The Hunt”
“Jackie Robinson”
“O.J.: Made in America”
“Soundbreaking: Stories From the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music”

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
“30 for 30”
“Frontline”
“Last Chance U”
“Morgan Spurlock Inside Man”
“POV”
“This Is Life With Lisa Ling”

Also Read: ESPN to Launch '30 for 30' Podcasts in 2017

BEST SONG IN A DOCUMENTARY
“Angel by the Wings” from “The Eagle Huntress,” written and performed by Sia
“The Empty Chair” from “Jim: The James Foley Story,” written by Sting and J. Ralph, performed by Sting
“Flicker” from “Audrie & Daisy,” written and performed by Tori Amos
“Hoping and Healing” from “Gleason,” written and performed by Mike McCready
“I’m Still Here” from “Miss Sharon Jones!,” written by Sharon Jones, performed by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
“Letters to The Free” from “13th,” written by Common, Karrien Riggins and Robert Glasper, performed by Common featuring Bilal

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
“Dark Horse”
“The Eagle Huntress”
“Gleason”
“Jackie Robinson”
“Keepers of the Game”
“OJ: Made in America”
“30 for 30: Fantastic Lies”

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
“The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – the Touring Years”
“Gimme Danger”
“Miss Sharon Jones”
“The Music of Strangers”
“Presenting Princess Shaw”
“We Are X”

Also Read: 'Gimme Danger' Cannes Review: Jim Jarmusch Delivers a Playful Tribute to Iggy Pop

MOST INNOVATIVE DOCUMENTARY
“Cameraperson”
“Kate Plays Christine”
“Life, Animated”
“Nuts!”
“Tower”
“Under The Sun”

MOST COMPELLING SUBJECT OF A DOCUMENTARY
(all honorees – no single winner)
Danny Fields, “Danny Says”
Iggy Pop, “Gimme Danger”
Kirsten Johnson, “Cameraperson”
Owen Suskind, “Life, Animated”
Sharon Jones, “Miss Sharon Jones!”
Steve Gleason, “Gleason”
Theo Padnos, “Theo Who Lived”

'OJ: Made In America,' and the 30 Other Game-Changing '30 for 30' Films (Photos)

The five-part "O.J.: Made In America" marks a watershed moment for "30 for 30," the ESPN documentary series that has proven to be one of the best concepts the network has ever come up with. Co-created by Connor Schell and Bill Simmons in 2009 to chronicle 30 stories from the "ESPN era" beginning with the network's founding in 1979, the series has elevated filmmakers, creating unforgettable works that have received awards, critical acclaim and festival selections many times over.

Also Read: ESPN’s ‘OJ: Made in America’ Documentary: 7 Things You Need to Know
ESPN
30. "Trojan War"
Pete Carroll turned the USC Trojans into the first college football powerhouse of the 21st century before leaving for the Seattle Seahawks amidst NCAA sanctions. USC alum Aaron Rahsaan Thomas looks at the beginning of the Trojans' steady decline: The Team's loss in the 2006 national championship game against Texas.
ESPN
29. "The Price of Gold"
The Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan scandal was one of the most disgraceful in women's sports. It was also insanely profitable for figure skating. Director Nanette Burstein takes a look at the incident 20 years later and what it meant for both the sport and Harding's turbulent life.
ESPN
28. "Youngstown Boys"
The rise and fall of college dynasties and the corrupt side of school sports has been a regular topic on "30 For 30." The film takes a look at the scandals that surrounded Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and fallen star Maurice Clarrett, the latter of whom ended up in prison.
ESPN
27. "The 16th Man"
This documentary about the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted by South Africa shortly after the end of Apartheid, featured Morgan Freeman -- who played Nelson Mandela in the biopic, "Invictus," -- is the narrator.
ESPN
26. "The Birth of Big Air"
What if I told you the guys who made "Jackass" contributed to this series? After earning fame by filming guys doing stupid things, Jeff Tremaine directed this documentary about the life of Mat Hoffman, the greatest BMX rider of all time. Hoffman's interviews reveal the drive that not only defines his life, but the core philosophy of action sports as well.
ESPN
25. "Winning Time"
This film is one of the lighter pieces in the "30 For 30" lineup, but also one of the best executed. It focuses on the playoff duels between the Pacers and Knicks in the mid-90s, a series that made Reggie Miller one of the top NBA players not named Michael Jordan, especially when taunting Knicks fanatic, Spike Lee.

Also Read: Spike Lee Honors Prince With Purple People Party in Brooklyn
ESPN
24. Straight Outta L.A.
In the 80s, Al Davis took his ball and left Oakland, bringing his Raiders to Los Angeles. In the 13 seasons they played there, the Silver and Black captivated their temporary home, as well as this documentary's director, Ice Cube. "Straight Outta L.A." shows how L.A. and the Raiders were a perfect fit for each other, and how they inspired the imagery and philosophy of N.W.A.

Also Read: ‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’ Review: Ice Cube Comedy Layers Workplace Sitcom with Social Advocacy
ESPN
23. "Playing for the Mob"
Jim Sweeney was a Rhodes Scholar and a Naismith Award-winning superstar at Boston College. So why did he take money as part of a points-shaving scheme? "Playing For The Mob," directed Joe Lavine and Cayman Grant, is another great corrupt college sports tale.

Also Read: ESPN’s ’30 for 30’ Marks 5th Anniversary with Ray Liotta Voicing College Basketball Mob Documentary (Video)
ESPN
22. "Jordan Rides The Bus"
At the peak of his athletic and cultural dominance, Michael Jordan stunned everyone by leaving basketball to give minor league baseball a try. "Bull Durham" director Ron Shelton, himself a former minor league player, goes inside the motives that led one sport's greatest ever to enter a sport where he was outmatched by so many.
ESPN
21. "Bad Boys"
The '89-90 Detroit Pistons are one of the forgotten great teams in NBA history, which is weird because in their time they were hated. "Bad Boys" looks at Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and the rest of the players that made up one of the grittiest, most physical teams in basketball history.
ESPN
20. "Of Miracles And Men"
What's it like to be on the losing end of a miracle? "Of Miracles and Men" looks at the Soviets who lost the "Miracle on Ice" and goes beyond that upset to show what it was like to be a hockey player blocked from playing in the NHL by the Iron Curtain.
ESPN
19. "Fernando Nation"
In 1959, the Latino residents of L.A.'s Chavez Ravine were forcibly evicted so their homes could make way for the construction of Dodger Stadium. Two decades later, a chubby 19-year-old from Sonora, Mexico, named Fernando Valenzuela became the biggest star not just on the Dodgers, but all of baseball.

Also Read: Vin Scully Graces Sports Illustrated Cover, Says He’s ‘Uncomfortable’ With Tributes
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18. "Four Days In October"
The 2004 American League Championship Series was the kind of sports moment "30 for 30" was made for. The Yankees were three outs away from once again killing the dreams of their rivals and sports' most famous losers, the Red Sox. Instead, the Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 series deficit, and "Four Days In October" shows how the infamous Curse of the Bambino was broken in the most unlikely of circumstances.

ESPN
17. "Slaying the Badger"
The 1986 Tour de France is widely considered to be the greatest story in cycling history. American Greg LeMond had helped his teammate Bernard Hinault win the previous year, and Hinault had pledged to return the favor. What unfolded that year en route to LeMond becoming the first American to win the Tour showed how cycling is a constant struggle between rivalry and friendship; individual and team.
ESPN
16. "Requiem For The Big East"
"O.J. Simpson: Made In America" isn't the first documentary Ezra Edelman has made for ESPN. "Requiem for the Big East" was a dive into one of his favorite things in sports: Big East college basketball. He ties in the conference's rise with that of ESPN and shows how the two forces combined to change college basketball into the form we know today.
ESPN
15. "The Announcement"
Magic Johnson has become such an esteemed elder statesman in basketball and in Los Angeles that it's easy to forget the trials he faced when he revealed he had HIV. "The Announcement" restores weight to his famous confession and explores what Magic faced shortly after his sudden retirement.

Also Read: Magic Johnson Pledges Support to Charlie Sheen in HIV Battle: ‘I Hope He Joins Me in Educating the World’
ESPN
14. "Kings Ransom"
August 9, 1988, was a red letter day for hockey and a day that has lived in infamy for Canada. Wayne Gretzky, national hero, was being traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. "Kings Ransom" explores the intense backlash the move received north of the border and the transformative impact it had on the NHL, as Gretzky helped expand the sport's appeal into new territory as he led the Kings to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
ESPN
13. "I Hate Christian Laettner"
This is one of the funniest "30 for 30" to date. Christian Laettner was one of the most dominant college hoops players of his time, and like the university he played for, everyone loved to hate him. Rory Karpf talks with Laettner in a film that explores how an athlete can inspire such passionate hatred for reasons both valid and ludicrous.

Also Read: Duke Basketball Legend Christian Laettner on Being So Hated That ESPN Made a ’30 for 30’ Film About It
ESPN
12. "You Don't Know Bo"
Bo Jackson never won a championship, but he did something even better: he became a mythical figure. With the help of some creative animated pieces, Michael Bonfiglio delves through fact and fiction to explore the incredible legend Bo built around himself -- and what he left behind.
ESPN
11. "Pony Excess"
Thaddeus Matula was the son of an SMU professor and a rabid fan of the school's football team, the Mustangs. He was eight when the Mustangs faced the unthinkable: the NCAA was shutting down their program for two years, bringing an end to their dominance. "Pony Excess" is Matula's retelling of that scandal, digging into the football team's dealings with oil tycoons and corrupt politicians in a city and decade that was consumed by greed.
ESPN
10. "Broke"
A sobering documentary that proves the adage "mo' money, mo' problems" is more true than you might believe. Billy Corben interviews retired athletes who lost all their wealth from their pro career through poor investments, bad friends, and of course, the temptation of materialism.
ESPN
9. "Fantastic Lies"
Marina Zenovich, director of "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," created this scathing piece on the 2006 Duke Lacrosse case, exposing how the public's outrage at injustice can sometimes become overzealous and catch innocent people in the crossfire.
ESPN
8. "Muhammad and Larry"
In 1980, Muhammad Ali wanted one more title match against Larry Holmes. The fight proved what everyone but Ali already knew: The Greatest was past his prime. Using archival footage of the fight he shot himself, director Albert Maysles shows the humanity of both fighters, including the dark side of Ali that fueled his competitiveness, and the reluctance of Holmes to put down his friend and idol for good.
ESPN
7. "Catching Hell"
Every Cubs fan wonders what might have happened if Steve Bartman had let Moises Alou catch that foul ball in 2003. Director Alex Gibney lifts the curtain on what happened to Bartman after that infamous catch and questions why sports fans so often dwell on singular moments of bad luck.

Also Read: HBO to Develop Alex Gibney’s Death Row Drama Starring Laura Dern
ESPN
6. "The Best That Never Was"
Marcus Dupree was the greatest high school football recruit of his generation and the pride of his hometown of Philadelphia. He then went to Oklahoma and quickly fizzled out. Director Jonathan Hock tracked down Dupree to find out what went wrong and how Dupree was able to come to peace with the direction his life ended up taking.
ESPN
5. "Four Falls of Buffalo"
It hurts to watch your team lose a title. To have that happen four straight years is almost unimaginable. Yet that's what Buffalo Bills fans experienced as their team lost four consecutive Super Bowls. But instead of just lamenting their defeats, "Four Falls of Buffalo" becomes a love letter to the city the Bills call home, as well as a call to really consider just what the Bills managed to achieve.
ESPN
4. "The U"
In the 80s, a pair of cultural phenomena changed Miami forever: "Miami Vice" and The U. This documentary follows the latter, showing how the Canes' dominance brought South Florida's most well-known university unprecedented fame and party school cred before it hit a brutal decline.
ESPN
3. "June 17, 1994"
Everyone remembers where they were when O.J. Simpson drove that white Bronco, but do you remember what else happened that day? From Stanley Cup parades and World Cup matches to the MLB lockout, director Brett Morgen explores a day in sports history unlike any other in one of the first prominent "30 For 30" installments.

Also Read: OJ Fact Check: Two White Broncos?
ESPN
2. "Hillsborough"
"Hillsborough" covers the human crush at an FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in 1989 that killed 96 people. Police blamed fans for the incident, but a new inquest exonerated them and delivered a verdict of unlawful killing earlier this year.
ESPN
1. "The Two Escobars"
This is not only the greatest "30 for 30;" it is also one of the greatest documentaries in recent memory. Andres Escobar was a hero to the people of Colombia, yet the national team he played for was bankrolled with by the infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. "The Two Escobars" is one of the finest examples of how sports can become more than a game. Sometimes, it can all too literally become a matter of life and death.
ESPN

1 of 31

From “The U” to “The Two Escobars,” we count down the 30 greatest documentaries that ESPN’s critically-acclaimed series has gifted us

The five-part "O.J.: Made In America" marks a watershed moment for "30 for 30," the ESPN documentary series that has proven to be one of the best concepts the network has ever come up with. Co-created by Connor Schell and Bill Simmons in 2009 to chronicle 30 stories from the "ESPN era" beginning with the network's founding in 1979, the series has elevated filmmakers, creating unforgettable works that have received awards, critical acclaim and festival selections many times over.

Also Read: ESPN’s ‘OJ: Made in America’ Documentary: 7 Things You Need to Know

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