PGA Documentary Nominees a Serious Matter

Producers Guild nominates a lineup of issue-oriented documentaries, snubs “Exit Through the Gift Shop”

"Inside Job," Waiting for 'Superman," "The Tillman Story" and "Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer" are among the documentaries nominated for the 22nd annual Producers Guild Awards, the PGA announced on Friday.

The Tillman StoryAll four of those films are also shortlisted in the Academy Awards documentary process. Shortlisted doc "Exit Through the Gift Shop," the art-world film directed by graffiti artist Banksy and one of the most celebrated non-fiction films of the year, did not make the list of PGA nominees.

"Earth Made of Glass" and "Smash His Camera" were also nominated.

The category has six nominees rather than the usual five, said a spokesperson for the PGA, because of a tie in the voting.

Although the rest of the PGA's nominations will not be announced until January 4, the guild announced the doc nominations on the same day as the International Documentary Association Awards, which take place Friday night at the Directors Guild.

Not a single one of the PGA nominees is up for the top prize at the IDA Awards, which nominated "Exit Through the Gift Shop," "The Oath," "Steam of Life," "Sweetgrass" and "Waste Land," or the Cinema Eye Honors, which opted for "Exit," "The Oath," "Armadillo," "Last Train Home" and "Marwencol."

Apart from "Smash His Camera," a look at celebrity photographer Ron Galella, the PGA  nominees are all serious, issue-oriented docs.

The Producers Guild of America Awards will take place on January 22, 2011 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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