November 19, 2007–The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has shortened the list for competing feature-length documentaries down to 15, and films that discuss the Iraq war are at center stage.
Among the war-themed pictures are Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiros Body of War, Charles Fergusons No End in Sight and Richard Robbins Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience.
The most high-profile pic of the Academys short list is Michael Moores Sicko, which earned $24 million at the box office.
Other films include Steven Okazakis White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Richard Berge and Bonni Cohens The Rape of Europa and Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturmans Nanking.
Rounding out the list are Sean Fine and Andrea Nixs War/Dance, Tony Kayes Lake of Fire, Weijun Chens Please Vote for Me, Daniel G. Karslakes For the Bible Tells Me So, Peter Raymonts A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, Alex Gibneys Taxi to the Dark Side, Bill Haneys The Price of Sugar and Tricia Regans Autism: The Musical.
Noticeably absent is the Ron Howard docu, In the Shadow of the Moon and the Picturehouse release The King of Kong, about the competition between videogame players.
The Documentary Branch will review the 15 films and select its final five when the entire list of Oscar nominees is announced on January 22.
