Ryan White (director), Brandon Carroll, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Matt Goldberg, Jessica Hargrave (producers)
Amazon Studios
The film follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days but she ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.
2
“All That Breathes”
Shaunak Sen (director and producer), Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann (producers)
HBO Documentary Films / Sideshow
The darkening backdrop of Delhi’s apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the Black Kite.
3
“Fire of Love”
Sara Dosa (director, producer), Shane Boris, Ina Fichman (producers)
National Geographic Documentary Films/Neon
Intrepid scientists and lovers Katia and Maurice Krafft died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.
4
“Descendant”
Margaret Brown (director, producer), Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin (producers)
Netflix
Follows descendants of the survivors from the Clotilda, the last ship that carried enslaved Africans to the United States, as they reclaim their story.
5
“Turn Every Page – The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb”
Lizzie Gottlieb (director, producer), Joanne Nerenberg, Jen Small (producers)
Sony Pictures Classics
Follows the iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro and his editor, the literary giant Robert Gottlieb, in this chronicle of a unique 50-year professional relationship.
Next in Line
6
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”
Laura Poitras (director and producer), Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John S. Lyons (producers)
Neon
It follows the life of artist Nan Goldin and the downfall of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who was greatly responsible for the opioid epidemic’s unfathomable death toll.
7
“Retrograde”
Matthew Heineman (director), Caitlin McNally (producer)
National Geographic Films
Tells the story of the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan through the intimate relationship between American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained.
8
“Sr.”
Chris Smith (director), Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Emily Barclay Ford, Kevin Ford (producers)
Netflix
Follow the tender but appropriately irreverent account of the life and career of Robert Downey, Sr., the fearless and visionary American director who set the standard for countercultural comedy in the 1960s and 1960s.
9
“Bad Axe”
David Siev (director, producer), Jude Harris, Diane-Moy Quon, Katarina Vasquez (producers)
IFC Films
A real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian-American family in Trump’s rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Killing Fields.
10
“Navalny”
Daniel Roher (director), Diane Becker, Shane Boris, Melanie Miller, Odessa Rae (producers)
CNN/Warner Bros.
Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home
Other Top-Tier Contenders
11
“The Territory”
Alex Pritz (director, producer), Darren Aronofsky, Sigrid Dyekjær, Lizzie Gillett, Will N. Miller, Gabriel Uchida
National Geographic
12
“Aftershock”
Paula Eiselt, Tonya Lewis Lee (directors)
Hulu/Onyx
13
“Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song”
Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine (directors, producers)
Sony Pictures Classics
14
“Nothing Compares”
Kathryn Ferguson (director), Eleanor Emptage, Michael Mallie (producers)
Showtime
15
“Last Flight Home”
Ondi Timoner (director), David Turner (producer)
MTV Documentary Films
16
“Is That Black Enough for You?”
Elvis Mitchell (director), Ciara Lacy (producer)
Netflix
17
“Moonage Daydream”
Brett Morgen (director, producer)
Neon
18
“Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues”
Sacha Jenkins (director, producer), Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Julie Anderson (producers)
Apple Original Films
19
“I Didn’t See You There”
Reid Davenport (director), Keith Wilson (producer)
POV
20
“Riotsville, U.S.A.”
Sierra Pettengill (director), Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot (producers)
Magnolia Pictures
Also In Contention
21
“The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile”
Kathlyn Horan (director), Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn (producers)
Sony Pictures Classics
22
“Gabby Giffords; Won’t Back Down”
Julie Cohen, Betsy West (directors), Lisa Erspamer, Sam Jinishian (producers)
Briarcliff Entertainment
23
“Sidney”
Derik Murray (director), Oprah Winfrey (producer)
Apple Original Films
24
“In Her Hands”
Tamana Ayazi, Marcel Mettelsiefen (directors), Juan Camilo Cruz, Jonathan Schaerf (producers)
Netflix
25
“Bitterbrush”
Emelie Mahdavian (director, producer), Su Kim (producer)
Magnolia Pictures
26
“Eternal Spring”
Jason Loftus (director, producer), Kevin Koo, Yvan Pinard
Lofty Sky Distribution
27
“Let Me Be Me”
Dan Crane, Katie Taber (director), Joe Plummer (producer)
