Submissions for Best Documentary Short Academy Award

Finalists for Best Documentary (Short Subject) are selected by the Documentary Branch based on a preliminary ballot. A second preferential ballot determines the five nominees. ^[1] These are the additional films that were shortlisted.

List of shortlisted films

Year	Finalists
2006	Dear Talula, The Diary of Immaculée, Phoenix Dance, A Revolving Door [2]
2007	Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy, If It Happens, Ochberg's Orphans, Portraits of a Lady [3]
2008	David McCullough: Painting With Words, Downstream, Tongzhi in Love , Viva La Causa [4]
2009	Lt. Watada, Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak , Woman Rebel [5] [6]
2010	Born Sweet, Living for 32, One Thousand Pictures: RFK’s Last Journey [7]
2011	In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt’s Unfinished Revolution, Pipe Dreams, Witness [8]
2012	The Education of Mohammad Hussein, ParaÍso, The Perfect Fit [9]
2013	Jujitsu-ing Reality, Recollections, SLOMO [10]
2014	Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace, The Lion's Mouth Opens , One Child [11]
2015	50 Feet from Syria , Minerita , ’My Enemy, My Brother , Starting Point , The Testimony [12]
2016	Brillo Box (3 ¢ Off) , Close Ties, ’Frame 394 , The Mute's House , The Other Side of Home [13]
2017	Alone, Kayayo – The Living Shopping Baskets, ’116 Cameras, Ram Dass, Going Home , Ten Meter Tower [14]
2018	Los Comandos, My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes , ’63 Boycott, Women of the Gulag , Zion [15]
2019	After Maria , Ghosts of Sugar Land , Fire in Paradise , The Nightcrawlers, Stay Close [16]
2020	Abortion Helpline, This Is Lisa; Call Center Blues; Hysterical Girl; The Speed Cubers ; What Would Sophia Loren Do? [17]
2021	Águilas, A Broken House, Camp Confidential: America's Secret Nazis, Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker, Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol , The Facility, Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day, Sophie & the Baron, Takeover, Terror Contagion [18]
2022	American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton, Anastasia, Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison, As Far as They Can Run, The Flagmakers , Happiness Is £4 Million, Holding Moses, Nuisance Bear , Shut Up and Paint, 38 at the Garden [19]
2023	Bear, Between Earth & Sky, Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games, Camp Courage, Deciding Vote, How We Get Free, If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis, Last Song from Kabul, Oasis, Wings of Dust [20]
2024	Chasing Roo, Eternal Father, Keeper, Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World, Once upon a Time in Ukraine, Planetwalker, The Quilters, Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr, A Swim Lesson , Until He’s Back [21] [22]
2025	All the Walls Came Down , Bad Hostage, Cashing Out, Chasing Time , Classroom 4 , Heartbeat, Last Days on Lake Trinity , On Healing Land, Birds Perch, Rovina’s Choice, We Were the Scenery [23] [24]

See also

• Submissions for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
• Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film

References

1. 93aa_rules.pdf Archived May 2, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
2. "8 Doc Shorts Short-listed For 2006 Oscars®" (Press release). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 11, 2006. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
3. "8 Doc Shorts Shortlisted For 2007 Oscars®" (Press release). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 11, 2007. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
4. Mike Goodridge (9 October 2008). "Eight films shortlisted for documentary short subject Oscar". Screen Daily.
5. Deol’s Film On Oscar Shortlist | News | The Harvard Crimson
6. Tamara Krinsky (October 10, 2009). "8 Doc Shorts Shortlisted For 2009 Oscars®". International Documentary Association.
7. 8 Documentary Short Subject Contenders For The 83rd Academy Awards® - We Are Movie Geeks
8. Michelle Hannett (October 13, 2011). "8 Doc Shorts on Oscar's 2011 Shortlist". We Are Movie Geeks.
9. "Oscars Pick 8 Documentary Shorts for 2012 Shortlist". The Hollywood Reporter . October 11, 2012.
10. "8 Doc Shorts On Oscar's 2013 Shortlist". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 10, 2013.
11. "8 Doc Shorts On Oscar's 2014 Shortlist". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 20, 2014.
12. "10 DOC SHORTS ON OSCAR'S 2015 SHORTLIST". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 26, 2015.
13. "10 DOC SHORTS ON OSCAR'S 2016 SHORTLIST". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 26, 2016.
14. "10 DOCUMENTARY SHORTS ON 2017 OSCARS SHORTLIST". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 5, 2017.
15. "91st Oscar Shortlists". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved May 3, 2020.
16. "92nd Oscar Shortlists". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved May 3, 2020.
17. "93rd Oscars Shortlists". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved February 9, 2020.
18. Oscar Shortlists 2022: Documentary, International, Shorts... - Deadline
19. "95th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
20. "96th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
21. "97th Oscars Shortlists in 10 Award Categories Announced". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
22. Kimberly Nordyke, Beatrice Verhoeven (17 December 2024). "Academy Unveils Shortlists in 10 Oscar Categories". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 18 December 2024.
23. Davis, Clayton (2025-12-16). "Oscars Shortlists Announced in 12 Categories: 'Sinners' and 'Wicked: For Good' Lead, 'Sirât' Gets Strong Showing". Variety. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
24. "98th Oscars Shortlists in 12 Award Categories Announced". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 16 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.