Submissions for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
This is a list of shortlisted finalists for the Academy Award for [Best Documentary Feature Film]. The Academy of [Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] Documentary branch has used it as a preliminary round, before the final five nominated films are announced in mid-January.
Since 1999, twelve to twenty films are usually announced alongside other categories shortlists in mid-December. The movement came after several controversies in the 1980s and 90s, such as the omission of critically acclaimed and popular favorites: Shoah, The [Thin Blue Line (1988 film)|The Thin Blue Line], Roger & Me, Paris Is Burning, Hoop Dreams and Crumb. The process also allows more voters to participate in the nomination second phase.
Even though the shortlisting process has been well established for nearly three decades, various other acclaimed documentaries have not been nominated: Fahrenheit 9/11, Grizzly Man, Red Army, Jane, They Shall Not Grow Old and Apollo 11.
List of selected films and years
1999
| Film | Director | Countrie | Subject | Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amargosa | Todd Robinson |  United Statesnotnom2000200120022003
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India
Austria
United Kingdom
Denmark
Israelnotnom