For nearly two decades, being nominated for an Academy Award in the documentary feature category required not only a beautifully crafted film constructed by a talented director and crew, but also a high-six-figure or more awards season campaign budget.
But if last year is any indication, scoring a slot on the Oscar shortlist and the final Academy Award ballot might no longer require deep-pocket distributors.
At the 96th Academy Awards, held in March 2024, all five Oscar-nominated feature docs were international films that focused on geopolitical topics. The majority of the nominated films not only lacked major streamer distribution but also didn’t have massive award-season campaign budgets. One
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