‘Amy,’ Marlon,’ ‘Look of Silence’ top IDA Nominations

The Independent Documentary Association (IDA) has tapped music and movie star bios along with a sequel (of sorts) to a previous Oscar-nominated doc among others as their choices for the best documentaries of 2015. All nominees are also on the official Oscar list of eligible documentaries in the race for the Documentary Feature Oscar.
The nominees:
Asif Kapadia’s Amy
Stanley Nelson’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence
Liz Garbus’s What Happened, Miss Simone?
Stevan Riley’s Listen to Me Marlon
Chad Gracia’s The Russian Woodpecker
As is often the case, despite some perceived frontrunners for the Documentary Feature Oscar that made it (Amy, The Look of Silence) it’s the films left off the list that surprise. Some major contenders including He Named Me Malala, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Where To Invade Next were conspicuously missing.
Matthew Heineman’s Cartel Land will receive the IDA’s Courage Under Fire Award, “in recognition of conspicuous bravery in the pursuit of truth.” Last year’s Oscar-winner, Laura Poitras’s Citizenfour, won this award.
The Independent Documentary Association will holds its awards on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles on December 5th and will be hosted by Tig Notaro.
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