‘Eagle Huntress,’ ‘O.J. Made in America’ Among Producers Guild (PGA) Documentary Nominees

[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

The Producers Guild of America has chosen its five finalists for its top documentary award and they include three titles that could have been expected but also two surprises.

The Eagle Huntress, O.J.: Made in America and Life, Animated were nominated but also Tower, directed by Keith Maitland, an animated doc about the 1966 shootings at the University of Texas at Austin, in which 16 people were killed. The film won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Award at last March at the SXSW Festival. Dancer, a film about Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin, also made the cut.

Always as interesting as what’s nominated is what is snubbed. The big miss here is Ava DuVernay’s epic prison doc 13TH from Netflix. That and a handful of other films that earned International Documentary Association nominations, like Fire at Sea, Cameraperson, I Am Not Your Negro and Weiner did not make the cut. Only O.J.: Made in America made that crossover. Just this morning, Film Independent nominated 13TH, Cameraperson, I Am Not Your Negro, O.J.: Made in America, Sonita, and Under the Sun for their Independent Spirit Awards.

Right now, the Gold Rush Gang’s top five for the Documentary Feature Oscar are 13TH, The Ivory Game, O.J.: Made in America, Fire at Sea and Life, Animated.

Here are this year’s Documentary nominations from the Producers Guild of America:

Dancer
The Eagle Huntress
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America
Tower

In 2016, the Amy Winehouse documentary Amy won the PGA award and then went on to win the Academy Award.

PGA nominations will be announced January 5th, 2017 for the Television Series/Specials and Children’s Programs, Long Form Television and Sports and Digital Series. Nominations for Theatrical Motion Pictures and Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures will be announced January 10th, 2017.

The winner will be announced on January 29th, 2017 at the 28th annual PGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.