The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced December 16 the shortlists in the documentary categories of the 98th Academy Awards®. Fifteen films will now advance within each of the Documentary Feature Film and Documentary Short Film categories. Two hundred and one films were eligible for the Doc Feature category, while 117 films qualified in the Short Doc category.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
- The Alabama Solution by Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman
- Apocalypse in the Tropics by Petra Costa
- Coexistence, My Ass! by Amber Fares
- Come See Me in the Good Light by Ryan White
- Cover-Up by Mark Obenhaus, Laura Poitras
- Cutting through Rocks by Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
- Folktales by Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing
- Holding Liat by Brandon Kramer
- Mr. Nobody against Putin by David Borenstein
- Mistress Dispeller by Elizabeth Lo
- My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow by Julia Loktev
- The Perfect Neighbor by Geeta Gandbhir
- Seeds by Brittany Shyne
- 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov
- Yanuni by Richard Ladkani
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
- All the Empty Rooms by Joshua Seftel
- All the Walls Came Down by Ondi Timoner
- Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud by Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud
- Bad Hostage by Mimi Wilcox
- Cashing Out by Matt Nadel
- Chasing Time by Larissa Rhodes, Jeff Orlowski, Brette Ragland, Stacey Piculell
- Children No More: Were and Are Gone by Hilla Medalia
- Classroom 4 by Eden Wurmfeld
- The Devil Is Busy by Christalyn Hampton & Geeta Gandbhir
- Heartbeat by Jay Rosenblatt, Stephanie Rapp
- Last Days on Lake Trinity by Charlotte Cooley
- On Healing Land, Birds Perch by Naja Phạm Lockwood
- Perfectly a Strangeness by Alison McAlpine
- Rovina’s Choice by Thomas Jennings, Annie Wong
- We Were the Scenery by Cathy Linh Che
Members of the Documentary Branch will vote to determine which five films in each category will progress as nominees. Nominations voting begins 9am PT on Monday, January 12, 2026 and ends 5pm PT on Friday, January 16, 2026. Oscar nominees are announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, with comedian Conan O’Brien as host.
