Now that a few decent Documentary Feature bellwether lists are out, figured I'd do a little count of what has appeared so far. The ones I'm including are Critics Choice Documentary Awards (Best Feature) nom, DOC NYC Short List, Gotham Awards nom, IDA Shortlist, and SCAD Docs to Watch.
Of these, I think DOC NYC and Gothams are the strongest indicators. CCDAs have a spotty track record, SCAD is just Scott Feinberg and requires filmmaker attendance so some international docs can't do it, and the IDA shortlist is a mixed bag of some "real contenders" and some international docs that never show up elsewhere...
Five:
You Can See Everything (Gothams, DOC NYC, IDA, SCAD, CCDAs)
Four:
Once Upon a Time in Harlem (CCDAs, Gothams, DOC NYC, SCAD)
Three:
A Fox Under a Pink Moon (Gothams, DOC NYC, IDA)
Naza (CCDAs, Gothams, DOC NYC)
One in a Million (DOC NYC, IDA, SCAD)
Two:
14th (CCDAs, DOCNYC)
American Doctor (DOC NYC, SCAD)
Everest: The Other Side (CCDAs, SCAD)
Everybody to Kenmure Street (CCDAs, DOC NYC)
Musk (CCDAs, DOC NYC)
My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile (IDA, SCAD)
Rehearsals for a Revolution (CCDAs, IDA)
To Hold a Mountain (DOC NYC, IDA)
One:
Avedon (SCAD)
The Bend in the River (DOC NYC)
Birds of War (IDA)
Closure (Gothams)
Concrete Land (IDA)
Cookie Queens (SCAD)
Do You Love Me (IDA)
The Eyes of Ghana (IDA)
The Fabulous Time Machine (IDA)
Filthy (IDA)
The Great Experiment (DOC NYC)
The History of Concrete (CCDAs)
The Last First: Winter K2 (SCAD)
A Life Illuminated (IDA)
Nuestra Tierra / Our Land (IDA)
Nuisance Bear (IDA)
Remake (CCDAs)
Silver (IDA)
Soul Patrol (DOC NYC)
Time and Water (DOC NYC)
The Trial of Alec Baldwin (SCAD)
Wild Inside (DOC NYC)