The Academy Has Reveales the Best Documentary Feature Contenders Shortlist for the 2026 Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced the shortlist for the Documentary Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards. This year’s selection highlights a diverse array of global stories, ranging from intimate character studies to sweeping geopolitical exposés. The fifteen films advancing to the next round of voting were selected from a competitive pool of two hundred one eligible entries. Members of the Documentary Branch will now cast their votes to determine the final five nominees.

‘The Alabama Solution’ (2025)

This searing examination of reproductive rights focuses on the aftermath of the Alabama Supreme Court’s controversial ruling regarding IVF treatments. The filmmakers follow families, medical providers, and legislators as they navigate the legal and emotional chaos that ensued across the state. Through personal testimonies, the documentary explores the intersection of theology, law, and bodily autonomy in modern America. It provides a stark look at how local judicial decisions can create ripples that affect healthcare access on a national scale.

‘Apocalypse in the Tropics’ (2024)

Directed by Petra Costa, this film investigates the powerful influence of the evangelical movement on Brazilian politics. Costa examines the symbiotic relationship between religious leaders and political figures, particularly during the tumultuous presidency of Jair Bolsonaro. The documentary suggests that the country is moving toward a theocratic state, driven by a belief in an impending apocalypse. With unprecedented access to key figures, the film serves as a cautionary tale about the erosion of secular democracy.

‘Coexistence, My Ass!’ (2025)

Filmed in the midst of escalating tensions in the Middle East, this documentary challenges the traditional narratives of peace-building initiatives. The director adopts a raw, cinema verité style to capture the cynicism and fatigue of communities living in perpetual conflict. Rather than offering hopeful platitudes, the film presents unfiltered conversations with residents who reject the forced idealism of external organizations. It is a gritty, often uncomfortable look at the reality on the ground where political slogans clash with daily survival.

‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ (2025)

This deeply personal documentary acts as a visual memoir, exploring the fragmentation of memory and identity through the lens of a fading matriarch. The filmmaker utilizes a mix of archival home video and present-day footage to construct a portrait of a life lived between two eras. As the subject battles dementia, the film questions how we choose to remember our loved ones and the versions of them we try to preserve. It is a meditation on legacy, grief, and the subjectivity of the camera’s gaze.

‘Cover-Up’ (2025)

A gripping investigative thriller, this film unravels a massive corporate scandal involving toxic waste dumping in rural communities. The documentary tracks a small team of journalists and whistleblowers who risk their careers to expose the truth behind a multinational conglomerate’s lies. Through leaked documents and secret recordings, the narrative builds tension akin to a fictional spy movie. The film highlights the vital importance of a free press in holding powerful institutions accountable.

‘Cutting through Rocks’ (2025)

Set against the backdrop of a remote mountain region, this film documents the perilous lives of laborers who carve roads through unforgiving terrain. The cinematography captures the sheer scale of the landscape against the fragility of the human workers. It is not just a story of physical endurance, but a commentary on economic desperation and the unseen labor that connects the world. The narrative focuses on the camaraderie and resilience of the crew as they face natural disasters and bureaucratic indifference.

‘Folktales’ (2025)

This cultural documentary travels to vanishing communities to record oral histories before they are lost forever. The filmmakers use animation blended with live-action interviews to bring ancient legends to life, illustrating how these stories shaped local identities. It argues that the loss of language and myth is a tragedy comparable to ecological destruction. The film serves as an archive for future generations, preserving the wisdom and humor of elders who are the last of their kind.

‘Holding Liat’ (2025)

Focused on the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, this film tells the harrowing story of a family waiting for the return of a hostage named Liat. The camera stays within the confines of their home, capturing the agonizing passage of time and the psychological toll of uncertainty. It avoids graphic imagery of the conflict, choosing instead to focus on the intimate, human cost of war. The documentary is a study of grief, hope, and the unbreakable bonds of family under the most extreme pressure.

‘Mistress Dispeller’ (2024)

Elizabeth Lo’s observational documentary offers a fascinating look into the “mistress dispelling” industry in China. The film follows a professional hired by wives to break up their husbands’ extramarital affairs without causing a public scandal. Through this unique trade, the documentary exposes broader societal expectations regarding marriage, fidelity, and class structure. It provides a nuanced, non-judgmental view of the complex emotional labor involved in maintaining the façade of a perfect family.

‘Mr. Nobody against Putin’ (2025)

Following the death of Alexei Navalny, this documentary profiles the fragmented and persecuted Russian opposition movement. The film centers on a lesser-known activist who steps into the void, operating from exile to organize resistance against the Kremlin. It details the digital guerrilla warfare tactics used to bypass censorship and reach the Russian public. The narrative is a tense chronicle of courage in the face of an authoritarian regime that systematically erases its critics.

‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow’ (2025)

This film serves as the first installment of a diptych chronicling the exodus of independent journalists from Russia. It captures the frantic final days of a newsroom in Moscow as the government tightens its grip on free speech. The filmmakers document the heartbreaking decisions to leave behind homes, families, and careers to continue reporting the truth. It is a historical record of the dismantling of the free press and the beginning of a life in exile.

‘The Perfect Neighbor’ (2025)

Using a true-crime framework, this documentary explores a suburban nightmare where a community’s surveillance instincts go too far. What begins as a neighborhood watch program devolves into a web of paranoia, false accusations, and digital harassment. The film uses text messages, doorbell camera footage, and police reports to reconstruct the events that destroyed a man’s reputation. It is a chilling commentary on the loss of privacy and the mob mentality of the digital age.

‘Seeds’ (2025)

This environmental documentary focuses on indigenous agriculture and the fight for food sovereignty. It follows a group of native farmers who are reclaiming their ancestral lands to cultivate traditional crops resistant to climate change. The film contrasts their sustainable practices with the destructive methods of industrial farming surrounding them. It is a hopeful story of resilience, illustrating how ancient knowledge offers viable solutions to modern ecological crises.

‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’ (2025)

This visceral war documentary places the audience on the frontlines of the conflict in Ukraine, specifically during the grueling advance toward the village of Andriivka. Shot almost entirely with body cameras and drone footage, it captures the chaotic and terrifying reality of trench warfare. The film eschews political commentary to focus on the day-to-day survival of a single platoon. It is an immersive and unflinching record of the physical and psychological toll of modern combat.

‘Yanuni’ (2025)

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, the Yanuni people face the encroachment of illegal miners and loggers. This observational documentary captures their daily life and spiritual practices without the intrusion of a narrator or voiceover. The sound design plays a crucial role, immersing the viewer in the natural soundscape that is being threatened by industrial machinery. The film is a poetic yet urgent plea for the protection of uncontacted and isolated tribes.

Share your predictions for which of these documentaries will make the final five in the comments.