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Cinema Eye Names Semifinalists for Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television

Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures (HBO)

Now entering its tenth year, Cinema Eye, the organization that recognizes outstanding work in nonfiction film, today announced the ten films that have been named as semifinalists for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television.

Films eligible for this award must have aired or broadcast between June 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016, which explains why O.J.: Made in America, Ezra Edelman’s stunning five-part documentary series for ESPN, which premiered June 11, didn’t make the list.

Among the documentaries recognized this year are HBO Documentary Films’ Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures by documentary veterans Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, A&E’s Happy Valley, directed by previous Cinema Eye nominee Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story) and Discovery Channel’s Racing Extinction, from filmmaker Louie Psihoyos, who took top honors at Cinema Eye in 2010 for The Cove.

Making a Murderer, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos’ acclaimed documentary series for Netflix, also makes the 2017 shortlist, marking the first time a series has made the cut.

This marks the fourth year for Cinema Eye’s award for Outstanding Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television. Previous winners include Lucy Walker’s The Crash Reel (HBO), Nanette Burstein’s The Price of Gold (ESPN) and Cynthia Hill’s Private Violence (HBO).

Nominees for the 2017 Honor for Television Nonfiction will be announced this fall along with Cinema Eye nominees in eleven other film and craft categories.  Winners will be awarded at the 10th Annual Cinema Eye Honors in January 2017.

A full list of shortlist semifinalists is below:

3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets (HBO)
Directed by Marc Silver

Happy Valley (A&E)
Directed by Amir Bar-Lev

Heroin, Cape Cod, USA (HBO)
Directed by Steven Okazaki

How to Dance in Ohio (HBO)
Directed by Alexandra Shiva

Making a Murderer (Netflix)
Directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos

Mavis! (HBO)
Directed by Jessica Edwards

Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures (HBO)
Directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato

My Beautiful Broken Brain (Netflix)
Directed by Lotje Sodderland and Sophie Robinson

Racing Extinction (Discovery)
Directed by Louie Psihoyos

Sherpa (Discovery)
Directed by Jennifer Peedom

Meanwhile, Cinema Eye opened submissions for feature and short film categories for their 10th Annual Honors are now open. Submissions for short films will close on July 29 and submissions for features will close on August 31.  For more information about those films, go to www.cinemaeyehonors.com/register

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