Awards Watch: The Docs

The Academy has announced their short list of 15 films up for nomination for this year's Documentary Feature Oscar. As expected, Michael Moore's health care expose Sicko and a trio of Iraq war-themed docs (Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, No End in Sight and Body of War, co-directed by Phil Donahue -- yes, that Phil Donahue) made the cut, as did For the Bible Tells Me So, which covers another hot-button topic, homosexuality and religion.

On the other hand, several high profile, well-reviewed documentaries fell short in the Academy's eyes, including Jonathan Demme's Jimmy Carter Man from Plains, Don Cheadle's Darfur Now and Leonardo DiCaprio's The 11th Hour, plus such audience faves as In the Shadow of the Moon and The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.

For a complete list of the semi-final 15 (out of 70 total entries), here's the Academy's official press release. Also available is the previously announced list of eight Documentary Short Subject contenders. The finalist in both categories will be revealed nomination morning, January 22.

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Links via LATimes.com and Oscars.org.