The International Federation of Film Critics, also known as Fiplessi, and the Millennium Documentary Against Gravity Festival have announced the nominations for the inaugural Documentary Grand Prix, which is awarded to the best documentary film of the year. That includes two Oscar nominees: “The Perfect Neighbor” and “Mr. Nobody Against Putin.”
Fipresci members around the world will vote and the first-ever winner will be announced at the opening ceremony of the 23rd Millennium Docs Against Gravity on May 7 in Warsaw, Poland.
The 23rd MDAG will be held from May 8th to 17th in cinemas in Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Bydgoszcz and Lodz, and online at mdag.pl from May 19th to June 1st.
Fipressi Documentary Grand Prix Nominated Work
“2000 meters to Andriivka” by Mstislav Chernov
An unflinching film on the Ukrainian front lines. A small group of soldiers fights two kilometers across a harsh landscape to liberate a devastated village.
“Fiume o Morte!” by Igor Bejinovic
A century after Gabriele D’Annunzio’s bizarre capture of Fiume in 1919, Rijeka-born director Igor Bežinovic and 300 civilians stage a subversive, punk-flavored reenactment that deconstructs nationalist myth-making and exposes the spectacle of enduring political performance.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin by Pavel Tarankin and David Borenstein
The documentary about Russian propaganda and daily life follows Pasha, a teacher in a small town in the Ural Mountains, as he films his students as their school is militarized after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, capturing the oath of allegiance, fear, and quiet resistance among teenagers.
“Orwell: 2+2=5” by Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck weaves archival footage from the adaptation of “1984” with a tapestry of 21st-century images to dissect Orwell’s genius and its important lessons for our time.
“The Perfect Neighbor” by Geeta Gundbil
This documentary explores fear, prejudice and the Stand Your Ground law, featuring police body camera recordings that capture the moment a protracted dispute between neighbors escalates into a deadly encounter.
