Writers Guild of America Award Nominated Films for Documentary Screenplay
These are all the films that were nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Documentary Screenplay. I listed the screenwriters that were nominated. The films that won the award have the word "won" in bold in the description.
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- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsMikhail KhodorkovskyVladimir PutinLeonid NevzlinThe strange case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia, who rocketed to prosperity and prominence in the 1990s, served a decade in prison, and became an unlikely martyr for the anti-Putin movement.Nominee: Alex Gibney
- DirectorMark Jonathan HarrisStarsEarcylene BeaversJessica ChandlerJacqueline ChunOscar®-winning filmmakers Deborah Oppenheimer and Mark Jonathan Harris (Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport) reunite for a revealing first-hand look at the foster care system as seen through the eyes of those who know it best. With extraordinary access to the inner workings of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Oppenheimer and Harris go beyond the sensational headlines and stereotypes to take an unprecedented look at an often misunderstood world and upend some of the most enduring myths about foster care and those involved in the system.Nominee: Mark Jonathan Harris
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyElizabeth HolmesDan ArielyThe story of Theranos, a multi-billion dollar tech company, its founder Elizabeth Holmes, the youngest self-made female billionaire, and the massive fraud that collapsed the company.Nominee: Alex Gibney
- DirectorOren RudavskyStarsDaniel AlbertLauren AmbroseNicholson BakerJoseph Pulitzer spoke of "fake news" over 100 years ago and fought the dangers that the suppression of news had for a democracy long before our present threats to press freedom. His heroic battles have been forgotten along with the lessons we might learn from the tools he deployed against his enemies.Nominees: Robert Seidman and Oren Rudavsky
- DirectorLauren GreenfieldStarsImelda MarcosEtta RosalesFerdinand MarcosAn extraordinary look into the political career of Imelda Marcos, this documentary tells a cautionary tale of a powerful leader whose questionable sense of reality divided the Philippines.Nominee: Lauren Greenfield
- DirectorDava WhisenantStarsDavid LettermanMartin ShortChita RiveraA Late Night comedy writer stumbles upon a hilarious, hidden world of corporate entertainment and finds an unexpected connection to his fellow man. Tribeca and WGA Award winner.Won by Ozzy Inguanzo and Dava Whisenant
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsJim AcostaRoger AilesBrooke BaldwinFilmmaker Michael Moore examines the current state of American politics, particularly the Donald Trump presidency and gun violence, while highlighting the power of grassroots democratic movements.Nominee: Michael Moore
- DirectorLauren GreenfieldStarsLauren GreenfieldBret Easton EllisParis CroninA documentary that investigates the pathologies that have created the richest society the world has ever seen.Nominee: Lauren Greenfield
- DirectorGabe PolskyStarsWayne GretzkyJerry RicePeléThrough the eyes of the greatest athletes of all time, IN SEARCH OF GREATNESS is a cinematic journey into the secrets of genius.Nominee: Gabe Polsky
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsJane GoodallHugo Van LawickHugo Eric Louis van LawickThe life and work of the renowned primatology scientist, Jane Goodall, especially on her research about chimpanzees.Won by Brett Morgen
- DirectorTed BraunStarsWilliam AckmanDouglas M. BrooksWilliam CohanWriter/director Ted Braun follows controversial hedge fund titan Bill Ackman as he puts a billion dollars on the line in his crusade to expose Herbalife as the largest pyramid scheme in history.Nominee: Ted Braun
- DirectorAlex GibneyAn in-depth look at the unsolved 1994 Loughinisland massacre, where six Irishmen were murdered, presumably by a Unionist paramilitary group, while watching the World Cup at the local pub in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland.Nominee: Alex Gibney
- DirectorBarak GoodmanStarsJanet BeckAlan BergJim BottingDocuments the beliefs and experiences of Timothy McVeigh in the lead-up to his bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which claimed 168 lives.Nominee: Barak Goodman
- DirectorRobert KennerStarsMichael BidellerAndreas BirnbaumTom BrokawDocumentary of 1980's near-launch of a nuclear missile from Arkansas, based on Eric Shlosser's award-winning book of the same name.
- DirectorJeff FeuerzeigStarsLaura AlbertBruce BendersonTerrence OwensThe story behind literary persona JT LeRoy, the fictional writer created by American author Laura Albert.Nominee: Jeff Feuerzeig
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsDavid SangerEmad KiyaeiEric ChienA documentary focused on Stuxnet, a piece of self-replicating computer malware that the U.S. and Israel unleashed to destroy a key part of an Iranian nuclear facility, and which ultimately spread beyond its intended target.Nominee: Alex Gibney
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsPaul HaggisJason BegheSpanky TaylorA documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.Won by Alex Gibney
- DirectorRobert CohenStarsRobert CohenKathy GriffinConan O'BrienWhat does it actually mean to be Canadian? This humorous documentary, featuring interviews with a who's-who of famous media related Canadians, hopes to find the answer.Nominee: Robert Cohen
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsKurt CobainWendy O'ConnorDon CobainAn authorized documentary on the late musician Kurt Cobain, from his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his success and downfall with the grunge band Nirvana.Nominee: Brett Morgen
- DirectorAmy BergStarsNick CaveElaine AndersonSam BrowerWhen Warren Jeffs rose to Prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, he took control of a religion with a history of polygamous and underage marriage. In a short time, Warren managed to expand these practices and the power of his position in unprecedented ways. He bridged the gap between sister wives and ecclesiastical rape, befuddling the moral compass of his entire congregation. The film examines Warren Jeffs' life and shows how he became a worshiped and adored Prophet. Warren has a devout following numbering in the tens of thousands, many of whom would give their life at any moment with just one word from the Prophet. Despite a trail of abuse and ruined lives, Warren has maintained his grip on power.Nominee: Amy Berg
- DirectorBrian KnappenbergerStarsAaron SwartzTim Berners-LeeCindy CohnThe story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, who took his own life at the age of 26.Won by Brian Knappenberger
- DirectorJohn MaloofCharlie SiskelStarsVivian MaierJohn MaloofDaniel ArnaudA documentary on the late Vivian Maier, a nanny whose previously unknown cache of 100,000 photographs earned her a posthumous reputation as one of the most accomplished street photographers.Nominees: John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
- DirectorRory KennedyStarsRichard NixonHenry KissingerStuart HerringtonDuring the final days of the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbled. An unlikely group of heroes emerged as Americans and South Vietnamese took matters into their own hands.Nominees: Mark Bailey and Keven McAlester
- DirectorGabe PolskyStarsViacheslav FetisovVladislav TretiakScotty BowmanThe story of the Soviet Union's famed Red Army hockey team through the eyes of its players.Nominee: Gabe Polsky
- DirectorSarah PolleyStarsMichael PolleyJohn BuchanMark PolleyA film that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the elusive truth at the core of a family of storytellers.Won by Sarah Polley
- DirectorRick RowleyStarsJeremy ScahillNasser Al AulaqiSaleha Al AulaqiInvestigative journalist Jeremy Scahill is pulled into an unexpected journey as he chases down the hidden truth behind America's expanding covert wars.Nominees: Jeremy Scahill and David Riker
- DirectorMichael StevensStarsKen AulettaCarl BernsteinLewis BlackDocumentary about Herbert L. Bloc, Pulitzer Prize, and dreaded Washington Post cartoonist who influenced 21st century satire.Nominees: Sara Lukinson and Michael Stevens
- DirectorJanet TobiasStarsChris NicolaFruzsina PelikánSaul StermerA cave exploration in Ukraine leads to the unearthing of a story of World War II survivors who once found shelter in the same cave.Nominees: Janet Tobias and Paul Laikin
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsJulian AssangeAdrian LamoJohn 'FuzzFace' McMahonA documentary that details the creation of Julian Assange's controversial website, which facilitated the largest security breach in U.S. history.Nominee: Alex Gibney
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.Won by Malik Bendjelloul
- DirectorAmy BergStarsJason BaldwinDamien Wayne EcholsJessie MisskelleyAn examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three.Nominees: Amy Berg and Billy McMillin
- DirectorKen BurnsSarah BurnsDavid McMahonStarsAntron McCrayKevin RichardsonKharey WiseA documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsAmy ZieringKirby DickKori CiocaAn investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.Nominee: Kirby Dick
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyTerry KohutGary SmithAlex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all the way to the Vatican.Nominee: Alex Gibney
- DirectorBrian KnappenbergerStarsAnon2WorldAnonyopsJulian AssangeA documentary on the workings and beliefs of the self-described "hacktivist" collective, Anonymous.Nominee: Brian Knappenberger
- DirectorKelly DuaneKatie GallowayStarsScott CrowBrandon DarbyMatthew VadumA pair of childhood friends from Texas who set out to prove themselves.Won by Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane
- DirectorAsif KapadiaStarsAyrton SennaReginaldo LemeJohn BisignanoA documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.Nominee: Manish Pandey
- DirectorMarshall CurrySam CullmanStarsDaniel McGowanLisa McGowanTim LewisA rare behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America's 'number one domestic terrorist threat.'Nominees: Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek
- DirectorPatricio GuzmánStarsGaspar GalazLautaro NúñezLuís HenríquezA documentary about two different searches conducted in the Chilean Atacama Desert: one by astronomers looking for answers about the history of the cosmos, and one by women looking for the remains of loved ones killed by Pinochet's regime.Nominee: Patricio Guzmán
- DirectorWim WendersStarsPina BauschRegina AdventoMalou AiraudoA tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.Nominee: Wim Wenders
- DirectorLeonard Retel HelmrichPosition among the Stars, the final part of a trilogy, follows the award- winning documentaries Eye of the Day and Shape of the Moon (Joris Ivens Award IDFA 2004 - World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize Sundance 2005). Through the eyes of grandmother Rumidjah, a poor old Christian woman living in the slums of Jakarta, we see the economical changing society of Indonesia and the influence of globalization reflected in the life of her juvenile granddaughter Tari and her sons Bakti and Dwi. Director and DOP Leonard Retel Helmrich follows this family in a unique way with his breathtaking Single Shot Cinema-technique. Without interviews and voice-overs, Leonard will bring you closer to Indonesia than you will ever get.Nominees: Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich and Leonard Retel Helmrich
- DirectorCharles FergusonStarsMatt DamonGylfi ZoegaAndri Snær MagnasonTakes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
- DirectorJosh FoxStarsJosh FoxDick CheneyPete SeegerAn exploration of the fracking petroleum extraction industry and the serious environmental consequences involved.Nominee: Josh Fox
- DirectorRob LemkinThet SambathStarsThet SambathNuon CheaPol PotOne of the most harrowing and compelling personal documentaries of our time, ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE exposes for the first time the truth about the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge who were behind Cambodia's genocide.Nominees: Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath
- DirectorStanley NelsonStarsRaymond ArsenaultGenevieve HoughtonGordon CareyThe story of the Civil Rights Movement interstate busing protest campaign.Nominee: Stanley Nelson
- DirectorJeff ZimbalistMichael ZimbalistStarsMaría Ester EscobarFrancisco MaturanaAlexis García V.The rise of Colombian soccer is attributed to the influx of drug money into the sport by Pablo Escobar and the other drug cartels. However, the team's swift decline after Escobar's death results in the murder of star player Andres Escobar.Nominees: Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist
- 20101h 56mNot Rated7.6 (1.9K)68MetascoreDirectorJohn ScheinfeldStarsGerry BeckleyLee BlackmanPerry Botkin Jr.The life and work of the enigmatic folk rock singer-songwriter.Nominee: John Scheinfeld
- DirectorLouie PsihoyosStarsRichard O'BarryLouie PsihoyosHardy JonesUsing state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.Won by Mark Monroe
- DirectorRichard TrankStarsDustin HoffmanMatthew AsnerRobert CaitAgainst the Tide is a compelling film that documents what happened in the United States during the Holocaust.Nominees: Richard Trank and Marvin Hier
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreWilliam BlackJimmy CarterAn examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.Nominee: Michael Moore
- DirectorRobert StoneStarsStewart BrandRachel L. CarsonBill ClintonThe story of our growing awareness and understanding of the environmental crisis and emergence, during the 1960's and '70's, of popular movement to confront it.Nominee: Robert Stone
- DirectorJeff StilsonStarsChris RockMaya AngelouAl SharptonChris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.
- DirectorBill GuttentagDan SturmanStarsThe RootsJohn LegendWyclef JeanA fresh and exhilarating take on one of the most important social movements in American history, Soundtrack for a Revolution explores the civil rights struggle through the powerful and stirring songs that inspired a generation.Nominees: Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman
- DirectorAri FolmanStarsAri FolmanRon Ben-YishaiRonny DayagAn Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.Won by Ari Folman
- DirectorStefan ForbesStarsLee AtwaterTucker EskewJoe SlighThe Murrow, Polk, and IDA Award-winning documentary Boogie Man is about Lee Atwater, a blues-playing rogue whose rise from the South to Chairman of the GOP made him a political rock star. He mentored George W. Bush and Karl Rove while leading the Republican party to historic victories, helping make liberal a dirty word, and transforming the way America elects our Presidents. In interviews with Republicans and friends of Atwater, Boogie Man examines his role in America's shift to the right. To Democrats offended by the 1988 Willie Horton controversy, Atwater was a remorseless political assassin dubbed by one Congresswoman "the most evil man in America." The film examines his irreverent sense of humor, his understanding of the American heartland, and his unapologetic vision of politics as war. It ends with a portrait of a cynic's deathbed search for meaning.Nominees: Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsJeffrey WrightNick NolteRoy ScheiderArchival footage, animation, and music are used to look back at the eight anti-war protesters who were put on trial following the 1968 Democratic National Convention.Nominee: Brett Morgen
- DirectorJoshua TickellStarsLaurie LennardJoshua TickellLarry DavidAmerica is addicted to oil and it is time for an intervention. Enter Josh Tickell, a man with a plan and a Veggie Van, who is taking on big oil, big government, and big soy to find solutions in places few people have looked.Nominee: Johnny O'Hara
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsHunter S. ThompsonJohnny DeppJoe CairoA portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.Nominees: Alex Gibney and Hunter S. Thompson
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyBrian Keith AllenMoazzam BeggAlex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.Won by Alex Gibney
- DirectorAnthony GiacchinoThe Camden 28 explores how and why 28 individuals intentionally placed themselves at risk of arrest and imprisonment while protesting the war in Vietnam. Featuring a treasure of archival materials and current interviews with former FBI agents involved in the case and scholars such as Howard Zinn, The Camden 28 is a story about a potent form of dissent that has special relevance to our current political climate.Nominee: Anthony Giacchino
- DirectorBill GuttentagDan SturmanStarsHugo ArmstrongRosalind ChaoStephen DorffThrough readings of historical account by actors and the testimony of survivors, the events of the Nanjing Massacre are recounted.
- DirectorCharles FergusonStarsCampbell ScottGerald BurkeAli FadhilA comprehensive look at the Bush Administration's conduct of the Iraq war and its occupation of the country.Nominee: Charles Ferguson
- DirectorRichard BergeBonni CohenNicole NewnhamStarsJoan AllenE. Randol SchoenbergMaria AltmannThe story of Nazi Germany's plundering of Europe's great works of art during World War II and Allied efforts to minimize the damage.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreTucker AlbrizziTony BennA documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.Nominee: Michael Moore
- DirectorAmy BergStarsOliver O'GradyThomas DoyleAdamDocumentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.Won by Amy Berg
- DirectorWard SerrillStarsDarnellia RussellBill ReslerLudacrisA documentary Roosevelt Roughriders, a girls' high-school basketball team in Seattle, and one player's fight to regain her eligibility to play.Nominee: Ward Serrill
- 20061h 37mPG-137.3 (1.5K)67MetascoreDirectorPaul CrowderJohn DowerStarsPeléGiorgio ChinagliaMatt DillonThe rise and fall of the N.Y. Cosmos. The soccer team that brought Pele to America; against the backdrop of N.Y. City in the 70's.Nominees: Mark Monroe and John Dower
- DirectorChris PaineStarsMartin SheenTom HanksMel GibsonA documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future.Nominee: Chris Paine
- DirectorEugene JareckiStarsGore VidalJohn McCainKen AdelmanIs American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.Nominee: Eugene Jarecki
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsJohn BeardTim BeldenBarbara BoxerA documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.Won by Alex Gibney
- DirectorMichèle OhayonStarsIvan ThompsonA documentary on a 60-year-old New Mexico matchmaker who finds Mexican wives for American men for a fee.Nominee: Michèle Ohayon
- DirectorEllen PerryStarsAlberto FujimoriPresident Alberto Fujimori risked everything to win Peru's war on terror, but in doing so became an international fugitive, wanted for corruption, kidnapping and murder.
- DirectorLuc JacquetStarsMorgan FreemanRomane BohringerCharles BerlingIn the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
- DirectorMarshall CurryStarsJen BluesteinCory BookerBill BradleyThis documentary follows the 2002 mayoral campaign in Newark, New Jersey in which a City Councilman, Cory Booker, attempted to unseat longtime mayor Sharpe James.Nominee: Marshall Curry
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsMorgan SpurlockDaryl IsaacsChemeeka WalkerWhile examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.Won by Morgan Spurlock
- DirectorRoss McElweeStarsAllan GurganusPaula LarkeMarilyn LevineMcElwee family legend has it that the Hollywood melodrama "Bright Leaf" starring Gary Cooper as a 19th century tobacco grower, is based on filmmaker Ross McElwee's great-grandfather, who created the Bull Durham brand.Nominee: Ross McElwee
- DirectorJehane NoujaimStarsSamir KhaderJosh RushingGeorge W. BushA documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage.Nominees: Julia Bacha and Jehane Noujaim
- DirectorPaola di FlorioStarsJulie StevensStockard ChanningMolly HoweDocumentary on the civil rights activist, Viola Liuzzo, who was murdered in 1965 as she campaigned for black suffrage in Selma, Alabama, and its effect on her family.Nominee: Paola di Florio
- DirectorNickolas PerryHarry ThomasonStarsMorgan FreemanJonathan AlterSteve BarnesPreviously unreleased material outlines the campaign against Bill Clinton's presidency, from his days in Arkansas up to his impeachment trial.Nominees: Nickolas Perry and Harry Thomason
- DirectorJessica YuStarsHenry DargerDakota FanningLarry PineA documentary on Henry Darger, visionary artist, janitor, and novelist.Nominee: Jessica Yu