The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlist for the upcoming 98th Oscars, and Women Make Movie filmmakers are extremely well represented! More than half of the films shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature are by WMM filmmakers. This is a milestone for feminist filmmaking, and it builds on an autumn of nominations and wins that shows that long-term support nurtures talent and develops voices that give us unforgettable stories we all need.
Here are the films made with the support of the WMM Production Assistance Program to make the shortlist:
- APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS
Dir. by Petra Costa; prod. by Alessandra Orofino and Petra Costa
With extraordinary access to top political leaders, Petra Costa investigates the increasingly powerful grip Christian evangelical leaders hold over politics in Brazil. WMM also supported Petra’s previous Oscar-nominated feature, THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY.
- COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!
Dir. by Amber Fares; prod. by Amber Fares, Rachel Leah Jones, and Valérie Montmartin
Follows Israeli comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi as she crafts a one-woman show, tackling inequality and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. WMM also supported Amber Fares’s debut feature SPEED SISTERS and distributes THE JUDGE, which she co-produced.
- SEEDS
Dir. By Brittany Shyne; prods. Danielle Varga, Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, Brittany Shyne
Brittany Shyne’s debut feature offers a look into the lives of Black generational farmers, unveiling the challenges of maintaining legacy and the value of land ownership.
Additionally, five new films made by program alum and WMM filmmakers are on the Doc Feature shortlist including:
- COVER-UP, directed by alum Laura Poitras;
- FOLKTALES, directed and prod. by alum Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady;
- MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN, prod. Helle Faber (who also produced ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS, distributed by WMM)
- MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I – LAST AIR IN MOSCOW, directed by alum Julia Loktev
- THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR, directed by WMM filmmaker and Program Alum Geeta Gandbhir (who co-directed LOVE THE SINNER, distributed by WMM).
And two films from program alum made the shortlist for Documentary Shorts:
- CLASSROOM 4, dir. Eden Wurmfeld
- THE DEVIL IS BUSY, dir. Geeta Gandbhir, which is also produced by WMM filmmaker Amber Fares as well as Rose Arce and Soledad O’Brien, both producers of other films in our programs.
And, finally, a big shout-out to our wonderful board member Claire Aguilar, who was the Executive Producer for ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS, also on the shortlist for Documentary Shorts!
Nominations voting runs January 12–16, 2026, with official nominations announced January 22. The 98th Oscars will take place March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Congratulations to all of the filmmakers. For more details and the full shortlist, visit the Academy’s official announcement.
