OSCAR HISTORY: Best Documentary Feature

Non-fiction can sometimes be more dramatic than the most dramatic of narrative motion pictures. Over the years, the Academy has recognized some extraordinary documentary features and shorts, which in one way or another, help to illuminate our lives by showing us some amazing true stories, and sometimes in films that were not afraid to take on powerful forces to illuminate some very important points.


2023: 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL     (View Film Trailer)
2022: NAVALNY     (View Film Trailer)
2021: SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)     (View Film Trailer)
2020: MY OCTOPUS TEACHER     (View Film Trailer)
2019: AMERICAN FACTORY     (View Film Trailer)
2018: FREE SOLO     (View Film Trailer)
2017: ICARUS     (View Film Trailer)
2016: O.J. MADE IN AMERICA     (View Film Trailer)
2015: AMY     (View Film Trailer)
2014: CITIZENFOUR     (View Film Trailer)
2013: 20 FEET FROM STARDOM     (View Film Trailer)
2012: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN     (View Film Trailer)
2011: UNDEFEATED     (View Film Trailer)
2010: INSIDE JOB     (View Film Trailer)
2009: THE COVE     (View Film Trailer)
2008: MAN ON WIRE     (View Film Trailer)
2007: TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE     (View Film Trailer)
2006: AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH     (View Film Trailer)
2005: MARCH OF THE PENGUINS     (View Film Trailer)
2004: BORN INTO BROTHELS     (View Film Trailer)
2003: THE FOG OF WAR     (View Film Trailer)
2002: BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE     (View Film Trailer)
2001: MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING     (View Oscar Moment)
2000: INTO THE ARMS OF STRANGERS: STORIES OF THE KINDERTRANSPORT     (View Film Trailer)
1999: ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER     (View Film Trailer)
1998: THE LAST DAYS     (View Film Trailer)
1997: THE LONG WAY HOME     (View Film Trailer)
1996: WHEN WE WERE KINGS     (View Film Trailer)
1995: ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED     (View Oscar Moment)
1994: MAYA LIN : A STRONG CLEAR VISION     (View Film Trailer)
1993: I AM A PROMISE : THE CHILDREN OF STANTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL     (View Oscar Moment)
1992: THE PANAMA DECEPTION     (View Film Clip)
1991: IN THE SHADOW OF THE STARS     (View Oscar Moment)
1990: AMERICAN DREAM     (View Oscar Moment)
1989: COMMON THREADS : STORIES FROM THE QUILT     (View Film Trailer)
1988: HOTEL TERMINUS : THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KLAUS BARBIE     (View Film Trailer)
1987: THE TEN-YEAR LUNCH : THE WIT AND LEGEND OF THE ALGONQUIN ROUND TABLE     (View Film)
1986: (TIE) ARTIE SHAW: TIME IS ALL YOU'VE GOT ; DOWN AND OUT IN AMERICA     (View Oscar Moment)
1985: BROKEN RAINBOW     (View Film)
1984: THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK     (View Trailer)
1983: HE MAKES ME FEEL LIKE DANCIN'     (View Film Trailer)
1982: JUST ANOTHER MISSING KID     (View Film)
1981: GENOCIDE     (View Film Trailer)
1980: FROM MAO TO MOZART : ISAAC STERN IN CHINA     (View Film Trailer)
1979: BEST BOY     (View Film Trailer)
1978: SCARED STRAIGHT!     (View Film Clip)
1977: WHO ARE THE DEBOLTS? AND WHERE DID THEY GET NINETEEN KIDS?     (View Oscar Moment)
1976: HARLAN COUNTY, U.S.A.     (View Film Trailer)
1975: THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST     (View Film Trailer)
1974: HEARTS AND MINDS     (View Oscar Moment)
1973: THE GREAT AMERICAN COWBOY     (View Oscar Moment)
1972: MARJOE     (View Film Trailer)
1971: THE HELLSTROM CHRONICLE     (View Film Trailer)
1970: WOODSTOCK     (View Film Trailer)
1969: ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN - THE LOVE OF LIFE     (View Film)
1968: JOURNEY INTO SELF     (View Film Clip)
1967: THE ANDERSON PLATOON     (View Film Trailer)
1966: THE WAR GAME     (View Film Trailer)
1965: THE ELEANOR ROOSEVELT STORY     (View Film Trailer)
1964: JACQUES-YVES COUSTEAU'S WORLD WITHOUT SUN     (View Film Trailer)
1963: ROBERT FROST : A LOVER'S QUARREL WITH THE WORLD     (View Film Trailer)
1962: BLACK FOX     (View Film Clip)
1961: SKY ABOVE AND MUD BENEATH     (View Film)
1960: THE HORSE WITH THE FLYING TAIL     (View Film)
1959: SERENGETI SHALL NOT DIE    
1958: WHITE WILDERNESS     (View Film Trailer)
1957: ALBERT SCHWEITZER     (View Film Clip)
1956: THE SILENT WORLD     (View Film)
1955: HELEN KELLER IN HER STORY     (View Film)
1954: THE VANISHING PRAIRIE     (View Film Trailer)
1953: THE LIVING DESERT     (View Film Trailer)
1952: THE SEA AROUND US     (View Film Clip)
1951: KON-TIKI     (View Trailer)
1950: THE TITAN : STORY OF MICHELANGELO     (View Film)
1949: DAYBREAK IN UDI     (View Featurette)
1948: THE SECRET LAND     (View Film)
1947: DESIGN FOR DEATH    
1946: ---NOT GIVEN---    
1945: THE TRUE GLORY     (View Film)
1944: THE FIGHTING LADY     (View Film)
1943: DESERT VICTORY     (View Film)