Glennhere.The nominations and specialty category winners were announced today for the 31st International Documentary Association Awards.It's a line-up heavy on artist portraits,Ukraine,and films heavy on the use of archive footage.Last year's IDA list featured three eventual Oscar nominees (Finding VivianMaier,Salt of the Earthand the winner of bothCitizenfour),but other years since 2010 the number has only been two.Except 2011 when the IDA people went way off course (in the best possible way) and awardedPatricioGuzman'sNostalgia for the Lightwith no eventual Oscar nominees in their list (Guzman'sThe Pearl Buttondidn't find favor from them this year,though).

I see no reason why this year won't follow that ratio status quo.But firstly let's take a look at the nominees.

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• Amy
• The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
• Listen to MeMarlon
• The Look of Silence
• The Russian Woodpecker
• What Happened,MissSimone?

I am extremely pleased to see the excellentRussian Woodpeckercited here.If Oscar could pay attention to that superb examination of paranoia amid the Ukrainian revolution then I would be more than ecstatic.And if you have the chance to see it then do yourself a favour.But what about the rest...