BAFTA Award for Best Documentary

Last updated
BAFTA Award for Best Documentary
Awarded forIn recognition of the number of high-quality theatrical documentaries released in cinemas
Country United Kingdom
Presented by British Academy of Film and Television Arts
First awarded1948
Currently held by 20 Days in Mariupol (2023)
Website BAFTA Website

This page lists the winners for the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, formerly known as the Robert Flaherty Documentary Award, for each year.

Contents

In the following lists, the titles and names in bold with a gold background are the winners and recipients respectively; those not in bold are the nominees. The years given are those in which the films under consideration were released, not the year of the ceremony, which always takes place the following year.

History

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, children's film and television, and interactive media. A theatrical documentary award was presented by the Academy between 1948 and 1990. Documentaries have continued to be honoured with British Academy Television Awards since then and have been eligible in all relevant categories at the Film Awards. In 2012, the Academy re-introduced this category in recognition of the number of high-quality theatrical documentaries released in cinemas in the UK each year. [1]

Winners and nominees

  indicates the winner

1940s

YearFilmDirector
1948
(2nd)
Louisiana Story Robert J. Flaherty
Farrebique Georges Rouquier
Is Everybody Listening?Jackson Beck
Shadow of the Ruhr Sergei Nolbandov
Those Blasted Kids Astrid Henning-Jensen and Bjarne Henning-Jensen
Three Dawns to Sydney John Eldridge
1949
(3rd)
Daybreak in Udi Terry Bishop
Circulation
The Cornish Engine Bill Mason and Philip Armitage
Drug Addict Robert Anderson
Island of the Lagoon (Isole Nella Laguna) Luciano Emmer and Enrico Gras
The Liver Fluke in Great BritainJohn Shearman
Report on the Refugee Problem

1950s

YearFilmDirector
1950
(4th)
The UndefeatedPaul Dickson
Inland WaterwaysR.K. Neilson-Baxter
Kon-Tiki Thor Heyerdahl
Green is the Mountain (La Montagne est Verte)Jean Lehérissey
Seal Island James Algar
The VaticanHans M. Nieter
Life Begins Tomorrow (La Vie Commence Demain) Nicole Védrès
1951
(5th)
Beaver Valley James Algar
Visit to Picasso (Bezoek aan Picasso) Paul Haesaerts
David Paul Dickson
A Family Affair Margaret Thomson
Family Portrait Humphrey Jennings
Oil for the Twentieth CenturyPeter Bradford
Out of True Philip Leacock
1952
(6th)
Royal Journey David Bairstow, Gudrun Parker and Roger Blais
Fishermen of Negombo
Highlights of Farnborough 1952Peter De Normanville
Journey into History John Taylor
Le Mans 1952 Bill Mason
Nature's Half Acre James Algar
Ocean TerminalJ.B. Holmes
The Open WindowHenri Storck
Opera School Gudrun Parker
Rig 20David Villiers and Ronald H. Riley
The Streamlined PigJørgen Roos
1953
(7th)
The Conquest of Everest George Lowe
White Mane (Crin Blanc) Albert Lamorisse
Elizabeth is QueenTerry Ashwood
Pictures of the Middle Ages (Images Medievales)
Kumak, The Sleepy Hunter Alma Duncan
Mille Miglia Bill Mason
Operation HurricaneRonald Stark
A Queen Is Crowned Christopher Fry
Teeth of the Wind
Life in the Arctic (Vo l'dakh Okeana)Aleksandr Zguridi
Water Birds Ben Sharpsteen
World Without End
1954
(8th)
The Great Adventure (Det Stora Äventyret) Arne Sucksdorff
Back of Beyond John Heyer
Lekko!Herman van der Horst
3-2-1-Zero
Thursday's Children Guy Brenton and Lindsay Anderson
1955
(9th)
The Vanishing Prairie James Algar
Gold Colin Low
Miner's WindowJohn Ferno
The Rival World Bert Haanstra
1956
(10th)
On the Bowery Lionel Rogosin
Foothold in Antarctica Derek Williams
Generator 4 F. R. Crawley
The Silent World (Le Monde Du Silence) Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle
Under the Same Sky Kurt Weber
1957
(11th)
Journey into Spring Ralph Keene
City of Gold Colin Low and Wolf Koenig
Every Day Except Christmas Lindsay Anderson
Holiday
The USA in the Thirties
1958
(12th)
Glass (Glas) Bert Haanstra
The Forerunner John Heyer
Jabulani Afrika Jamie Uys
LS Lowry John Read
Secrets of the Reef Murray Lerner, Lloyd Ritter and Robert M. Young
Wonders of ChicagoHarry Foster
1959
(13th)
The Savage Eye Joseph Strick, Sidney Meyers and Ben Maddow
This is the BBCRichard Cawston
We Are the Lambeth Boys Karel Reisz
White Wilderness James Algar

1960s

YearFilmRecipient(s)
1960
(14th)
Not awarded
1961
(15th)
Volcano (Le Rendezvous du diable) Haroun Tazieff
1962
(16th)
Not awarded
1963
(17th)
1964
(18th)
Nobody Waved Good-bye Don Owen
The Human Dutch Bert Haanstra
The Life of Billy Walker
Portrait of QueenieMichael Orrom
1965
(19th)
Tokyo Olympiad Kon Ichikawa
Brute Force and Finesse Max Morgan-Witts
Deckie Learner Michael Grigsby
Stravinsky Roman Kroitor and Wolf Koenig
1966
(20th)
Goal! The World CupAbidine Dino and Ross Devenish
Buster Keaton Rides Again John Spotton
I'm Going to Ask You to Get Up Out of Your SeatRichard Cawston
Matador Kevin Billington
1967
(21st)
To Die in Madrid Frédéric Rossif
Famine Jack Gold
The Things I Cannot Change Tanya Ballantyne
1968
(22nd)
In Need of Special CareJonathan Stedall
Inside North Vietnam Felix Greene
Music! Michael Tuchner
A Plague On Your Children Adrian Malone
1969
(23rd)
Prologue Robin Spry

1970s

YearFilmRecipient(s)
1970
(24th)
Sad Song of Yellow Skin Michael Rubbo
1971
(25th)
The Hellstrom Chronicle Walon Green
Death of a Legend Bill Mason
1972
(26th)
Not awarded
1973
(27th)
Grierson Roger Blais
1974
(28th)
Cree Hunters of Mistassini Boyce Richardson and Tony Ianzelo
Compañero: Victor Jara of Chile Stanley Forman and Martin Smith
Leprosy
1975
(29th)
The Early AmericansAlan Pendry
Seven Green BottlesEric Marquis
1976
(30th)
Los Canadienses Albert Kish
White Rock Tony Maylam
1977
(31st)
Not awarded
1978
(32nd)
The Silent WitnessDavid Rolfe
1979
(33rd)
The Tree of Wooden Clogs Ermanno Olmi

1980s

YearFilmRecipient(s)
1980
(34th)
Not awarded
1981
(35th)
Soldier Girls Nick Broomfield and Joan Churchill
Best Boy Ira Wohl
The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter Connie Field
Return JourneyIan Potts
1982
(36th)
Burden of Dreams Les Blank
The Atomic Café Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty
Not a Love Story Bonnie Sherr Klein
The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time! Jim Brown
1983
(37th)
Schindler Jon Blair
Forty Minutes: Female CircumcisionLouise Panton
The Visit: Part 3 - The Boy DavidAlex McCall
Wildlife on One: Night Life Dilys Breese
1984
(38th)
28 Up Michael Apted
GI Brides Lavinia Warner
South Bank Show: Alan BennettDavid Hinton
Afghanistan Reports: Allah Against The Gunships Sandy Gall
1985
(39th)
Omnibus: Leonard Berstein's West Side StoryChristopher Swann
Marilyn Monroe: Say Goodbye to the PresidentChristopher Olgiati
David Lean: A Life in FilmNigel Wattis
The Frozen Ocean: Part 1 - Kingdom of the Ice Bear Mike Salisbury and Hugh Miles
1986
(40th)
Shoah Claude Lanzmann
Viewpoint '86: Afghanistan: The Agony of a Nation Sandy Gall
Omnibus: The MissionRobin Lough
Forty Minutes: The Fishing Party Paul Watson
Equinox: Prisoner of ConsciousnessJohn Dollar
British Cinema: Personal View - A Turnip Head's Guide to the British Cinema Alan Parker
1987
(41st)
Baka - People of The Rain ForestPhil Agland
Man-Eating Tigers/Saving the Tiger Naresh Bedi
Fourteen Days in May Paul Hamann
Forty Minutes: Home from the Hill Molly Dineen
1988
(42nd)
This Week: Death on the RockChris Oxley
The Duty Men: East EndersPaul Hamann
In from the Cold: A Portrait of Richard Burton Tony Palmer
Viewpoint Special: The Men Who Killed KennedyNigel Turner
1989
(43rd)
First Tuesday: Four Hours in My Lai Kevin Sim
Viewpoint '89: Cambodia - Year 10: A Special Report by John Pilger David Munro
Lost Children of the EmpireJoanna Mack and Mike Fox
Everyman: Romania - State of FearJohn Blake

2010s

YearFilmRecipient(s)
2011
(65th)
[2]
Senna Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, James Gay-Rees, Asif Kapadia and Manish Pandey
George Harrison: Living in the Material World Olivia Harrison, Martin Scorsese and Nigel Sinclair
Project Nim Simon Chinn and James Marsh
2012
(66th)
[3] [4]
Searching for Sugar Man Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn
The Imposter Bart Layton and Dimitri Doganis
McCullin David Morris and Jacqui Morris
Marley Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing and Charles Steel
West of Memphis Amy J. Berg
2013
(67th)
[5]
The Act of Killing Joshua Oppenheimer
The Armstrong Lie Alex Gibney
Blackfish Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Tim's Vermeer Teller, Penn Jillette and Farley Ziegler
We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks Alex Gibney
2014
(68th)
[6]
Citizenfour Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky
20 Feet from Stardom Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers and Gil Friesen
20,000 Days on Earth Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
Finding Vivian Maier John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Virunga Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara
2015
(69th)
[7] [8]
Amy James Gay-Rees and Asif Kapadia
Cartel Land Matthew Heineman and Tom Yellin
He Named Me Malala Davis Guggenheim, Laurie MacDonald and Walter Parkes
Listen to Me Marlon John Battsek, George Chignell, R. J. Cutler and Stevan Riley
Sherpa Bridget Ikin, Jennifer Peedom and John Smithson
2016
(70th)
[9] [10]
13th Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Howard Barish
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Scott Pascucci and Nigel Sinclair
The Eagle Huntress Otto Bell and Stacey Reiss
Notes on Blindness Peter Middleton and James Spinney
Weiner Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg
2017
(71st)
[11]
I Am Not Your Negro Raoul Peck
City of Ghosts Matthew Heineman
Icarus Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan
An Inconvenient Sequel Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk
Jane Brett Morgen and Bryan Burk
2018
(72nd)
[12] [13]
Free Solo Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Shannon Dill and Evan Hayes
McQueen Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui
RBG Julie Cohen and Betsy West
They Shall Not Grow Old Peter Jackson and Clare Olssen
Three Identical Strangers Tim Wardle, Grace Hughes-Hallett and Becky Read
2019
(73rd)
[14] [15]
For Sama Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts
American Factory Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
Apollo 11 Todd Douglas Miller
Diego Maradona Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin
The Great Hack Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim

2020s

YearFilmRecipient(s)
2020
(74th)
[16] [17]
My Octopus Teacher Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet Alastair Fothergill, Jonnie Hughes and Keith Scholey
Collective Alexander Nanau
The Dissident Bryan Fogel, Thor Halvorssen, Mark Monroe and Jake Swantko
The Social Dilemma Jeff Orlowski and Larissa Rhodes
2021
(75th)
[18]
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent and Joseph Patel
Becoming Cousteau Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan
Cow Andrea Arnold and Kat Mansoor
Flee Jonas Poher Rasmussen and Monica Hellström
The Rescue Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, John Battsek and P. J. van Sandwijk
2022
(76th)
[19] [20]
Navalny Daniel Roher, Diane Becker, Shane Boris, Melanie Miller and Odessa Rae
All That Breathes Shaunak Sen, Teddy Leifer and Aman Mann
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov and John Lyons
Fire of Love Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman
Moonage Daydream Brett Morgen
2023
(77th)
[21]
20 Days in Mariupol Mstyslav Chernov and Raney Aronson-Rath
American Symphony Matthew Heineman, Lauren Domino and Joedan Okun
Beyond Utopia Madeleine Gavin, Rachel Cohen and Jana Edelbaum
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie Davis Guggenheim, Jonathan King and Annetta Marion
Wham! Chris Smith

See also

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