More than 50 female directors have made this year’s Grierson shortlist – a first in the history of the awards.
Fifty-one female directors make the cut – up from 36 who were in the running at this stage last year. They dominate in two categories: Best Documentary Series and Best Constructed Documentary Series, a new category for the 2016 awards which features First Dates and Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds (Channel 4) and The Real Marigold Hotel (BBC Two) amongst its shortlisted films.
Whilst the BBC and Channel 4 continue to dominate with 41 and 26 entries respectively, the 2016 shortlist sees the widest spread of broadcasters and channels ever represented. Theguardian.com makes its shortlist debut with We Walk Together by John Domokos.
Ten films (or their presenters) have been shortlisted in multiple categories:
• Breaking Into Britain: The Lorry Jumpers earns director Leo Maguire a double as his film features on both Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – Domestic and International.
• Alex Gibney’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief makes the cut in both Contemporary Theme – International and Best Cinema alongside Jerry Rothwell’s How To Change the World.
• Asif Kapadia’s Amy features on both Best Arts and Best Cinema Documentary shortlists.
• David Olesoga, David Attenborough and Davina McCall all feature on the Best Presenter shortlist with their films making their respective shortlists: Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners: Profit and Loss for David Olesoga in Best Historical Documentary; Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur in Best Natural History Documentary; and, Davina McCall’s Long Lost Family in the new Best Constructed Documentary Series category.
• David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough also makes the cut in Best Natural History Documentary.
• Channel 4’s Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Years Olds charmed the nation and the shortlisting juries for both Best Entertaining Documentary and Best Constructed Documentary Series.
• Shortlisted Best Newcomer Marcus Plowright also makes the cut in Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – Domestic with his film Muslim Drag Queens.
Final nominations will be announced on 20th September prior to the awards ceremony at The Mermaid, London on Monday 7 November 2016. Announcement of the BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award winner will be made in the autumn.
The full shortlist:
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – Domestic
The Age of Loneliness
Sue Bourne for Wellpark Productions; first shown: BBC One
Behind Closed Doors
Anna Hall for True Vision Aire; first shown: BBC One
Breaking into Britain: The Lorry Jumpers
Leo Maguire for Minnow Films; first shown: Channel 4
Chemsex
William Fairman, Max Gogarty for VICE Media; first shown: London Film Festival
How to Die: Simon’s Choice
Rowan Deacon for Minnow Films; first shown: BBC Two
Love You to Death: A Year of Domestic Violence
Vanessa Engle for BBC Documentaries; first shown: BBC Two
Muslim Drag Queens
Marcus Plowright for Swan Films; first shown: Channel 4
My Son the Jihadi
Peter Beard for True Vision Productions; first shown: Channel 4
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – International
3 Days That Shook Paris
Ursula Macfarlane, Anna Pritchard for Films of Record; first shown: More 4
Breaking into Britain: The Lorry Jumpers
Leo Maguire for Minnow Films; first shown: Channel 4
Children of the Gaza War
James Jones for BBC; first shown: BBC Two
Falciani’s Tax Bomb
Ben Lewis for Gebrüder Beetz Film produktion; first shown: Sheffield Doc/Fest
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions; first shown: General theatrical release
How to Change the World
Jerry Rothwell for Met Film Production, Insight Productions Ltd, Daniel Films;
first shown: Sky Atlantic
Mumbai High: The Musical
Brian Hill, Sam Benstead for Century Films Ltd; first shown: BBC Four
Storyville: A Syrian Love Story
Sean McAllister for Tenfoot films; first shown: BBC Four
The Open University Best Documentary on Current Affairs
Al Jazeera Investigates – Genocide Agenda
Adrian Billing for Al Jazeera Media Network; first shown: Al Jazeera
Dispatches: Escape from Isis
Edward Watts for ITN; first shown: Channel 4
Exposure: Jihad: A British Story
Deeyah Khan for Fuuse Films; first shown: ITV
Exposure: Saudi Arabia Uncovered
James Jones for Hardcash Productions; first shown: ITV
The Jihadis Next Door
Jamie Roberts for Mentorn Media; first shown: Channel 4
This World: Outbreak: The Truth About Ebola
Dan Edge for Mongoose Pictures and Quicksilver Media; first shown: BBC Two
Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks
Dan Reed for Amos Pictures; first shown: BBC Two
We Walk Together
John Domokos for The Guardian; first shown: theguardian.com
Best Arts Documentary
Amy
Asif Kapadia for On The Corner; first shown: General theatrical release
Bolshoi Babylon
Nick Read, Mark Franchetti for Red Box Films; first shown: General theatrical release
Handmade – Glass
Ian Denyer for BBC Scotland Arts; first shown: BBC Four
Painting the Johnsons
Rupert Edwards for Riverdog Productions; first shown: Sky Arts
Secrets of the Mona Lisa
Ian Leese for Brinkworth Films; first shown: BBC Two
Ted Hughes: Stronger Than Death
Richard Curson Smith for Matchlight; first shown: BBC Two
The Vote
Josie Rourke, Tony Grech-Smith for Two Four/Donmar Warehouse ; first shown: More 4
What Do Artists Do All Day: Sue Webster
Colette Camden for BBC Scotland Arts; first shown: BBC Four
ITN Source Best Historical Documentary
1945: The Savage Peace
Peter Molloy for Blakeway Productions; first shown: BBC Two
The 7/7 London Bombing: Survivors’ Stories
Carl Hindmarch for STV; first shown: ITV
Attacking the Devil
Jacqui Morris, David Morris for Frith Street Films Ltd; first shown: General theatrical release
Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners: Profit and Loss
James Van Der Pool, Ben Crichton for BBC Studios; first shown: BBC Two
Decadence and Downfall: The Shah of Iran’s Ultimate Party
Hassan Amini for Amber Television; first shown: BBC Four
Hunt for the Arctic Ghost Ship
Ben Finney, Drama Director: Stuart Elliott for Lion Television; first shown: Channel 4
My Nazi Legacy
David Evans for Wildgaze & Willow Films; first shown: General theatrical release
Victorian Bakers – Ep 2
Mark Bates, Neil Ferguson for Wall to Wall; first shown: BBC Two
Clockwork Capital Best Science Documentary
Can You Stop My Multiple Sclerosis?
Alison Priestley, Alys Cummings for BBC TV; first shown: BBC One
Countdown to Life: Against The Odds
Helen Sage for BBC Science Production London in partnership with The Open University; first shown: BBC Two
First Contact: Lost Tribe of Amazon
Angus Macqueen for Ronachan Films; first shown: Channel 4
Heston’s Dinner In Space
Jay Taylor for Thoroughly Modern Media; first shown: Channel 4
Inside Einstein’s Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time
Jamie Lochhead for Windfall Films; first shown: BBC Four
My Beautiful Broken Brain
Lotje Sodderland, Sophie Robinson for My Beautiful Broken Brain Ltd; first shown: Netflix
Oak Tree: Nature’s Greatest Survivor
Nic Stacey for Furnace TV; first shown: BBC Four
Ten Billion
Peter Webber for Oxford Film & Television; first shown: Sky Atlantic
Best Natural History Documentary
Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur
Charlotte Scott for BBC Natural History Unit / PBS; first shown: BBC One
Bear with Me
Yana Yerlashova; first shown: RT
Big Cats: An Amazing Animal Family
Alex Williamson for Offspring Films; first shown: Sky 1
Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough – Episode 3: Survival
Mike Davis, Anne Sommerfield for Atlantic Productions; first shown: BBC One
The Great Polar Bear Feast
Nick Clark-Powell, Andrew Graham-Brown for Renegade Pictures (UK) Ltd; first shown: Channel 4
The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge
Alastair Fothergill, Huw Cordey for Silverback Films; first shown: BBC One
Loch Lomond: Spring – The Season of New Life
Duncan Chard for Tigress Productions and GroupM; first shown: Channel 5
Shark – programme 1
Steve Greenwood for BBC; first shown: BBC One
Nyman Libson Paul Best Entertaining Documentary
100 Year-Old Drivers Ride Again
Harry Beney for RDF Television; first shown: ITV
Being Ginger
Scott P. Harris; first shown: Netflix
Billy Connolly’s Tracks Across America – Ep 3
Mike Reilly for 7 Wonder; first shown: ITV
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon
Douglas Tirola for 4th Row Films; first shown: Sky Atlantic
Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds – Ep 2
Nicola Brown (Series Director), Harjeet Chhoker, Kathryn Tregidgo, Rachel Harvie for RDF Media; first shown: Channel 4
The Secret World of Lego
Christian Trumble for Waddell Media; first shown: Channel 4
The Tribe – Ep 2
Paddy Wivell for Renegade; first shown: Channel 4
A Very British Brothel
Michael Beilinson for Transparent Television; first shown: Channel 4
Envy Best Documentary Series
Dementiaville
Pamela Gordon (Series Director) for TwoFour /GroupM Entertainment / The Open University; first shown: Channel 4
The Detectives
James Newton for Minnow Films; first shown: BBC Two
The Hunt
Alastair Fothergill, Huw Cordey for Silverback Films; first shown: BBC One
Inside Obama’s White House
Paul Mitchell, Sarah Wallis, Delphine Jaudeau, Mick Gold, Norma Percy for Brook Lapping Productions; first shown: BBC Two
Life and Death Row
Marina Parker, Jonathan Taylor, Ellena Wood, Francine Shaw for BBC Documentaries Production; first shown: BBC Three
The Met: Policing London
Abigail Priddle, Clare Richards, Holly Challinor for BBC Documentaries Production; first shown: BBC One
The Murder Detectives
Dave Nath – Series Director for Films of Record; first shown: Channel 4
The Tribe
Paddy Wivell for Renegade Pictures; first shown: Channel 4
Evolutions Best Constructed Documentary Series
Back in Time for The Weekend
Tom McCarthy, Victoria Bell, Kim Maddever, Emma Frank for Wall To Wall; first shown: BBC Two
First Dates
Gilly Goshawk and Richard Mills for Twenty Twenty; first shown: Channel 4
Gogglebox
Stephen Lambert, Tania Alexander, Chantal Boyle, Tom Whitrow for Studio Lambert; first shown: Channel 4
Hunted
Wes Pollitt for Shine TV; first shown: Channel 4
Long Lost Family
Freddie Foss-Smith, Page Shepherd, Claire Lewis, Caroline Matthews, Sarah Feltes, Leo Burley for Wall To Wall Media; first shown: ITV
The Real Marigold Hotel
Series Director: Tom Currie for Twofour; first shown: BBC Two
SAS Who Dares Wins
Production team for Minnow Films; first shown: Channel 4
Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds
Nicola Brown (Series Director), Harjeet Chhoker, Kathryn Tregidgo and Rachel Harvie for RDF Media; first shown: Channel 4
Bertha DocHouse Best Cinema Documentary
Amy
Asif Kapadia for On The Corner; first shown: General theatrical release
Best of Enemies
Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon; first shown: General theatrical release
Cartel Land
Matthew Heineman; first shown: General theatrical release
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions; first shown: General theatrical release
How to Change the World
Jerry Rothwell for Met Film Production, Daniel Films, Insight Production Ltd; first shown: General theatrical release
The Look of Silence
Joshua Oppenheimer, co-director: Anonymous; first shown: General theatrical release
Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures
Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato; first shown: General theatrical release
Sherpa
Jennifer Peedom for Arrow Media/Felix Media; first shown: General theatrical release
Channel 4 Best Newcomer Documentary
16 Years till Summer
Lou McLoughlan for Loumclou Films Ltd; first shown: Sheffield Doc/Fest
Catching History’s Criminals: The Forensics Story
Emma Oastler for BBC Science Scotland; The Open University; BBC Worldwide; first shown: BBC Four
Chasing Dad: A Lifelong Addiction
Phillip Wood for Rare Day; first shown: BBC Three
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
Adam Benzine for Jet Black Iris Productions UK / Jet Black Iris Corporation / Jet Black Iris America LLC; first shown: Sheffield Doc/Fest
Colours of the Alphabet
Alastair Cole for Lansdowne Productions Ltd; first shown: 2016 Glasgow Film Festival
The Extraordinary Case of Alex Lewis
Leonardo Machado for Twofour; first shown: Channel 4
Muslim Drag Queens
Marcus Plowright for Swan Films; first shown: Channel 4
Where You’re Meant to Be
Paul Fegan for Better Days Ltd; first shown: Glasgow Film Festival
Sky Atlantic Best Student Documentary
AWA: Zimbabwe’s Rap Queen
Max Thurlow for London College of Communication; first shown: University/College screening
Coalville Gold
Ross Bolidai for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
Forest Gate Girls
Tariq Elmeri for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
The Pacemaker
Selah Hennessy for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
The Sunflower Inn
Miriam Ernst for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
Transindia
Meera Darji for Coventry University; first shown: University/College screening
Uprooted
Ross Domoney for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
Women in Sink
Iris Zaki for Royal Holloway, University of London; first shown: UK Jewish Film Festival
Warner Bros TV Production UK Documentary Presenter of the Year
ADAM PEARSON for Adam Pearson: Freak Show & The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime
Nick Poyntz for betty; first shown: BBC Three
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH for Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur
Charlotte Scott for BBC Natural History Production / PBS America; first shown: BBC One
DAVID OLUSOGA for Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners
James Van Der Pool, Ben Crichton for BBC Studios first shown: BBC Two
DAVINA MCCALL for Long Lost Family
Freddie Foss-Smith, Page Shepherd, Claire Lewis, Caroline Matthews, Sarah Feltes, Leo Burley for Wall to Wall Media; first shown: ITV
HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL for Hugh’s War on Waste
Minoo Bhatia and Callum Webster for KEO Films; first shown: BBC One
LOUIS THEROUX for Louis Theroux: Drinking To Oblivion
Tom Barrow, Jamie Pickup (Series Producer) for BBC Documentaries Production; first shown: BBC Two
MARY BEARD for Mary Beard’s Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit
Chris Mitchell for Lion Television; first shown: BBC Two
PAUL MAYHEW-ARCHER for Parkinson’s: The Funny Side
Jane Goddard for BBC South; first shown: BBC One
Jon Creamer
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