Grierson shortlist announced

The Grierson Trust has announced the shortlist for the 2012 British Documentary Awards – find out which documentaries are in the running for Britain’s most prestigious documentary awards.

This year, which marks the 40^th anniversary for the Griersons, the awards saw an 18% increase in the amount of films that were submitted.

The shortlist is dominated by the BBC, which sees 40 films appear on the list. The broadcaster seems especially strong in the educational fields of arts and science. Also the series category is dominated by the BBC with 7 out of the 8 nominated docs featuring their name.

Dogwoof, the documentary distributor who is quickly establishing itself as the number one partner for documentary films in the UK, also sees three films appear on the list. These are: Dreams of a Life (Carol Morley’s doc was also nominated for a London Film Festival Grierson documentary award back in October 2011), Bobby Fischer Against the World and Errol Morris’ Tabloid.

Just two documentaries share the honour of being shortlisted in multiple categories: the “emotionally charged” Protecting Our Children, which is featuring in the Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – Domestic and the Envy Best Documentary Series list; and the BBC hit series Frozen Planet, which features in the Science and Envy Best Series categories.

Deluxe 142 Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – Domestic

Dispatches: Britain’s Sex Gangs – Anna Hall for True Vision Productions; first shown: Channel 4
The Four Year Plan – Mat Hodgson for Ad Hoc Films; first shown: General theatrical release
My Child the Rioter – Olly Lambert; first shown: BBC Two
Panorama: Undercover Care - The Abuse Exposed – Matthew Chapman for BBC Productions; first shown: BBC One
Protecting Our Children: Damned if they do, damned if they don’t – Sacha Mirzoeff for BBC Bristol; first shown: BBC Two
Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die – Charlie Russell for Keo North; first shown: BBC Two
Transplant - Nic Blower for Lion TV; first shown: BBC One
We Need to Talk About Dad - Elizabeth Stopford for Rare Day; first shown: Channel 4

Shell Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – International

Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark – May Ying Welsh for Al Jazeera English; first shown: Al Jazeera English
BAKA: A Cry from the Rainforest – Phil Agland for River Films; first shown: BBC Two
Children of the Tsunami – Dan Reed for Renegade Pictures (UK) Ltd; first shown: BBC Two
Crime After Crime – Yoav Potash for Life Sentence Films; first shown: Jewish Film Festival,London
For Neda – Antony Thomas for Mentorn Media in association with Antony Thomas PR; first shown: More 4
Hell and Back Again – Danfung Dennis for Roast Beef Productions; first shown: More 4
The Life and Loss of Karen Woo – Ursula Macfarlane for Century Films; first shown: ITV1
Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields – Callum McRae for ITN; first shown: Channel 4

Open University Best Arts Documentary

Beyond the Notes – Dick Fontaine for BeBop Productions; first shown: BBC Four
The Camera That Changed the World – Mandy Chang for Lambent Productions; first shown: BBC Four
Crucifixion – Srik Narayanan for The Garden Productions; first shown: Channel 4
Graffiti Wars – Jane Preston for Two Four Pros; first shown: Channel 4
Jeremy Deller: Middle Class Hero – Jack Cocker for BBC Scotland; first shown: BBC Two
Lucien Freud: Painted Life – Randall Wright for Blakeway Productions; first shown: BBC Two
Queen: Days of Our Lives – Matt O’Casey for Globe Productions; first shown: BBC Two
Rostropovich: The Genius of the Cello – John Bridcut for ITN; first shown: BBC Four

ITN Source Best Historical Documentary

9/11: The Day that Changed the World – Leslie Woodhead for Brook Lapping; first shown: ITV1 
Britain’s Greatest Code Breaker – Claire Beaven for Furnace Productions; first shown: Channel 4
Double Agent: The Eddie Chapman Story – Stephen Walker for Walker George Films; first shown: BBC Two
Fight to Save the World: Sergio – Greg Barker for Passion Pictures, Silverbridge; first shown: BBC Four
The King and the Playwright: A Jacobean History – Equivocation – Steven Clarke for Green Bay Media; first shown: BBC Four
The Love of Books: A Sarajevo Story – Sam Hobkinson for Oxford Film and Television; first shown: BBC Four
The Plot to Bring Down Britain’s Planes – Ben Chanan for Raw TV; first shown: Channel 4
World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel – Russell Barnes for Barnes Hassid Productions; first shown: BBC Four

Best Science Documentary

After Life: The Strange Science of Decay – Fred Hepburn, Dani Carlaw for BBC; first shown: BBC Four
Beyond the Cosmos: Space Odyssey – Jonathan Sahula, Graham Judd, Sabin Streeter; first shown: National Geographic
Earthflight – North America – Rob Pilley for John Downer Productions; first shown: BBC One
Frontline Medicine: Survival – Paul Overton for BBC; first shown: BBC Two
Frozen Planet: On Thin Ice – Dan Rees for BBC Natural History Unit; first shown: BBC One
Inside Nature’s Giants – Sperm Wale – Tom Mustill for Windfall Films; first shown: Channel 4
Mummifying Alan – Kenny Scott for Blink FIlms in association with Media Lab ; first shown: Channel 4
My Life as a Turkey – David Allen for Passion Pictures; first shown: BBC Two

Most Entertaining Documentary

The Bengali Detective – Phil Cox for Native Voice Films; first shown: Cambridge Film Festival
The Choir: Military Wives – episode 1 - Lucy Hillman for Twenty Twenty TV; first shown: BBC Two
Elizabeth Taylor – Auction of a Lifetime – Michael Waldman for Silver River Productions; first shown: Channel 4
A Hasidic Guide to Love, Marriage and Finding a Bride – Paddy Wivell; first shown: BBC Two
Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder – Christian Trumble for RDF Television; first shown: Channel 4
Perfume: Something Old, Something New – Ian Denyer for The Garden Productions; first shown: BBC Four
Rich Hall’s Continental Drifters – Chris Cottam, Rich Hall for Open Mike Productions; first shown: BBC Four
Timothy Spall: All at Sea - The Last Splash – Paul Crompton for Barge Pole Productions; first shown: BBC Four

Envy Best Documentary Series

Catholics – Richard Alwyn for Wingspan Productions; first shown: BBC Four
Earthflight – John Downer, Philip Dalton, Rob Pilley and Tilly Parker for John Downer Productions; first shown: BBC One
Educating Essex – David Clews for TwoFour Productions; first shown: Channel 4
Frozen Planet – Vanessa Berlowitz for BBC Natural History Unit; first shown: BBC One
Money – Vanessa Engle for BBC; first shown: BBC Two
Our War – Bruce Goodison, John Douglas, Stuart Bernard; first shown: BBC Three
Protecting Our Children – Sacha Mirzoeff, Emma Burman for BBC Productions; first shown: BBC Two
Putin, Russia and the West – Paul Mitchell, Norma Percy for Brook Lapping Productions; first shown: BBC Two

DocHouse and The Bertha Foundation Best Cinema Documentary

Bobby Fischer Against the World – Liz Garbus for Moxie Firecracker Films; first shown: General theatrical release
Dreams of a Life – Carol Morley for Cannon and Morley Productions, Soho Moon; first shown: General theatrical release
Knuckle – Ian Palmer for Rise Productions; first shown: General theatrical release
Marley – Kevin Macdonald for Shangri-La Ent. Tuff Gong Pictures, Cowboy Films; first shown: General theatrical release
Project Nim – James Marsh for Red Box Films, Passion Pictures, BBC Films; first shown: General theatrical release
Samsara - Ron Fricke for Magidson Productions; first shown: Bradford Film Festival
Tabloid - Errol Morris for Air Loom Enterprises; first shown: General theatrical release
You’ve Been Trumped – Anthony Baxter for Montrose Pictures; first shown: Sheffield Doc/Fest

CTVC Best Newcomer Documentary

Barbaric Genius – Paul Duane for Screenworks; first shown: Chapter & Verse Festival, The Bluecoat, Liverpool
Gypsy Blood – Leo Maguire for Clear Story; first shown: Channel 4
Holding the Line – Patrick Wells; first shown: Al Jazeera English
How to Start a Revolution – Ruaridh Arrow for Lion TV, The Big Indy; first shown: Current TV
Panorama: The Truth about Adoption – Clare Johns for Films of Record; first shown: BBC One
The Sinking of the Concordia: Caught on Camera – Vanessa Colosi for Dragonfly Film and Television Productions; first shown: Channel 4
Up in Smoke – Adam Wakeling for Notion Pictures; first shown: More 4
When I Die – Adrian Steirn; first shown: BBC One

Sky Arts Best Student Documentary

The Betrayal – Karen Winther for National Film & Television School; first shown: BFI Southbank,London
Kirkcaldy Man – Julian Schwanitz for Edinburgh College of Art; first shown: Glasgow International Short Film Festival
The Marble Village – Ioana Dorobantu for London College of Communication; first shown: London College of Communication
The Men in White Coats – Rob Harper for National Film & Television School; first shown: BFI Southbank,London
Missing Piece – Lucas Barr, George Ellis, Matt Hyland for Liverpool John Moores University; first shown: Liverpool John Moores University
Mostar – Sebastian Feehan, Josh Bamford for Newport Film School; first shown: Graduation Screening, Newport Film School
One More Kiss – Chris Christodoulou for National Film & Television School; first shown: BFI Southbank,London
Streets in the Sky – Leon Seth; first shown: Sheffield Institute of Arts