All films nominated for the Oscar® in the Best Feature Documentary category had their Polish (some of them also international and European) premieres during the 21st edition of MDAG in 2024. Among the nominees is also the big MDAG winner, No Other Land (directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor).
Each year, many films that began their journey in Poland during Millennium Docs Against Gravity have received Oscar® nominations. However, the 21st edition of MDAG was exceptional in this regard. During the festival in May, we presented all five nominated films that will now compete for the most prestigious award in cinema. Additionally, No Other Land won the Grand Prix – Bank Millennium Award. This moving story about Palestinian villagers in the West Bank touched the hearts of audiences, critics, and filmmakers around the world.
Thanks to its strong position among film events, MDAG has, in recent years, also become a platform for international and European premieres, a fact reflected in the nomination list. Sugarcane (directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie) had its international premiere at MDAG after its world premiere at Sundance. The filmmakers visited Warsaw to meet with the audience and share behind-the-scenes insights into the creation of this harrowing masterpiece about the dark history of residential schools in Canada. The European premiere of Porcelain War (directed by Slava Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo) also took place at Millennium Docs Against Gravity, telling the story of artists who took up arms to defend Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion.
The other two nominated films, Soundtrack to a Coup d'État (directed by Johan Grimonprez) and Black Box Diaries (directed by Shiori Ito), were among the festival’s most popular screenings, sparking discussions about political manipulation and systemic violence. Congratulations to all the filmmakers! The 97th Academy Awards® ceremony will take place on March 2.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity on the List of Oscar®-Qualifying Festivals!
On the occasion of the nomination announcement, it is worth highlighting that the remarkable growth of the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival in recent years was recognized this year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. MDAG has been added to the prestigious list of Oscar®-qualifying festivals in the Best Feature Documentary category! This is a tremendous achievement for the entire team, as this exclusive list has remained practically unchanged for decades, featuring only the most significant and largest film events such as Berlinale or the Cannes Film Festival.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity, now the second-largest documentary film festival in Europe, has become a crucial platform for global and international premieres and a launching pad for films on their way to the most prestigious awards.
