Seven titles from the programme of the 22nd edition of the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival have been shortlisted for the most prestigious award in the film world. Meanwhile, during the 23rd MDAG in May 2026, audiences will have a chance to see Yanuni by Richard Ladkani — a film that has also made the shortlist of potential nominees.
The Oscar® shortlist in the Best Documentary Feature category includes fifteen films, as many as seven of which were screened during the 22nd edition of Millennium Docs Against Gravity. This is yet another confirmation of MDAG’s strong position as one of the world’s most important documentary film festivals and a place where Polish audiences can watch the most talked-about and critically acclaimed titles. The festival’s significance is further underscored by the fact that in 2024 MDAG was added to the list of events qualifying films for the Oscar® in the Best Documentary Feature category.
The shortlisted films that audiences could see at the festival in May 2025 are: 2000 Meters to Andriivka directed by Mstyslav Chernov, Apocalypse in the Tropics by Petra Costa, Coexistence, My Ass! by Amber Fares, Come See Me in the Good Light by Ryan White, North Star Stories directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, Holding Liat by Brandon Kramer, and Mr. Nobody Against Putin by David Borenstein and Pasha Talankin. Mr. Nobody Against Putin will be released in Polish cinemas on 27 February 2026, giving audiences another opportunity to meet this extraordinary, courageous protagonist and to see what life looks like in Putin’s Russia.
An additional reason to celebrate is the success of Come See Me in the Good Light, which had its European premiere at Millennium Docs Against Gravity. Alongside its chances for an Oscar® nomination in the documentary category, the song Salt Then Sour Then Sweet from the film has also been shortlisted in the Best Song category. This marks a special distinction for the story of the recently deceased Andrea Gibson, who deeply moved Polish audiences.
The programme of the 23rd edition of Millennium Docs Against Gravity will also feature Yanuni, directed by Richard Ladkani, which has likewise been shortlisted for an Oscar®. The film tells the story of Juma Xipaya, an Indigenous leader in Brazil who fights to protect her people’s land despite attempts on her life. Her struggle intensifies even further when she discovers that she is pregnant.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity congratulates all the filmmakers honoured by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and keeps its fingers crossed for the nominations!
