Penguins makes the Oscar shortlist

The Oscar folk have announced the 15-strong shortlist in contention for an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 2006 Oscar ceremony. Usually only 12 movies make it through to the ‘semi-finals’ but with 82 eligible films this year, Academy governor Arthur Dong says his team was spoilt for choice.

“We've been getting great films,” Arthur said. “We wanted to cast a wider net, and be able to give our voters the wider choices that are out there.” Luc Jacquet’s March Of The Penguins has already raked in $76 million at the US box office, while Marilyn Agrelo’s Mad Hot Ballroom shook its way to $8 million. Also on the shortlist are The Boys Of Baraka, Murderball and Favela Rising.

“It used to be that the documentary category wasn't the most-talked-about category, and in recent years it has been,” Arthur says. “The public wants to know, and it doesn't hurt for the public to know. It creates excitement.”

Here is the full list of semi-finalists:

After Innocence
The Boys Of Baraka
Darwin's Nightmare
The Devil And Daniel Johnston
Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
Favela Rising
Mad Hot Ballroom
March Of The Penguins
Murderball
Occupation: Dreamland
On Native Soil: The Documentary Of The 9/11 Commission Report
Rize
Street Fight
39 Pounds Of Love
Unknown White Male