WOMEN MAKE MOVIES FILMMAKERS ON THE SHORTLIST!

More than Half of the Films on the Doc Feature Shortlist are by WMM FIlmmakers!

WOMEN MAKE MOVIES | DECEMBER 2025   SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: OSCARS SHORTLIST When the 98th Oscars shortlist was announced yesterday, it exceeded even our most hopeful expectations. More than half of the Documentary Feature films on the shortlist are by Women Make Movies filmmakers! This is a milestone for feminist filmmaking, and it builds on an autumn of nominations and wins that shows that long-term support nurtures talent and develops voices that give us unforgettable stories we all need.  We are excited to share this amazing news and to ask you to join us to keep the momentum going. Here are the films made with the support of the WMM Production Assistance Program to make the shortlist: APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS  dir. Petra Costa; prods. Alessandra Orofino, Petra Costa With extraordinary access to top political leaders, Petra Costa investigates the increasingly powerful grip Christian evangelical leaders hold over politics in Brazil. WMM also supported Petra's previous Oscar-nominated feature THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY. CO-EXISTENCE, MY ASS!  dir. Amber Fares; prods. Amber Fares, Rachel Leah Jones, Valérie Montmartin Follows Israeli comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi as she crafts a one-woman show, tackling inequality and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. WMM also supported Amber Fares's debut feature SPEED SISTERS and distributes THE JUDGE, which she co-produced. SEEDS  dir. Brittany Shyne; prods. Danielle Varga, Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, Brittany Shyne Brittany Shyne's debut feature offers a look into the lives of Black generational farmers, unveiling the challenges of maintaining legacy and the value of land ownership. Additionally, five new films made by program alum and WMM filmmakers are on the Doc Feature shortlist including: COVER-UP, dir. Laura Poitras FOLKTALES, dir. and prod. Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN, prod. by Helle Faber (also producer of ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS, distributed by WMM) MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART1 - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW, dir. Julia Loktev THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR, dir. Geeta Gandbhir (also co-director of LOVE THE SINNER, distributed by WMM) And two films from program alum made the shortlist for Documentary Shorts: CLASSROOM 4, dir. Eden Wurmfeld THE DEVIL IS BUSY, dir. Geeta Gandbhir, which is also produced by WMM filmmaker Amber Fares as well as Rose Arce and Soledad O'Brien, both producers of other films in our programs. And, finally, a big shout-out to our wonderful board member Claire Aguilar, who was the Executive Producer for ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS, also on the shortlist for Documentary Shorts! This phenomenal showing follows extraordinary recognition of WMM filmmakers earlier in the awards season including a strong showing in the Cinema Eye Nominations and at the IDA Awards, where RIVERS OF GRASS won the Pare Lorentz Award; SEEDS and Brittany Shyne won Best Director and the Emerging Filmmaker Award; and APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS won the Best Writing and Best Production Awards. Additionally, Laurie Townshend won the Allen King Award for Excellence in Documentary at the DGC Awards for directing the powerful new release A MOTHER APART. For more than 50 years, Women Make Movies has worked behind the scenes as an active ally to visionary women and female-identified filmmakers who challenge the status quo and inspire change. Through support, consultations, skills building, and networking, we invest early and we keep showing up. We are advancing gender equity in the film industry – our progress is real, and the need is real too.