On February 26 2011 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosted a symposium featuring all the nominees for Oscar Award in the Feature Documentary category.

Michael Apted interviewed the nominees as they talked about their extraordinary films and future plans.

The event took place at the Goldwyn Mayer Theatre in Los Angeles.

MyETVmedia was there to cover the event and the set up week.

Featured films:

‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’

Dir. Banksy

Prod. Jamie D’Cruz

‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ follows an eccentric shop-keeper turned amateur film-maker as he attempts to capture many of the world’s most infamous vandals on camera, only to have a British stencil artist named Banksy turn the camcorder back on its owner with wildly unexpected results. By turns shocking, hilarious and absurd, this is an enthralling modern-day fairytale…with bolt cutters.’

‘Gasland’

Dir. Josh Fox

Prod. Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic

‘The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of ‘fracking’ or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a “Saudi Arabia of natural gas” just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey with his banjo uncovering a trial of secrets, lies and contamination.’

‘Inside Job’

Dir. Charles Ferguson

Prod. Audrey Marrs and Charles Ferguson

‘Inside Job is the first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financing meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, Inside Job traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships that have corrupted politics, regulation and academics.’

‘Restrepo’

Dir. Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger

Prod. Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger

‘Restrepo chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley focusing on a remote 15-man outpost, “Restrepo”, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous posting in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experimental film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment.’

‘Waste Land’

Dir. Lucy Walker

Prod. Angus Aynsley

‘Filmed over nearly three years, Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores” -self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. His collaboration with these inspiring characters reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives.

(Symposium photos and film descriptions courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.)

Mat Kolodziejski

Podcast Editing: Mat Kolodziejski