True/False picks 'Bobi Wine,' 'Going to Mars' make Oscar documentary shortlist

A pair of films that played this year's True/False Film Fest have a shot at Oscar gold.

"Bobi Wine: The People's President" and "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project" were among 15 films on the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' shortlist for best documentary feature, released in late December. The Academy considered 167 documentaries before winnowing down their list.

Directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp, "Bobi Wine" chronicles the political movement of a Ugandan singer who puts the pop in populist, running for office to counter a longstanding incumbent and the consolidation of power. The inevitability of strong opposition does nothing to weaken the tale of a charismatic change agent.

Reviewing the film for Screen Daily , Allan Hunter described Wine as a "dapper, idealistic figure with the passion of Che Guevara and the calm certainty of a Nelson Mandela, ... sustained by a belief that history is on his side."

In "Going to Mars," filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson trace the life story of the remarkable poet Giovanni, showcasing her as a singular American figure. Contemporary interviews show the outside-in, inside-out effects of Giovanni's work over the decades; particularly electric is archival footage of conversations between the poet and James Baldwin.

The film "honors its subject ... on her own terms," RogerEbert.com's Simon Abrams wrote , which results in her depiction as "an exemplary and, at times, unclassifiable survivor."

Shortlisted films and their makers can bask in this glow until Jan. 23, when the final nominees are announced. Members of the Academy's Documentary Branch will vote for the finalists, as they previously did for the shortlist, between Jan. 11-16.

While not an aim of the festival, True/False has shown its Oscar-winning taste in recent years, screening eventual best documentary winners such as "Undefeated" (2011), "Searching for Sugar Man" (2012), "20 Feet From Stardom" (2013), "American Factory" (2019) and "Summer of Soul" (2021), among other festival picks as winners and nominees.

The next True/False will take place in downtown Columbia Feb. 29-March 3.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: These two True/False films made Oscars shortlist for best documentary