Oscars 2022: India's 'Writing With Fire' nominated for Best Documentary Feature

The Oscar nominations for the 94th edition of the Academy Awards were announced today. The nominees were announced by Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross and actor-comedian Leslie Jordan. It is a proud moment for India as the country's Writing With Fire has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature. 

The Academy took to its Twitter handle to announce the nominees for the Best Documentary Feature. The tweet read, "True story - your Documentary Feature nominees are... #Oscar". Here is the list:

Best Documentary Feature:

• Ascension
• Attica
• Flee
• Summer of Soul
• Writing With Fire

Writing with Fire is a 2021 Indian documentary film directed by filmmakers Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas. The film is about the journalists running the Dalit women-led newspaper Khabar Lahariya. Writing with Fire is the first Indian feature documentary to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

More on Writing with Fire

Writing with Fire had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, winning two awards: The Audience Award and a Special Jury Award: Impact for Change in the World Cinema Documentary category. Not only this, but the documentary also won 28 international awards and critical acclaim from the press. Jason Reizaian also praised the documentary at The Washington Post. He termed the film as "The most inspiring journalism movie - maybe ever".

The New York Times named it a 'Critics Pick'. The Los Angeles Times called the film "A vital, stimulating dispatch from the frontlines of consequential citizen journalism". The Hollywood Reporter called the film "Insightful and inspirational". Jessica Kiang from Variety reviewed the film as a "Rousing, inspirational tribute to the pride of grassroots Indian journalism".

More on Oscars 2022

The ceremony was live-streamed online on Oscars.com and their official YouTube channel. 10 movies were nominated in the Best Picture category for the Oscars which will be held on Sunday, March 27. Jane Campion’s gothic western 'The Power of the Dog' led nominations to the 94th Academy Awards, where streaming services more than ever before swept over Hollywood’s top honours. In nominations announced on Tuesday, Campion’s film landed a leading 12 nominations, including nods for best picture, best director and all of its top actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Image: Instagram/@musicboxfilms