Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards 2017 Winners: ‘Jane’ Takes Top Prize

By
Rebecca Murray
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Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Winner Jane
A scene from ‘Jane’ (National Geographic Creative / Hugo van Lawick)

​The​ ​Broadcast​ ​Film​ ​Critics​ ​Association*​ ​(BFCA) and​ ​the​ ​Broadcast​ ​Television​ ​Journalists​ ​Association*​ ​(BTJA)​ ​have selected the winners of this year’s Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. Jane, directed by Brett Morgen with an original score by Philip Glass, was chosen as the winner of the 2017 Best Documentary Award. Jane delves into the life of conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall and features footage taken during Dr. Goodall’s research in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park during the 1960s.

The winners were announced during a gala event held on November 2, 2017 at BRIC in Brooklyn. Penn Jillette hosted the second annual celebration of documentaries and documentary filmmakers. Clive​ ​Davis,​ ​Damien​ ​Echols, Gilbert​ ​Gottfried,​ ​Colin​ ​Hanks,​ ​Dolores​ ​Huerta,​ ​Barbara​ ​Kopple,​ ​Lawrence​ ​O’Donnell, Linda​ ​Perry,​ ​Kathryn​ ​Schulz,​ ​Fisher​ ​Stevens,​ ​Hannah​ ​Storm,​ ​and​ ​Diane​ ​Warren were among the presenters and attendees.

“We​ ​are​ ​so​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​celebrate​ ​the​ ​supremely​ ​talented,​ ​leading​ ​voices​ ​in​ ​this golden​ ​age​ ​of​ ​documentary​ ​filmmaking​ ​and​ ​nonfiction​ ​television,”​ ​stated​ ​BFCA​ ​President Joey​ ​Berlin.​ ​“It​ ​was​ ​another​ ​great​ ​night​ ​in​ ​Brooklyn​ ​in​ ​support​ ​of​ ​many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most underappreciated​ ​artists​ ​in​ ​our​ ​business.”

The 2017 Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards also featured a special presentation of the Critics’ Choice Impact Award to filmmaker Joe Berlinger. Errol Morris was honored with the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award.

2017 Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards Winners:

    Best​ ​Documentary​ ​-​ ​​Jane
    Best​ ​Director​ ​(TIE)​ ​​​​-​ ​​Evgeny​ ​Afineevsky​ ​(Cries​ ​from​ ​Syria)​ ​and​ ​Frederick​ ​Wiseman (Ex​ ​Libris:​ ​The​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Public​ ​Library)
    Best​ ​First​ ​Documentary​ ​-​​ ​Kedi
    Best​ ​Political​ ​Documentary​ ​-​​ ​Abacus:​ ​Small​ ​Enough​ ​to​ ​Jail
    Best​ ​Sports​ ​Documentary​ ​-​ ​​Icarus
    Best​ ​Music​ ​Documentary​ ​-​​ ​Clive​ ​Davis:​ ​The​ ​Soundtrack​ ​of​ ​Our​ ​Lives
    Best​ ​Song​ ​in​ ​a​ ​Documentary​ ​-​​ ​”Jump”​ ​​(Step)​ ​-​ ​written​ ​by​ ​Raphael​ ​Saadiq,​ ​Taura Stinson​ ​and​ ​Laura​ ​Karpman,​ ​performed​ ​by​ ​Cynthia​ ​Erivo
    Best​ ​Documentary​ ​Series​ ​​​-​​ ​The​ ​Vietnam​ ​War
    Best​ ​Ongoing​ ​Documentary​ ​Series​ ​-​​ ​American​ ​Masters
    Most​ ​Innovative​ ​Documentary​ ​(TIE)​ ​-​​ ​Dawson​ ​City:​ ​Frozen​ ​Time​ ​and​ ​Last​ ​Men​ ​in Aleppo

* – I’m a member of both the Broadcast Television Journalists Association and Broadcast Film Critics Association




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