The Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking were founded in late 2007 to recognize and honor exemplary craft and innovation in nonfiction film.  Cinema Eye’s mission has been to advocate for, recognize and promote the highest commitment to rigor and artistry in the nonfiction field.

Finalists for the Nonfiction Short Filmmaking Award were determined in voting by top short film/documentary programmers from international film festivals.  This year’s nominations committees are chaired by Sean Farnel, the former Director of Programming at Hot Docs.  Committee members included Hussain Currimbhoy (Sheffield Doc/Fest), Sarafina DiFelice (Hot Docs), Ben Fowlie (Camden International Film Festival), Ted Mott (Full Frame), Veton Nurkollari (DokuFest Kosovo), Sky Sitney (Silverdocs) and Kim Yutani (Sundance Film Festival).

Representatives from top film festivals showcasing nonfiction work are invited to participate by nominating five films in each category from a list of eligible films.  For the 2012 Honors, the feature film nominations committee is chaired by Sean Farnel (Hot Docs) and included the programmers from leading international film festivals (Sheffield, CPH:DOX, It’s All True, Dok Leipzig, Planete Doc Review, Sundance,  Dokufest Kosovo, SXSW, Silverdocs, True/False, and many others).

Among 2012 Cinema Eye Honors Nominees for Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film there is one Polish documentary film: “At the Edge of Russia” by Michał Marczak.

About the film: Hundreds of miles from the nearest town or tree, a smooth-faced young recruit arrives at his Arctic post. Here, etched somewhere into the endless white, is a border. The boy, Aleksey, joins five men, together charged with the absurd task of patrolling the invisible border for invisible enemies. Through a crisp and unblinking lens, we watch as the gruff old soldiers, each a refugee from civilization in his own way, initiate the boy into their rigorous daily life. It’s a cold, hard routine, the discipline broken only by the occasional vodka and sad song. Polish director Michal Marczak has assembled a formidable cast of characters in this breathtaking debut, both delicate and bold. At the Edge of Russia is a metaphorical portrait of a crumbled empire whose diligent men still busy themselves tracing meaning in the infinite white. [Samara Chadwick, Hot Docs]

2012 Cinema Eye Honors Ceremony will be held on January 11, 2012 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, New York.

More information can be found at www.cinemaeyehonors.com.

Read the interview with Michał Marczak.