Nominations for the 2020 Cinema Eye Honors Awards were announced this afternoon, and all but three of the films are concerned with progressive social portraiture.

American Factory and Apollo 11 (a history doc which HE greatly enjoyed and strongly endorses) lead with 5 nominations. Aquarela, The Cave, For Sama, Beyoncé’s Homecoming, Honeyland and Midnight Family have 3 noms each. Not to mention 17 Blocks, The Amazing Johnathan Documentary, Ask Dr. Ruth, The Biggest Little Farm, Knock Down the House and Maiden.

The only nominee that delivers something a little different is Madds Brugger‘s Cold Case Hammarskjöld, a curious and sometimes perverse dig into a quietly horrifying South African saga about racism.

Once again A.J. Eaton and Cameron Crowe‘s David Crosby: Remember My Name, easily one the strongest and most penetrating docs of the year, has been completely blown off. It finally hit me this morning that the reason for this is that mid-July dustup between Crosby and The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg, which ended with Feinberg throwing up his hands and Crosby walking out.

Wells to Feinberg: “I’m convinced that your Crosby contretemps destroyed the nomination chances of David Crosby: Remember My Name. You did nothing deliberately, of course, but the award-season chances of a really excellent film were nonetheless ruined because Crosby wasn’t adequately prepped about your boilerplate, cover-the-basics approach to podcast interviews. Particularly because you asked that question about he and Graham Nash having both had romantic relationships with Joni Mitchell.

“There’s no question that Eaton and Crowe’s doc was heads and shoulders above many if not most other 2019 contenders, but Crosby’s show of temper and obstinacy gave people a reason not to vote for it. Obviously Crosby should have held himself in check, but it’s really a shame. Talk about a conversational calamity. Tell me I’m wrong.”