Awards

Here’s a partial list of awards our filmmakers have received.

¡Las Sandinistas!: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Special Jury Recognition (2018)
Mostra Internacional de Cinema / Sao Paulo International Film Festival: New filmmaker Competition, Best Film Award (2018)

(T)ERROR: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Investigative Documentary (2016)
Sundance Film Festival: U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Break Out First Feature (2015)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award (2015)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (2015)

1971: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): ABC News Videosource Award (2014)

45365: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award (2009)

A Class Apart: 
Imagen Awards: Best Documentary (2009)

A Film Unfinished: 
Sundance Film Festival: World Cinema Documentary Editing Award (2010)

A Hard Straight: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Jury Award (2004)

A Healthy Baby Girl: 
Atlanta Film Festival: Best Video Documentary (1997)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (1997)

A Lion in the House: 
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Special Jury Citation (2006)
Cleveland International Film Festival: Special Jury Prize (2006)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Audience Award - Best Documentary (2006)
Primetime Emmy Awards: Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking (2007)

A Lion's Trail: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Programming (2005)

A Panther in Africa: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)

A Place of Our Own: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)

A Room Nearby: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2006)

A Son's Sacrifice: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2007)
Tribeca Film Festival: Best Documentary Short (2007)
International Documentary Association (IDA): IDA Award - Short Documentaries (2007)

A Story of People in War and Peace: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Best New Documentary Filmmaker (2007)

A Village Called Versailles: 
New Orleans Film Festival: Audience Award (2009)
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival: Call to Action Award (2010)

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2018) Nominated
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary (2017)
National Board of Review: Top 5 Best Documentaries (2017)
Critics Choice Documentary Award: Best Political Documentary (2017)

ABDUCTION: The Megumi Yokota Story: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Top 10 Audience Favorite (2006)
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2009)

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2013)
Mountainfilm in Telluride: Festival Directors Award (2012)

Almost Sunrise: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award - Current Affairs or Investigations (2018)
Mountainfilm in Telluride: Moving Mountains Prize (2016)

Always in Season: 
Sundance Film Festival: U.S, Special Jury Award for Moral Urgency (2019)

American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawaii: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)

American Exile: 
Imagen Awards: Best Documentary (2022)

An Honest Liar: 
AFI Docs Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Feature (2014)

Animated Women: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (1994)

Armed With Faith: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary (2018)

Art & Copy: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming (2010)

Asian Americans: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2020)

Ask Not: 
GLAAD Media Awards: Outstanding Documentary Award (2010)

Ask the Sexpert: 
New Orleans Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (2017)

ATTLA: 
American Indian Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2019)

Be Good, Smile Pretty: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary (2003)
duPont Awards: Finalist - Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2004)
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)
Los Angeles Film Festival: Documentary Feature Jury Prize (2003)

Be Like Others: 
Berlin International Film Festival: Special Jury Prize (2008)

Beautiful Son: 
Hawaii International Film Festival: Best Documentary (2007)
Hawaii International Film Festival: Audience Award (2007)

Bedlam: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2021)

Belly of the Beast: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary (2020)
Anthem Awards: Awareness & Media (Non-Profit) - Media Impact Campaign (2023)

Best of Enemies: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature Shortlist (2015) Nominated
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Historical Documentary (2016)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Music (2015)
International Documentary Association (IDA): ABC News VideoSource Award (2015)
National Board of Review: Top 5 Best Documentaries (2015)
Camden International Film Festival: Audience Award (2015)

Between the Folds: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2009)

Bhutto: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): ABC / NEWS VideoSource Award (2010)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2011)

Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary (2007)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2008)

Bitter Seeds: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Humanitas Documentary Award (2012)

Black Is ... Black Ain't: 
Sundance Film Festival: Filmmaker’s Trophy (1995)

Blink: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Coverage of a Continuing News Story (2001)

Blood Brother: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Humanitas Documentary Award (2013)
Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (2013)
Sundance Film Festival: Audience Award (2013)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Full Frame Inspiration Award (2013)
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Youth Jury Award (2013)

Body and Soul: Diana and Kathy: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): IDA Award Finalist - Short Documentaries (2007)

Brakeless: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2014)

Breaking Silence: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award (2023)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Texas Shorts Award (2023)
Atlanta Film Festival: Best Doc Short (2023)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Special Jury Award (2023)

Breaking the News: 
Montclair Film Festival: David Carr Award for Truth in Filmmaking (2023)

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2003)

Brother to Brother: 
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Prize (Dramatic) (2004)
NewFest: New York International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival: Vanguard Award (2004)

Chiefs: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Best Documentary (2002)

Children of the Amazon: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2011)

China Blue: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2007)
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Amnesty Human Rights Award (2005)

Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2006)

Circo: 
Camden International Film Festival: Special Jury Mention (2010)

City of Borders: 
Berlin International Film Festival: Special Teddy (Audience) Award (2009)

Coming Out Under Fire: 
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Award for Technical Excellence (1994)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Silver Certificate (1994)
GLAAD Media Awards: Outstanding Film Documentary (1995)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (1996)

Conscience Point: 
Hamptons Film Festival: Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice (2019)

Craft In America: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2007 )

Crank: Darkness on the Edge of Town: 
Telly Awards: Silver Telly Award (2008)
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award, Professional News Division-Analysis (2008)

Cured: 
Austen Riggs Erikson Prize: Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media (2022)
Frameline Film Festival: Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature (2020)
NewFest: LGBTQ+ Film and Media | New York: Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature (2020)
ImageOut: The Rochester LGBT Film & Video Festival: Audience Award, Best Documentary Feature (2020)

Daddy & Papa: 
ImageOut/Rochester Gay and Lesbian Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Independent Documentary (2002)

Daughter from Danang: 
Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (2002)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2003) Nominated

Dawnland: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Research (2018)

Deej: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2017)

Democrats: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2015)

Detropia: 
Sundance Film Festival: US Documentary Editing Award (2012)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Editing: Documentary and Long Form (2013)

Discovering Dominga: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)

Dolores: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2018)
FOCAL International Awards: Best Use of Footage in Factual Production (2018)
Critics Choice Documentary Award: Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary (2017)

Donor Unknown: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Feature Film (Online) (2011)

Double Dare: 
AFI Docs Film Festival: Audience Award for Documentary (2003)

Down a Dark Stairwell: 
Ashland Independent Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2020)
Indy Film Fest: Best Documentary (2020)

Dreams of Daraa: 
Portland Film Festival: The Storytellers’ Festival & Conference: Best Documentary (2022)

El Equipo (The Team): 
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival: Best Feature (2023)

El General: 
Sundance Film Festival: Directing Award for US Documentary (2009)

End of the Rainbow: 
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): First Appearance Award (2007)

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2006) Nominated

Every Mother's Son: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)
Tribeca Film Festival: Audience Choice Award (2004)

Evolution of a Criminal: 
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award (2014)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award (2014)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award (2014)

Ex Libris: 
Critics Choice Documentary Award: Best Director (2017)

Facing the Dragon: 
Human Rights Watch New York Film Festival: Nestor Almendros Award (2018)

Family Remains: 
Sundance Film Festival: Award for Excellence in Short Filmmaking (1994)

Farmer/Veteran: 
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival: Best Stories of the South (2016)

Farmingville: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Prize (Documentary) (2004)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Human Rights Award (2004)
San Diego Latino Film Festival: Best Documentary (2004)
Bend Film Festival: Best in Show (2004)

Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (1997)

Feels Good Man: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Research: Documentary (2020)
Sundance Film Festival: U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker (2020)
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Graphic Design or Animation (2020)

Fenceline: A Company Town Divided: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Platinum Award, Television and Cable Production (2002)

Fishbowl: 
Hawaii International Film Festival: Hawaii Film and Video Maker Award (2005)

Flag Wars: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Jury Prize (2003)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2004)

Folk Frontera: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Texas Shorts Jury Award (2022)

For Better or For Worse: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (1994) Nominated

For God, Tsar and Fatherland: 
Sundance Film Festival: World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary (Nino Kirtadze) (2008)

For Once in My Life: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Audience Award (2010)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Music Documentary Award (2010)

Forever Pure: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary (2017)

Forgotten Fires: 
Heartland Film Festival: Crystal Heart Award (1999)

Garbage Dreams: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Humanitas Award (2009)
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Best of Fest (2009)

Garbage Warrior: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Pare Lorentz Award - Honorable Mention (2008)
The Grierson Trust: Special Commendation Award (2008)

Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2009)

Girls Like Us: 
Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (Documentary) (1997)

Give Up Tomorrow: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Audience Award (2011 )
Tribeca Film Festival: Special Jury Mention (World Documentary Competition) (2011)

God Loves Uganda: 
Mountainfilm in Telluride: Audience Award (2013)

Going on 13: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2008 )

Goodbye Solo: 
National Board of Review: Top 10 Independent Film of 2009 (2009)

Granny D Goes to Washington: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2007)

Great Invisible: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Grand Jury Award (2014)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Nicholas School Environmental Award (2014)

Gregory Kondos: A Passion for the Land: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (1998)

Hale County This Morning, This Evening: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2019) Nominated
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2019)
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking (2018)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Grand Jury Award (2018)
KCRW Best Documentaries of the Year: Best Documentaries of the Year, 2018 (2018)

Happiness: 
Sundance Film Festival: Cinematography Award: World Cinema Documentary (2014)

Have You Heard From Johannesburg: 
Primetime Emmy Awards: Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking (2012)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Limited Series Award (2010)

Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka'ehukai: 
Hawaii International Film Festival: Special Jury Prize /Aloha Spirit Award (2002)
Ashland Independent Film Festival: Best Documentary (2003)

Hell and Back Again: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2012) Nominated
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2012)

Hell of a Nation: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: Special Jury Prize for Best News Analysis (2006)

Herb & Dorothy: 
Provincetown International Film Festival: Best Documentary (2009)

Hidden Letters: 
Bergen International Film Festival: Best Norwegian Documentary (2022)
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival: International Documentary Grand Jury Prize (2022)
Heartland International Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize, Documentary Feature (2022)

High Tech, Low Life: 
The Grierson Trust: Best Newcomer Documentary (2013)

Holding On: A Love Story from the Street: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (1998)

Homeland: 
AFI Docs Film Festival: Audience Award for Documentary (2000)

How Is Your Fish Today?: 
Rotterdam International Film Festival: Netpac Award, Special Mention (2007)

How to Survive a Plague: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2013) Nominated
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2013)
IFP Gotham Awards: Best Documentary (2012)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best First Film (2012)

I Am Not Your Negro: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2017) Nominated
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary (2018)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Writing (2016)
Berlin International Film Festival: Panorama Audience Award, Best Documentary (2017)
FOCAL International Awards: Best Use of Footage in a Cinematic Feature (2018)

I.M. Pei: Building China Modern: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2010)

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front: 
Sundance Film Festival: Best Editing (2011)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2012) Nominated

If I Can't Do It: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (1999)

Imelda: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): ABC News Video Source Award, Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards (2003)
Sundance Film Festival: Excellence in Cinematography (Documentary) (2004)

In Football We Trust: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary (2016)

In Jackson Heights: 
New York Film Critics Circle: Best Non-FictioFilmn (2015)

In the Light of Reverence: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2002)
American Indian Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2000)

In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee: 
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival: Special Jury Award, Best Director (2010)
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival: Special Jury Award, Best Editor (2010)

In the Realms of the Unreal: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)

India's Daughter: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2015)

Jimmy Scott: If You Only Knew: 
Atlanta Film Festival: Audience Award (2002)

July '64: 
Telly Awards: Bronze Telly Award (2005)

King Corn: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2008 )

Kiss My Wheels: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2003)

Knocking: 
Indy Film Fest: Audience Award - Best Documentary (2006)

Kumu Hina: 
GLAAD Media Awards: Outstanding Documentary (2016)

Landfall: 
DOC NYC - New York Documentary Festival: Grand Jury Prize (2020)

Last Train Home: 
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Best Feature Length Documentary Award (2009)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (2010)
Victoria Film Festival: Canwest Award for Best Documentary (2010)
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Best Feature Award (2010)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Business and Economic Reporting – Long Form Award (2012)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary (2012)

Latino Americans: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2013)

Let the Fire Burn: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Editing (2013)
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Achievement Editing (2014)

Letter from Waco: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Feature Documentary Award (1997)

Limited Partnership: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Humanitas Award (2014)
San Diego Asian Film Festival: Audience Award (2014)

Lioness: 
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award (2008)

Lost Boys of Sudan: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)
Independent Spirit Awards: DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award (2004)

Lost Sparrow: 
American Indian Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2009)

Love & Diane: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)
Independent Spirit Awards: DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award (2003)

Love Free or Die: 
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Award (Documentary) (2012)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Human Rights Award (2012)

Made in L.A.: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story (2008)

Mai's America: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award (2002)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Distinguished Achievement Award (2002)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards, Feature Competition (2003)

Mama Africa: Growing Up Urban: 
Cannes International Film Festival: Kodak Best Short Film Award, Close Up On Bintou (2001)
Cannes International Film Festival: Kodak Prize (2001)

Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita: 
DocEdge Festival: DOCNZ Best International Feature - Special Mention (2007)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2008)

Maquilapolis: City of Factories: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2006)
Tribeca Film Festival: Special Mention, Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Award (2006)

Marwencol: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Filmmaker Award for Director Jeff Malmberg (2010)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Jury Award (2010)
Independent Spirit Awards: Truer Than Fiction Award (2011)

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2017)
AFI Docs Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Feature (2016)

Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story: 
Telly Awards: Silver Telly Award (2011)

Medora: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Business and Economic Reporting (2014)

Midnight Traveler: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary (2019)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2019)
Sundance Film Festival: World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for No Borders (2019)

Minding the Gap: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2019) Nominated
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2018)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Editing (2018)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Feature (2018)
Sundance Film Festival: U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking (2018)
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Achievement in Direction (2018)
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Achievement in Editing (2018)
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film (2018)
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Doc Audience Award (2018)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Audience Award (2018)
The Grierson Trust: Best Cinema Documentary (2019)
Independent Spirit Awards: Truer Than Fiction Award (2019)
KCRW Best Documentaries of the Year: Best Documentaries of the Year, 2018 (2018)
New York Film Critics Circle: Best Documentary (2018)
Critics Choice Documentary Award: Best First-Time Director (2018)
Mountainfilm in Telluride: Best Documentary Feature (2018)
CAAM Fest: Best Documentary (2018)

Mine: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Audience Award (2009)

Mirror Dance: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)

Missing in Brooks County: 
Peabody Awards: Documentary (2023)

Most Honorable Son: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award, History (2008)

Motherland: 
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Award for Commanding Vision(World Cinema) (2017)

Mr. SOUL!: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2021)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Music (2018)
Critics Choice Documentary Award: Best First Documentary Feature (2020)

My America ... Or Honk if You Love Buddha: 
Sundance Film Festival: Excellence in Cinematography (Documentary) (1997)

My Country No More: 
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Best Feature (2018)

My Country, My Country: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2006)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Inspiration Award (2006)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2007) Nominated

My Perestroika: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2011)

Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula: 
Hawaii International Film Festival: Audience Award (2007)
Hawaii International Film Festival: Hawaii Filmmaker Award (2007)
San Diego Asian Film Festival: Best Documentary (2007)

Negroes with Guns: Rob Williams and Black Power: 
Urbanworld Film Festival: Best Documentary (2006)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award - Honorable Mention (2009)

New Year Baby: 
Heartland Film Festival: Crystal Heart Award (2007)
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Audience Pick (2007)

Newtown: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2017)

Next Year Country: 
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Big Sky Award (2010 )

No Man's Land: 
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Big Sky Award (2018)

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos: 
New Orleans Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (2009)

Nobody's Business: 
Berlin International Film Festival: The Caligari Film Prize (1997)
Berlin International Film Festival: International Film Critics Association Prize (1997)
Berlin International Film Festival: Churches of the Ecumenical Jury Prize (1997)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Interview/Interviewers (1998)

Okie Noodling: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award, Documentary Competition (2001)

On a Knife Edge: 
Portland Film Festival: The Storytellers’ Festival & Conference: Grand Jury Awards - Feature Documentary (2017)

Once Upon a Time in the Bronx: 
Berlin International Film Festival: Teddy Bear, Best Gay/Lesbian Short (1994)

One Child Nation: 
Sundance Film Festival: U.S. Grand Jury Prize Documentary (2019)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Hot Docs Pitch Prize - 2nd Place (2018)

Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): IDA Award Finalist - Feature Documentary (2007)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2008) Nominated
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Informational Programming (2008)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Music and Sound (2008)

Our Disappeared/Nuestros Desaparecidos: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2008)

Our Time Machine: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Best Cinematography - Documentary (2019)
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival: Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Documentary Feature (2019)
CAAM Fest: Best Documentary (2019)

Out of State: 
Portland Film Festival: The Storytellers’ Festival & Conference: Grand Jury Awards - Jury Prize for Artistic Vision (2017)
San Diego Asian Film Festival: Best Feature Documentary (2017)
Hawaii International Film Festival: Made in Hawaii Best Feature Film & Audience Choice for Documentary Feature (2017)
Hawaii State Bar Association: Liberty Bell Award (2017)
Cayman International Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature Film (2017)

Outlawed in Pakistan: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Research (2013)

Outta The Muck: 
Indie Memphis Film Festival: Soul of Southern Film Award (2022)
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival: Best Southern Documentary (2022)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Best Directors (2022)

Park Avenue: Money, Power & the American Dream: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2013)

Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2009)
Hawaii International Film Festival: Audience Award (2008)

Peace Officer: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Audience Award (2015)

People's Republic of Desire: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award (2018)
DocEdge Festival: Best International Director (2018)
CAAM Fest: Cinematography Award (2018)

Pepper's Pow Wow: 
American Indian Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (1995)

Philly D.A.: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2021)
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2021)
Webby Awards: Best Video Series for Public Service & Activism (2022)
Gotham Awards: Breakthrough Nonfiction Series (2021)

Please Vote for Me: 
DocEdge Festival: Best International Documentary - medium length (2007)
DocEdge Festival: Screenrights Best Educational Film (2007)
Ashland Independent Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2008)

Power Trip: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Best International Feature Documentary (2003)
Berlin International Film Festival: Berliner Zeitung Readers' Jury Prize (2003)
Berlin International Film Festival: Special Mention (2003)
Port Townsend Film Festival: Best Documentary (2003)

Precious Cargo: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2002)

Promises: 
Rotterdam International Film Festival: Audience Award (2001)
Mostra Internacional de Cinema / Sao Paulo International Film Festival: Best Documentary and Audience Award (2001)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Background Informational Documentary (2002)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary (2002)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2002) Nominated

Putin's Kiss: 
Sundance Film Festival: Best Cinematography in World Cinema (Documentary) (2012)

QUEST: 
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (2017)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights (2017)
Independent Spirit Awards: Jeep Truer Than Fiction Award (2018)

Race to Execution: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award, People and Places (2008)

Rain in a Dry Land: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2007)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Working Films Award (2006)

Ralph Ellison's King of the Bingo Game: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2000)

Real Boy: 
Frameline Film Festival: Audience Award (2016)

Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2010)

Refugee: 
Hawaii International Film Festival: Best Documentary (2003)
San Diego Asian Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (2003)
Hamptons Film Festival: Dan and Ewa Abraham Award for Films in Conflict and Resolution (2003)
Hamptons Film Festival: Brizzolara Family Inspirational Film Award (2003)

Rich Hill: 
Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (Documentary) (2014)

Richard Wright - Black Boy: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (1995)

Rights & Wrongs: Human Rights Television: 
Telly Awards: Silver and Bronze (1995)
Telly Awards: Gold and Silver (1995)

Rising Waters: Global Warming and the Fate of the Pacific Islands: 
Mountainfilm in Telluride: Special Jury Citation for envirommental awareness (2000)

Rodents of Unusual Size: 
Bend Film Festival: Best Environmental/Outdoor Adventure Award (2018)

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World: 
Sundance Film Festival: Special Award for Masterful Storytelling (World Cinema) (2017)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary (2017)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Audience Award (2017)

Saigon, U.S.A.: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2003)

Sam Now: 
Savannah Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2022)
Savannah Film Festival: Best DIrector (2022)
Port Townsend Film Festival: Special Jury Commendation (2022)
FrontDoc International Documentary Festival : Special Menton - Youth Jury (2022)
Indie Memphis Film Festival: Best Documentary (2022)
Santa Cruz Film Festival: Best Feature Documentary (2022)
Bend Film Festival: Best Documentary (2022)
Bend Film Festival: Best Editing (2022)
Zurich Film Festival: Best Documentary (2022)

Sandburg's Arithmetic: 
Cleveland International Film Festival: Best Women's Short Film (1997)

Sansón and Me: 
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Best Film (2022)

School Prayer: A Community at War: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Coverage of a Continuing News Story (2001)

Scout's Honor: 
Sundance Film Festival: Freedom of Expression Award (2001)
Sundance Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Documentary (2001)

Sea Point Days: 
DocEdge Festival: Best Editing Award (2009)
DocEdge Festival: Best Cinematography Finalist (2009)

SEED: The Untold Story: 
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Environmental Award (2016)

Senior Prom: 
Provincetown International Film Festival: Best New England Short (2021)

Señorita Extraviada (Missing Young Woman): 
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Award (2002)
Human Rights Watch New York Film Festival: Nestor Almendros Prize (2002)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Distinguished Achievement Award (2002)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards, Feature Competition (2003)

Seoul Train: 
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Runner up, Best Documentary Short (2005)
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2006)

Shadow of the Holy Book: 
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Joris Ivens Competition Selection (2007)

Shadya: 
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Golden Movie Squad (2006)

Shakespeare Behind Bars: 
Heartland Film Festival: Crystal Heart Award (2005)
Bend Film Festival: Best of Show (2005)

Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart: Lorraine Hansberry: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2018)

Silent Beauty: 
Oxford Film Festival: Honorable Mention, Documentary (2023)
San Diego Latino Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2023)
mujerDOC: Jury Award (2023)
Urbanworld Film Festival: NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Documentary Directing (2023)
Venice Film Week: Best Documentary Feature (2022)
Urbanworld Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2022)
International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival: Special Jury Mention (2022)
Indie Memphis Film Festival: Special Jury Mention for Revolutionary Cinema (2022)

Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle: 
Sundance Film Festival: Filmmaker's Trophy, Documentary Competition (1999)

Sisters in Law: 
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Audience Award (2005)
Cannes International Film Festival: C.I.C.A.E. Award (2005 )
Hawaii International Film Festival: Best Documentary (2005)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2008)

Solar Mamas: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2012)

Soul Food Junkies: 
Urbanworld Film Festival: Best Documentary (2012)

Stand Up: Muslim American Comics Come of Age: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2007)

Still Life with Animated Dogs: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2002)

Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2002)

Storming Caesars Palace: 
BlackStar Film Festival: Shine Award (2022)

Stranded: The Andes Plane Crash Survivors: 
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Joris Ivens Jury Award (2007)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Audience Award Finalist (2008)
Heartland Film Festival: Crystal Heart Award (2008)

Street Fight: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Audience Award (2005)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Best International Feature Documentary (2005)
Tribeca Film Festival: Audience Award (2005)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Donnet Award (2005)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2006) Nominated

Struggles in Steel: A Story of African-American Steelworkers: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (1998)

Summer Pasture: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2012)

Sunset Story: 
Los Angeles Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature (2003)
Tribeca Film Festival: Special Jury Award (2003)

T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Doc for Schools Student Choice Award (2015)

T-Shirt Travels: 
Atlanta Film Festival: Best Documentary (2001)

Taken In: The Lives of America's Foster Children: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (1998)

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Audience Award (2008)

Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities: 
Utah Teens Talk FIlm: Most Woke Award (2017)

Thank You for Playing: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary (2016)

The Amasong Chorus: Singing Out: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2003)

The Armor of Light: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Social Issue Documentary (2016)

The Bad Kids: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Music (2016)
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Awards – Vérité Filmmaking (2016)

The Beetle: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Audience Top Ten Laurel Choice (2008)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution: 
NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Documentary – (Film) (2015)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Audience Award (2015)

The Boys of Baraka: 
NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Independent and Foreign Film, Image Award (2006)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Special Jury Award for Documentary Feature (2005)
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2006)
Atlanta Film Festival: Best Documentary (2005)

The Buffalo War: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2001)
Ashland Independent Film Festival: Best Environmental Film (2001)

The Burning Barrel: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Best International Short Documentary (1997)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Short (1997)

The Carmelita Tropicana Story: 
Berlin International Film Festival: Teddy Bear, Best Gay/Lesbian Short (1994)

The Cats of Mirikitani: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Audience Award (2006)
Tribeca Film Festival: New York Loves Film Documentary Feature Honorable Mention (2006)
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Best Feature (2007)
Rotterdam International Film Festival: Audience Award - Runner Up (2007)
San Diego Asian Film Festival: Grand Jury Award (2007)

The City (La Ciudad): 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Best Narrative Feature (1999)
IFP Gotham Awards: Open Palm Award (1999)

The Cracker Man: 
Heartland Film Festival: Crystal Heart Award (1999)

The Dancing Man of L.A.: 
Telly Awards: Bronze Winner: Craft — Non-Broadcast (2022)
Telly Awards: Bronze Winner: Craft - Directing (2022)

The Desert of Forbidden Art: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2010)

The Devil Never Sleeps: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Five Docs of the Year (1995)

The Devil's Miner: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Fipresci Award for Best Documentary (2005)
Tribeca Film Festival: Best Documentary Filmmaker (Special Mention) (2005)

The Education of Shelby Knox: 
Sundance Film Festival: American Excellence in Cinematography Award, Documentary (2005)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award (Lone Star States) (2005)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Emerging Pictures Audience Award (2005)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Women in Leadership Award (2005)

The English Surgeon: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Best International Feature Documentary (2008)
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Most Popular Audience Film (2008)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Science and Technology Programming (2010)
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2011)

The Fire Next Time: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)

The Flute Player: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2004)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award (2003)

The Force: 
Sundance Film Festival: Best Directing, US Documentary (2017)

The Gate of Heavenly Peace: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Distinguished Achievement Award (1996)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (1996)

The Homestretch: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Business and Economic Reporting (2015)

The Horse Boy: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award (Lone Star States) (2009)

The House I Live In: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2013)
Sundance Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize (Documentary) (2012)

The Interpreters: 
Mountainfilm in Telluride: Moving Mountains Prize (2018)

The Interrupters: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Informational Programming - Long Form (2012)

The Invisible War: 
Sundance Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Documentary (2012)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2013) Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards: Best Documentary (2013)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary (2013)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Investigative Journalism—Long Form (2013)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2013)

The Island President: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Pare Lorentz Award (2012)

The Judge: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2018)

The Judge and the General: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2010)

The Kill Team: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2013)
Independent Spirit Awards: Truer Than Fiction (2015)
National Board of Review: Top 5 Best Documentaries (2014)

The King: 
KCRW Best Documentaries of the Year: Best Documentaries of the Year, 2018 (2018)

The Land is Ours: 
American Indian Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (1996)

The Last Cowboy: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)

The Lord Is Not on Trial Here Today: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2010)
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award - Historical Program (2011)
Telly Awards: Bronze Telly Award (2011)

The Mole Agent: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2020) Nominated
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Original Score (2020)

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers: 
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Special Jury Prize (2009)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2010 ) Nominated
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2010)

The Neutral Ground: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Special Jury Mention for the Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director (2021)

The New Americans: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Limited Series, Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards (2003)

The New Black: 
AFI Docs Film Festival: Audience Award for Documentary (2013)

The Oath: 
Sundance Film Festival: Excellence in Cinematography Award for Kirsten Johnson and Laura Poitras (2010)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Humanitas Award (2010)

The Order of Myths: 
Independent Spirit Awards: Truer Than Fiction Award (2009)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2009)

The Paper: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award, People and Places (2008)

The People's Court: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2007)

The Prison in Twelve Landscapes: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Special Jury Award - Canadian Feature (2016)

The Providers: 
SF DocFest: Spirit of Activism Award (2018)

The Question of Equality: 
GLAAD Media Awards: Outstanding Television Documentary (1996)

The Real Dirt on Farmer John: 
Santa Cruz Film Festival: Directors Award (2005)
Bend Film Festival: Audience Award (2005)
Bend Film Festival: Grand Jury Award (2005)

The Return: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Audience Award for Documentary (2016)

The Revisionaries: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2014)

The Self-Made Man: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2005)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award (2005)

The Silence of Others: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Best Documentary (2019)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary (2019)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2019)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Pare Lorentz Award (2018)
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Grand Jury Award (2018)
Berlin International Film Festival: Panorama Audience Award (2018)
Berlin International Film Festival: Peace Prize (2018)

The Split Horn: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2002)

The Trials of Muhammad Ali: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): ABC News Videosource Award (2013)
FOCAL International Awards: Best Use of Sports Footage (2014)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Historical Programming (2014)

The Waiting Room: 
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award (2012)
Independent Spirit Awards: Truer Than Fiction Award (2013)

The Way We Get By: 
Cleveland International Film Festival: Standing Up Competition Winner (2009)
Indy Film Fest: Eric Parker Social Justice Award (2009)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Special Jury Award (2009)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Full Frame Audience Award (2009)
Atlanta Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (2009)

The Weather Underground: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2004) Nominated

The Woodmans: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming (2011)

Through the Night: 
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2021)
DOC NYC - New York Documentary Festival: Special Jury Recognition for Ethics of Care (2020)

Thunder in Guyana: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2003)

Tie a Yellow Ribbon: 
Urbanworld Film Festival: Best Feature (2007)

To Be Heard: 
San Diego Latino Film Festival: Best Documentary (2011)
DOC NYC - New York Documentary Festival: Audience Award (2011)
DOC NYC - New York Documentary Festival: Grand Jury Prize (2011)

TOWER: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Historical Documentary (2017)
Cinema Eye Honors: Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Animation (2016)
Critics Choice Documentary Award: Most Innovative Documentary (2016)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award (2016)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Documentary Feature Special Jury Award (2016)
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Louis Black “Lone Star” Award (2016)
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival: Best Feature Documentary (2017)

TRAPPED: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2016)
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking (2016)

Travis: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (1998)

Troop 1500: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Audience Award Runner Up (Lone Star States) (2005)

Trudell: 
American Indian Film Festival: Best Documentary Feature (2005)

True Conviction: 
Tribeca Film Festival: Special Jury Mention (Best Documentary Feature) (2017)
SF DocFest: Non-Fiction Vanguard Award (2017)

Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2006)
Santa Cruz Film Festival: Best Documentary (2006)

Two Gods: 
New Orleans Film Festival: Documentary Feature Jury Award (2020)

Two Towns of Jasper: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Silver Award (2002)
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2004)
duPont Awards: Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2004)

Unmistaken Child: 
Camera Image International Film Festival: Golden Frog Award - Best Documentary Feature (2009)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Full Frame Inspiration Award (2009)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Anne Dellinger Special Jury Award (2009)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award - Honorable Mention (2009)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Grand Jury Award (2009)

Unrest: 
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Award for Editing (2017)
Sheffield Doc/Fest: Illuminate Award (2017)

Waltz with Bashir: 
Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film (2009) Nominated
International Documentary Association (IDA): Feature Documentary Award (2008)
Cinema Eye Honors: Directing Award (2009)
Cinema Eye Honors: Graphic Design and Animation Award (2009)
Cinema Eye Honors: Music Composition Award (2009)
Cinema Eye Honors: International Feature Award (2009)
Directors Guild of America: Outstanding Directorial Achievement Award (2009)

Waste Land: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Best Documentary Award (2010)
Sundance Film Festival: World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary (2010)
International Documentary Association (IDA): Pare Lorentz Award (2010)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature (2011) Nominated

We Still Live Here - Âs Nutayuneân: 
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: Full Frame Inspiration Award (2011)
Mountainfilm in Telluride: Moving Mountains Prize (2011)

Welcome to Leith: 
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Filmmaker to Filmmaker Award (2015)
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Special Jury Prize (2015)
Ashland Independent Film Festival: Honorable Mention: Documentary Editing (2015)

When Billy Broke His Head ... And Other Tales of Wonder: 
Sundance Film Festival: Freedom of Expression Award (1995)

When Claude Got Shot: 
Primetime Emmy Awards: Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking (2022)

When I Walk: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Informational Programming - Long Form (2014)

When I'm Her: 
Dumbo Film Festival: Best Short Documentary (2021)
Rotterdam International Film Festival: Best Documentary Short (2021)
Cleveland International Film Festival: Best LGBTQ+ Short (2021)

Where Soldiers Come From: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Best Editing - Documentary Feature (2011)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story – Long Form Award (2012)

Who Killed Chea Vichea?: 
Peabody Awards: George Foster Peabody Award (2011)

Why Can't We Be a Family Again?: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award (2002)
Academy Awards: Best Documentary Short (2002) Nominated
RiverRun Int’l Film Festival: Best Documentary Short (2003)
Santa Cruz Film Festival: Director's Honorable Mention (2003)

Wildland: 
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary (2018)
News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Editing: Documentary (2018)

Wolves in Paradise: 
CINE Golden Eagle Awards: CINE Golden Eagle Award - Environmental and Natural Science (2008)

Won't You Be My Neighbor?: 
Independent Spirit Awards: Best Documentary (2019)

World Without Oil: 
South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW): Web Award for Activism (2008)

Writing with Fire: 
Academy Awards: Best Documentary (2021) Nominated
Peabody Awards: Documentary (2023)
Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Award for Impact and Change (2021)
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA): Audience Award (2021)

Young@Heart: 
International Documentary Association (IDA): Music Documentary Award (2008)