About Cinema Eye

Cinema Eye was founded in 2007 on three ideals: creating events to support and build community amongst those who make documentary films; recognizing the entire creative team of craftspersons that create these films; and recognizing excellence, innovation and boldness in the artistry of nonfiction filmmaking.

Cinema Eye was the first and remains the only international nonfiction award to recognize the whole creative team, presenting annual craft awards in directing, editing, producing, cinematography, original score, visual design and sound design. Cinema Eye presents and produces the annual Cinema Eye Week and Honors Awards Ceremony.

The Cinema Eye Honors recognize feature and short-length films and series with an emphasis on nonfiction work that is designed for public distribution, whether primarily theatrical, festival, broadcast or streaming. Cinema Eye seeks to encourage audiences to engage with nonfiction work that crosses all genres, whether observational, journalistic, activist, essayistic, light-hearted or provocative as well as those exciting works that blur the lines between nonfiction and fiction. Since its founding, Cinema Eye has sought to change the conversation that film critics, festivals and awards bodies have surrounding documentary film, shifting the emphasis from importance of topic to artistic craft.

The Honors Awards Ceremony is the culmination of Cinema Eye Week, a multi-day celebration that brings together the international creative teams responsible for envisioning our nominees and honorees. 

Cinema Eye is led by a core team of filmmakers and programmers who are committed to the organization’s mission.