2025 Oscar Nominations!

The 2025 Oscar nominations are finally here! During a live broadcast, Comedians Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott revealed the 2025 Academy Award nominees. In this week’s blog, we wanted to talk about the various films that stole the spotlight this year, with a focus on the category of Best Documentary Feature. Blockbusters, dramas, and movies with well-known actors often get the most attention during award season, with good reason. But, we wanted to give some extra love to the documentary features that are educational, raw, and eye-opening. 

Leading the pack is Netflix's Emilia Pérez, a musical about a trans drug lord in Mexico, which earned 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón, Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña, and Best Director for Jacques Audiard.

Wicked and The Brutalist were close behind, each securing 10 nominations. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande received acting nods for their roles in Wicked. At the same time, Adrien Brody was recognized for his performance in The Brutalist, portraying a Jewish architect's post-war journey.

The nomination announcement was delayed twice due to Southern California wildfires, which disrupted the entertainment industry. While the annual nominee luncheon was canceled, the Oscar's ceremony will proceed on March 2, 2025, hosted by Conan O'Brien.

Notable OSCAR Nominees from Our Library

Adrien Brody (Best Actor in a Leading Role: The Brutalist) - See him in The Last Time I Committed Suicide

Felicity Jones (Best Actress in a Supporting Role: The Brutalist) - See her in The Worst Witch & Weirdsister College

In this year's OSCARS, one of the most talked-about documentary contenders is Sugarcane. The film offers a hard look at the dark underbelly of the global sugar industry, shedding light on exploitative labor practices, environmental degradation, and the ripple effects of sugar on vulnerable communities. 

One of the most compelling aspects of this year’s Best Documentary Feature lineup is the shared focus on sustainability, justice, and human resilience. There is also a large international prescence among the nominees, showcasing human stories from across the globe. If you’re interested in documentaries that are similar to Sugarcane, films like Sustainable Nation, streaming on TheArchive, remind us of the interconnectedness of our world’s most pressing issues.

In a world where clean water is everything, Sustainable Nation follows the journey of three visionaries dedicated to solving the global water crisis. With breathtaking cinematography and a hopeful narrative, this film highlights practical, scalable solutions that could change the lives of millions. It’s not just a documentary—it’s a call to action for all of us to rethink our relationship with natural resources.

Another must-watch is Big Sugar, a documentary that traces the sugar industry’s dark history, from its early ties to slavery to its modern influence on politics and the environment. Through dramatic reenactments and expert analysis, the film reveals how sugar shaped the economies of the West Indies and enslaved millions while also exposing how today’s sugar-dominated diets continue to enslave consumers in subtler ways. The environmental impact of sugar cultivation, particularly on the Everglades, further underscores the industry’s far-reaching consequences.

The 2025 Oscars Best Documentary Feature category reminds us why this medium is vital. Whether it’s the hidden costs of sugar, the urgency of water sustainability, or the myriad other issues explored in this year’s nominees, these films mirror our world, challenging us to reflect and act.

Looking for even more ways to watch and enjoy excellent movies & TV series?!? Head on over to YouTube and subscribe to Grapevine Documentaries, Multicom Entertainment, and TheArchive.These channels are dedicated to aficionados and lovers of cinema. You’ll find rare, retro, and restored films and TV, ranging from indies and series to Oscar-winning docs, unearthed MOWs, a killer horror library, and MORE!  

TheArchive channel is dedicated to aficionados and lovers of story, craft, and silver screen fun – streaming rare, retro, and restored films and classic TV. From indies and series, to Oscar winning documentaries, unearthed MOWs, and a killer horror library, TheArchive delivers forgotten, never-before-seen gems for free and many in 4K. Marilyn, Karloff, and Orson Welles stream alongside Reese, Keanu, and Samuel L. Jackson. Find true stories of Queen, Hendrix, and Sinatra, an LGBTQ library, MLK bios, and world history docs. TheArchive has the movies and shows you either saw, should’ve seen, or should be watching now!