'He Named Me Malala' shortlisted for Oscars

The film is an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the list of films shortlisted for the 2016 Oscar Awards, and He Named Me Malala has made the cut.

The film is an intimate portrait of Malala Yousafzai, the passionate Pakistani advocate of girls’ education who survived a brutal Taliban gun attack in 2012.



Filmed over 18 months in Britain, Kenya, Nigeria, Abu Dhabi and Jordan, the documentary by American filmmaker David Guggenheim recalls how Malala’s father chose her name in honour of Malalai of Maiwand, a heroine who rallied the Pashtun army against British troops in 1880.

In He Named Me Malala, Davis shows how the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala, her father Zia and her family are committed to fighting for girls education worldwide.

The Hollywood director also gives us a close glimpse into Malala’s life, showing the bond she shares with her father who inspired her love and passion for education, her motivating speeches at the UN and her everyday life with her family.



Out of 124 submissions, only 15 were included in the shortlist for Documentary Feature, according to the official Oscars website, and they will further be narrowed down to five nominations.

The final nominations will be announced on January 14 and the awards will be held on February 28 next year.

The other 14 shortlisted films are:

1. Amy

2. Best of Enemies
3. Cartel Land

4. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

5. Heart of a Dog

6. The Hunting Ground

7. Listen to Me Marlon

8. The Look of Silence

9. Meru

10. 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets

11. We Come as Friends

12. What Happened, Miss Simone?

13. Where to Invade Next

14. Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom