Kartemquin is absolutely thrilled to share that Minding the Gap has been nominated for the 91st Academy Awards® in the Feature Documentary category.
Minding the Gap is presented by Hulu; edited by Joshua Altman and Bing Liu; original music by Nathan Halpern and Chris Ruggiero; cinematography by Bing Liu; executive producers Sally Jo Fifer, Justine Nagan, Gordon Quinn, Steve James, Betsy Steinberg; produced by Diane Quon and Bing Liu, and directed by Bing Liu.
The film is a co-production of Kartemquin Films, American Documentary | POV, and Independent Television Services (ITVS); with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.
"I've been bedridden with a feverish flu the past couple of days, so waking up to this news this morning in the middle of my delirium made it all seem that much more unreal. I'm so thankful for the loving and caring people I've gotten the chance to work with and know over the years and over this past year especially. Honored to be amongst a crop of amazing films and filmmakers; thanks to the Academy for getting even more eyes on Minding the Gap!"
– Bing Liu (Director, Producer, Editor)
"I am still in shock from the wonderful honor of Minding the Gap being nominated! It is so true that making a film takes a village, and I cannot thank everyone enough–our participants, our family and friends, and all the partners who got us where we are today: Kartemquin, ITVS, POV, Sundance Institute, and Hulu. But nothing would have been possible without Bing. I'm grateful to have been on this journey with him, and thankful to all the other filmmakers of 2018 documentaries, who make me so proud to do this work."
– Diane Quon (Producer)
"We celebrate this nomination with the whole Kartemquin community, especially those who have participated in our filmmaker development programs. Bing first joined us exactly five years ago this week through our Diverse Voices in Docs program, and then he first met the film's producer, Diane, through our KTQ Labs. We are elated for Bing and his collaborators. He's been a joy to work with since day one. He deserves to enjoy every moment of this."
– Gordon Quinn, executive producer (Kartemquin Artistic Director and Co-Founder)
The film has been a triumph since its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where it earned the Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Filmmaking. It has since garnered over 50 awards and recognitions, most recently winning Best Feature, Emerging Filmmaker, and Best Editing at the International Documentary Association (IDA) Awards; Outstanding Achievement in Editing, Direction, and in a Debut Feature Film at the Cinema Eye Honors; Best First Time Director at the Critics' Choice Awards; and was voted Best Documentary by the New York Film Critics' Circle and the Chicago Film Critics Association, and for Best Editing by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Liu will also receive the Truer Than Fiction Award at the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards, where the film is also nominated for Best Documentary.
The nomination marks the fourth Academy Award® nomination for Kartemquin Films, with previous nominations for Hoop Dreams (1994), Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2018), and Edith+Eddie (2018). It is the first nomination for Bing Liu and the first nomination for Diane Quon.
Minding the Gap is now available to view on Hulu and at festivals and in theaters worldwide. It is the first nomination for Bing Liu and the first nomination for Diane Quon.
The Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Saturday, February 23rd in Santa Monica. The Academy Awards® will take place on Sunday, February 24th in Los Angeles.