Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Documentary Short

The nominees:
Killing in the Name (B+)
A man whose wedding was bombed makes it his life’s work to attempt to de-radicalize Muslin extremists whose attacks have resulted in the deaths of Muslims.
Poster Girl (B+)
An Iraq war veteran speaks out against the war as she deals with her PTSD.
Strangers No More (B+)
A school in Tel Aviv brings together students from around the world.
Sun Come Up (B+)
Inhabitants of an island in the South prepare for global warming and try to find a new home on a neighboring island.
The Warriors of Qiugang (B+)
Environmentalists in China protest the presence and actions of factories that are poisoning their residents.

Previous winners: Music by Prudence, Smile Pinki, Freeheld, The Blood of Yingzhou District, A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, Mighty Times: The Children’s March
Who should win: “Strangers No More” or “Killing in the Name”
Who will win: There isn’t a weak film in this list; it’s just a matter of which will impress voters most. "Strangers No More," a life-affirming, positive success story, is the only film in this bunch that isn't horribly depressing, so if it cheers enough people up, it could prevail. “Sun Come Up” isn’t quite as comprehensive as some of the others, often failing to explain some of its more intriguing back story. “Poster Girl” is powerful, but not as aesthetically well-made as the others. It’s a race, then, between “The Warriors of Qiugang” and “Killing in the Name.” Both are stories of motivated individuals determined never to give up until they’ve achieved their goals. Given the intense nature of the latter film, I think it’s the frontrunner.

Images are from Oscar.com