159 documentary features compete for Oscar race

A total of 159 features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 92nd Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced Tuesday.

Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category's other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.

Documentary features that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country's official selection are also eligible in the category, according to a statement released by the AMPAS, adding that films submitted in the category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.

Some documentaries, such as "American Factory" and "Apollo 11" are named by U.S. media as notable films in the Oscar race.

"American Factory" was released in August this year and quickly captured the attention of audiences from across the Pacific Ocean. The film, produced by Participant Media and released through former U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's Netflix output deal tells a true story in which U.S. workers and Chinese managers worked side-by-side in a new Chinese-owned factory established on the site of former General Motors plant in Dayton of Ohio.

"Apollo 11," which focuses on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, was the big winner at the fourth annual Critics' Choice Documentary Awards on Sunday, taking home five awards including the award for documentary feature.

Other high-profile competitors include "The Cave" "Sea of Shadows" "Honeyland" "For Sama" and so on.

A total of 166 films had been submitted in the category in 2018 and "Free Solo" was the final winner.

A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on Dec. 16 and the final five nominees will be revealed on Jan. 13, 2020. The 92nd Oscars will be held on Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.