For our third Rundown article, we review one of the short film categories. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Documentary Short Subject as well as general commentary about the race. Next week, we’ll start off on Monday with the most international category.

Best Documentary Short Subject

Winner Predictions

• The Elephant Whisperers (PP R) [New] (TL O)
• Haulout
• How Do You Measure a Year?
• The Martha Mitchell Effect
• Stranger at the Gate (WL R) [New] (TB O)

Runner-Up Predictions

• The Elephant Whisperers (WL R) [New] (TB R) [New]
• The Martha Mitchell Effect (TL R) [New]
• Stranger at the Gate (PP R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: Having seen all of the films, Stranger at the Gate does the best job evoking emotions and speaking to current issues. While my personal favorite is Haulout, I think it’s a bit too gloomy for some.
Peter J. Patrick: Who doesn’t love an elephant? This seems to be a tough one to beat with Strangers at the Gate a possibility.
Tripp Burton: The timely power of Stranger at the Gate, about a man who went to a mosque to kill Muslims and ended up converting to Islam and joining the mosque, seems like a solid front-runner here. But, those elephants are really charming and could win over some voters.
Thomas La Tourrette: The Elephant Whisperers is the type of feel good film that wins in this category and I imagine it will be the winner. It was a charming tale of a couple on a reserve raising orphaned elephants and it was hard not to be taken by all the subjects. Its stiffest competition comes from The Martha Mitchell Effect which detailed the harrowing life of the wife of Richard Nixon’s campaign manager and former Attorney General. It was fascinating and sobering, but I think voters will go for the more uplifting Elephant Whisperers.

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