‘Blackfish’ Shortlisted for the Oscars!

It shook up the nation with its haunting exposé of SeaWorld, and now “Blackfish” is taking on the Oscars!

The film has just been shortlisted for the 2014 Academy Awards, selected as one of 15 documentaries for the “Best Documentary Feature” category. Among its competitors include “The Act of Killing,” “The Crash Reel,” “Dirty Wars,” “The Square,” “God Loves Uganda,” “The Armstrong Lie,” and “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.”

The Academy will need to narrow down the list of 15 films to just five nominees, which will be announced on Jan. 16, 2014, reports RealScreen. The winning film will then be awarded “Best Documentary Feature” at the 86^th annual awards ceremony on March 2 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Hopefully, “Blackfish” will be among the top five and score big with this top honor, too. In addition to the Oscars, the film has also been nominated for a Golden Satellite Award by the International Press Academy – woohoo!

With the awards rolling in, it looks like the world has truly been captivated by “Blackfish,” and for good reason. It’s the first film to really delve into the life of orcas and the heartbreaking world of marine park captivity – a world fit for no animal. Within the concrete walls of park pools, orcas are unable to develop stimulating social bonds, swim freely, and exercise their intelligence fully. They have been locked into prisons, and for no reason whatsoever other than for profit.

If you have yet to watch “Blackfish,” do yourself a favor and rent it or buy it today – you’ll be stunned and captivated, and hopefully moved to do something too.

Image source: Andy Blackledge / Flickr