POLLS CLOSE ON NOMINATIONS FOR BEST POLITICAL FILMS OF 2017
December 31 was the last day to nominate films for Political Film Society awards for 2017. Political Film Society rules require the number of nominated films to be reduced to five in each category. Accordingly, a ballot below:
There were only four films nominated for the category DEMOCRACY for promoting increasing consciousness of the need for more political decisionmaking by the people rather than by elites (Bitter Harvest, The Post, Tickling Giants, A United Kingdom). Voting to choose the best of 2017 will occur during February.
For the category EXPOSÉ, which recognizes the importance of raising political consciousness by bringing to light little-known facts, eighteen films were nominated, so select the best five:
| FILM TITLE | ACCEPT | DROP | UNDECIDED | CONTENT (see full review on website) |
| 13 Minutes | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Traces the first plot to kill Hitler |
| All the Money in the World | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Biopic of J. Paul Getty, his rise and fall |
| Alone in Berlin | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Hitler opponents spread anti messages in postcards |
| Bitter Harvest | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How the Ukraine was incorporated into the USSR |
| Darkest Hour | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Churchill’s election in 1941 |
| Detroit | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Black riot against racism in 1943 |
| The Divine Order | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | German Swiss canton opposes women’s rights |
| The King’s Choice | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Norway’s king copes with Nazi invasion |
| Mark Felt | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | The “Deep Throat” who helped to topple Nixon. |
| Marshall | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | The life of Thurgood Marshall up to the Supreme Court |
| The Pirates of Somalia | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How a journalist found peaceful pirates |
| The Post | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Washington Post’s decision to print Pentagon Papers |
| Tickling Giants | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Cairo comedian amid Egypt’s political turmoil |
| Tom of Finland | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Life of cartoonist who drew gay SM porn |
| A United Kingdom | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Botswana became independent |
| Victoria and Abdul | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Queen Victoria’s last escort—from India |
| War Machine | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How the Afghan War is foolishly conducted |
| The Zookeeper’s Wife | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Warsaw Jews were saved by zookeepers |
Vote for the top five films were nominated for raising consciousness of the need for greater HUMAN RIGHTS:
| FILM TITLE | ACCEPT | DROP | UNDECIDED | CONTENT |
| 13 Minutes | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Ineffectiveness of torture against political prisoner |
| Alone in Berlin | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Nazis brainwashed Germans to persecute Jews |
| Battle of the Sexes | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Billy Jean King shows sexism in Bobby Riggs & media |
| Bitter Harvest | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Stalin starved millions of Ukrainians |
| Brimstone | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Women used as sex slaves during the Gold Rush |
| Detroit | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Police brutality against Black nonprotesters |
| The Divine Order | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Women’s rights denied in a German Swiss canton 1971 |
| In Dubious Battle | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Upton Sinclair’s picture of ag worker exploitation |
| LBJ | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Why Johnson favored civil rights |
| Marshall | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Thurgood fought to end Black discrimination |
| The Post | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Freedom of the press |
| The Promise | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Turkey committed genocide of Armenians |
| Trafficked | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How sex slaves are brought to the U.S. border |
| A United Kingdom | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | British colonial mistreatment in Nyasaland |
| The Zookeeper’s Wife | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Nazis forced Jews into the Warsaw Ghetto |
Eight films were nominated for raising consciousness of the need for greater use of PEACE as a preferred method for conflict resolution, so vote for the top five from the following:
| FILM TITLE | ACCEPT | DROP | UNDECIDED | CONTENT |
| Bitter Harvest | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Efforts to stop Stalin’s mistreatment of Ukrainians |
| Detroit | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Why police brutality is unnecessary |
| The Journey | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Northern Ireland achieved peace |
| The King’s Choice | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How Norway resisted Nazi conquerors |
| The Pirates of Somalia | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Normalization of relations with Somalia |
| The Post | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | How the Vietnam War was based on lies. |
| A United Kingdom | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | King abdicates to gain Botswana’s independence |
| War Machine | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Argument for why the Afghan War is futile |
Political Film Society members must return ballots by January 31, 2018. A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Political Film Society will convene at 8481 Allenwood Road, Los Angeles, CA on February 1, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. to count ballots. All Political Film Society members are invited to the meeting.