# City of Ghosts (2017 film)

City of Ghosts (Arabic: مدينة الأشباح, romanized: Madīnat al-Ashbāḥ) is a 2017 Arabic-language American documentary film about the Syrian media activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently as they face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile after their homeland is taken over by ISIS in 2014. The film was directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land).
Heineman won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Award from the Directors Guild of America for the film, becoming one of only three people to win the prestigious honor twice. City of Ghosts also won the Courage Under Fire Award from the International Documentary Association "in recognition of conspicuous bravery in the pursuit of truth" and was listed on over 20 critic and year-end lists for Best Documentary of 2017. City of Ghosts was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, BAFTA Award, PGA Award, IDA Award for Best Documentary Features.

## Release

The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It was subsequently acquired by Amazon in a $2 million deal.
The film was released theatrically by Amazon Studios, A&E IndieFilms and IFC Films on July 14, 2017.

## Reception

City of Ghosts received critical acclaim upon release. As of 4 February 2021, the film holds a 98% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 8.40/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "City of Ghosts takes a hard-hitting, ground-level look at atrocities in a part of the world that may seem foreign to many viewers, but whose impact will be no less devastating." On Metacritic, it holds a rating of 86/100, based on 31 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Charlie Phillips of The Guardian gave the film five stars and called it "the definitive contemporary documentary about the tragedy of Syria."

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
| BAFTA Awards | February 18, 2018 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 10, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Cinema Eye Honors | January 11, 2018 | Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Production | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| CPH:Dox | March 26, 2017 | Audience Award | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Creative Arts Emmy Awards | September 8, 2018 | Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Critics Choice Documentary Awards | November 2, 2017 | Best Director, Best Documentary | Matthew Heineman | Nominated |
| Dallas Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 13, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Dallas International Film Festival | April 10, 2017 | Silver Heart Award | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | February 4, 2018 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary | Matthew Heineman | Won |
| Docville | March 30, 2017 | Jury Award Best Conscience Documentary | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Galway Film Fleadh | July 17, 2017 | Best Human Rights Feature | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Greenwich International Film Festival | June 2017 | Best Social Impact Film | City of Ghosts | Won |
| International Documentary Association | September 12, 2017 | Courage Under Fire Award | Matthew Heineman | Won |
| International Documentary Association Awards | December 9, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| International Press Academy Satellite Awards | February 10, 2018 | Best Motion Picture, Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Iowa Film Critics Association | January 9, 2018 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Jerusalem Film Festival | June 22, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Melbourne International Film Festival | August 20, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Montclair Film Festival | May 7, 2017 | Special Jury Prize for Direction | Matthew Heineman | Won |
| Munich Film Festival | June 24, 2017 | Fritz-Gerlich Prize | Matthew Heineman | Won |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | December 6, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | January 20, 2018 | Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures | Matthew Heineman | Nominated |
| Phoenix Critics Circle | December 11, 2017 | Best Documentary Film | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | December 19, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Won |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle | December 10, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Seattle Film Critics Awards | December 18, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Seattle International Film Festival | June 11, 2017 | Golden Space Needle Award | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Sheffield Doc/Fest Awards | June 2017 | Grand Jury Award | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Social Impact Media Awards | January 2018 | Documentary Features | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 10, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |
| Sundance Film Festival | 2017 | Candescent Award | City of Ghosts | Won |
| Sundance Film Festival | January 28, 2017 | Grand Jury Prize – US Documentary | Matthew Heineman | Nominated |
| Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 8, 2017 | Best Documentary | City of Ghosts | Nominated |