Ezra Edelman's gripping 8-hour epic about the trial that rocked America took home the prize for Best Documentary at the 2017 Oscars.

“O.J.: Made In America” won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 2017 Academy Awards Sunday night.

Producers Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow accepted the award Sunday night for the sweeping portrait of the trial of the century, which gripped viewers for all of its epic 8 hours. Produced by ESPN’s 30 For 30, it has been seen by upwards of 50 million viewers, proving that quality films can have a mass appeal, especially when the subject is one that fascinated so many people.

“I want to thank the Academy for acknowledging this untraditional film,” Edelman said. He dedicated the win to Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown.

“O.J.: Made In America” tells the story of the O.J. Simpson trial, beginning with Simpson’s college football years and ending with his the little known story of his later days, which eventually led to his being arrested for armed robbery of his own memorabilia. Edelman amassed a stunning number of participants, from original jurors to members of Simpson’s defense team, as well as prosecutor Marcia Clark.

Other nominated films were Ava DuVernay’s “13th,” Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro,” Gianfranco Rossi’s “Fire At Sea,” and Roger Ross Williams’ “Life, Animated.”

READ MORE: Mahershala Ali Wins Best Supporting Actor Honors at the 2017 Oscars

Edelman previously produced three HBO sports documentaries: “Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals,” “The Curious Case of Curt Flood,” and the Emmy Award-winning “Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush.” This is the first Oscar for the director.

Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. </s> SANTA MONICA, Calif.: "Moonlight" triumphed at the Film Independent Spirit Awards with six wins on Saturday, besting grief drama "Manchester by the Sea" ahead of Sunday's Oscars ceremony.

"Moonlight," about a black boy in an impoverished Miami neighborhood as he grapples with his sexuality, was named best feature, the top award. It also won for best director and best screenplay for writer-director Barry Jenkins, and an ensemble cast award.

"This movie exists as a beacon of inclusivity," Jenkins said.

"Moonlight" will be competing for eight Oscars, including best picture.

The Independent Spirit Awards, held on California's Santa Monica Beach on the day before Hollywood's glitzy Oscars ceremony, honor the year's best achievements in independent film made on small budgets.

The last three winners of the Spirit Awards - "Spotlight", "Birdman" and "12 Years a Slave" - all went on to win the best picture Oscar, the highest honor in the movie industry.

But this year, some of the films getting the most awards buzz, like "La La Land," "Lion" and "Hidden Figures," were not eligible for Spirit Awards.

Hosted by comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, Saturday's show was a light-hearted affair but that didn't stop stars from taking some jabs at the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Casey Affleck, who won for his lead role as a grieving janitor in "Manchester by the Sea," used his acceptance speech to say "the policies of this administration are abhorrent and they won't last."

French star Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for playing a woman who pursues her rapist in "Elle."

"I've made so many independent films and I think it's independence that makes art win," Huppert said.

"O.J.: Made in America," a look at the 1995 murder trial of former U.S. football star O.J. Simpson, won best documentary over Ava DuVernay's "13th" and Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro." All three are also Oscar-nominated.

Other winners included supporting actor Ben Foster for "Hell or High Water," and Molly Shannon for her supporting role in "Other People."

Coming-of-age tale "American Honey" went home empty-handed despite getting six nominations. </s> Conquered all the 2017 Academy Awards Best Picture nominees with just a day to spare? That means there’s plenty of time to screen this year’s feature and short documentary nominees.

From war-torn Syria, to inside The Lion King, the Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short films vary in topic and genre. Luckily, many of the films require only a Netflix subscription to view. Here’s how to watch them, now.

How to Watch the Best Documentary Feature Nominees:

From Italian director Gianfranco Rosi, Fire at Sea tackles the current refugee crisis in Europe, centered around the island of Lampedusa, which has welcomed migrants in masses.

The film already has a major recognition to its name: it was the first documentary, ever, to win the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival (aka, the Golden Bear).

The nomination is Rosi and producer Donatella Palermo’s first. While the DVD won’t be available for purchase until March, it can be streamed now on Amazon Live Video and on iTunes.

I Am Not Your Negro

Based around 30-pages of unpublished letters written by late American novelist James Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro explores the current status of race relations in the U.S.

Baldwin’s original, unfinished manuscript notes were biographies of civil rights leaders like Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Raoul Peck.

I Am Not Your Negro is currently in theaters. Check your local listings or search for screenings through the documentary’s website.

Owen Suskind, an autistic man who was once unable to communicate verbally, learned to talk to his family through Disney animated films – Life, Animated, from director Roger Ross Williams, tells his story.

Williams is a previous Academy Award winner: he won Best Documentary Short in 2010 for Music by Prudence.

Life, Animated is available to watch on demand through YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Prime, Vudu and Google Play.

Watch the PEOPLE & EW Red Carpet Live Oscars pre-show on Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on the People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). Go to PEOPLE.com/PEN, or download the app on your favorite device. Then watch our Red Carpet Fashion Wrap-Up after the Oscars!

It has been over two decades since the conclusion of the O.J. Simpson murder trial, but the public is still fascinated by the former star football player.

O.J.: Made in America covers the gamut of Simpson’s life, starting with a history of L.A. race relations and ending with the onetime celebrity, convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping, and moldering in prison.

Directed by Ezra Edelman and from ESPN, the documentary is a whopping 10-hours long, and can be streamed in three parts on Hulu and five parts on Watch ESPN.

Directed by Ava DuVernay, 13TH draws on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.

Yet, racial inequality continued in America. 13TH explores the history of racism in America, with particular focus on the disproportionate number of black men and women incarcerated in U.S. prisons.

Good news: all you need is a Netflix account to watch 13TH.

How to Watch the Best Documentary Short Nominees:

Following patients, their families and their doctors, Extremis explores the complexity and intensity of end-of-life decisions. Set at a hospital, the 24-minutes long short comes from Dan Krauss, a previous Academy Award nominee.

Extremis is currently streaming on Netflix.

This 2016 short documentary follows – according to its description – “a coast guard captain on a small Greek island [who] is suddenly charged with saving thousands of refugees from drowning at sea.”

The 22-minute film from Daphne Matziaraki – like several other of the 2017 documentary nominees – explores one aspect of the Syrian refugee crisis.

Matziaraki told The Mercury News that she will bring the coast guard captain – Kyriakos Papadopoulos – as her date on Sunday, calling him “the ultimate hero.”

4.1 Miles can be streamed for free on the New York Times website.

According to the short’s website, in Joe’s Violin “a donated musical instrument forges an improbable friendship between 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Joe Feingold and 12-year-old Bronx school girl Brianna Perez.”

Feingold donated his violin to an instrument drive for public school students sponsored by N.Y.C.’s radio station WQXR. He traded a carton of cigarettes for the violin after World War II while in a camp for displaced persons, said Variety.

The film can be watched now through the New Yorker‘s The Screening Room.

Watani: My Homeland follows one Syrian family for three years – covering their escape from their home of Aleppo in the war-torn country to their eventual search for a new life in Germany.

Hala Kami, who is profiled in the film, will be attending the Oscars on Sunday, Deadline confirmed. Her attendance was in question after the initial implementation of President Trump’s controversial travel ban, which stopped travel to America from Syria, among other Middle Eastern countries.

The short is still in theaters. Find a screening, here.

The White Helmets is a volunteer organization of Syrians who visit scenes of bombings to save those trapped in the rubble or injured by the blasts. The documentary short follows a team of White Helmets rescuers.

Much like Watani: My Homeland‘s subjects, the White Helmets team leader profiled in the documentary was originally unsure if he could attend this year’s ceremony in the wake of the travel ban because of his Syrian nationality. The film’s cinematographer, Khaled Khateeb, is also Syrian.

Both men said in a statement last week, however, that they will be able to attend, although Khateeb was barred from entering the country on Friday en route to the awards.

“It will give us an important platform for the voices of Syrian children and women trapped under the rubble as a result of the airstrikes and artillery shelling, and for the voices of thousands of displaced Syrians who have been forced from their homes,” Raed Saleh said.

The White Helmets is currently streaming on Netflix.

The Academy Awards kicks off live on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 26, with a 7 p.m. ET pre-show and 8:30 p.m. ceremony. See all the Oscar nominees and get your own ballot here! </s> “Moonlight” triumphed at the Film Independent Spirit Awards with six wins on Saturday, besting grief drama “Manchester by the Sea” ahead of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony.

“Moonlight,” about a black boy in an impoverished Miami neighbourhood as he grapples with his sexuality, was named best feature, the top award. It also won for best director and best screenplay for writer-director Barry Jenkins, and an ensemble cast award.

“This movie exists as a beacon of inclusivity,” Jenkins said.

“Moonlight” will be competing for eight Oscars, including best picture.

The Independent Spirit Awards, held on California’s Santa Monica Beach on the day before Hollywood’s glitzy Oscars ceremony, honor the year’s best achievements in independent film made on small budgets.

The last three winners of the Spirit Awards - “Spotlight,” “Birdman” and “12 Years a Slave” - all went on to win the best picture Oscar, the highest honor in the movie industry.

But this year, some of the films getting the most awards buzz, like “La La Land,” “Lion” and “Hidden Figures,” were not eligible for Spirit Awards.

Hosted by comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, Saturday’s show was a light-hearted affair but that didn’t stop stars from taking some jabs at the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Casey Affleck, who won for his lead role as a grieving janitor in “Manchester by the Sea,” used his acceptance speech to say “the policies of this administration are abhorrent and they won’t last.”

French star Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for playing a woman who pursues her rapist in “Elle.”

“I’ve made so many independent films and I think it’s independence that makes art win,” Huppert said.

“O.J.: Made in America,” a look at the 1995 murder trial of former U.S. football star O.J. Simpson, won best documentary over Ava DuVernay’s “13th” and Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro.” All three are also Oscar-nominated.

Other winners included supporting actor Ben Foster for “Hell or High Water,” and Molly Shannon for her supporting role in “Other People.”

Coming-of-age tale “American Honey” went home empty-handed despite getting six nominations. </s> JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.

WINNER: Barry Jenkins, Story By Tarell Alvin McCraney, “Moonlight”

Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”

Mike Mills, “20th Century Women”

Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, “Little Men”

Taylor Sheridan, “Hell or High Water”

Ava Berkofsky, “Free In Deed”

Lol Crawley, “The Childhood of a Leader”

Zach Kuperstein, “The Eyes of My Mother”

WINNER: James Laxton, “Moonlight”

Robbie Ryan, “American Honey”

Matthew Hannam, “Swiss Army Man”

Jennifer Lame, “Manchester by the Sea”

WINNER: Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders, “Moonlight”

Jake Roberts, “Hell or High Water”

Sebastián Sepúlveda, “Jackie”

WINNER: Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”

David Harewood, “Free In Deed”

Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”

Jesse Plemons, “Other People”

Tim Roth, “Chronic”

Ralph Fiennes, “A Bigger Splash”

WINNER: Ben Foster, “Hell or High Water”

Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea”

Shia LaBeouf, “American Honey”

Craig Robinson, “Morris from America”

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – (Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

“13th”

“Cameraperson”

“I Am Not Your Negro”

WINNER: “O.J.: Made in America”

“Sonita”

“Under the Sun”

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

The Indie Spirit Awards aren't always an indicator of how things will go the following night at the Oscars, but you can bet A24 and the folks behindare hoping it is this year. Barry Jenkins' acclaimed drama won the night with a whopping six awards, including Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Ensemble. Horror filmcame away with two wins, including Best First Feature, while the acting wins turned out pretty interesting. While Casey Affleck still won Best Actor for, Oscar favorite Mahershala Ali wasn't even nominated for Best Supporting Actor, with that award going to Ben Foster for. Isabelle Huppert won Best Actress for, while Molly Shannon was shown some much-deserved love forThe full list of winners is below. </s> LOS ANGELES — The Latest on the 89th Academy Awards (all times local):

 6:15 p.m.

A documentary examining the broad implications of O.J. Simpson’s trial and acquittal on murder charges has won the Oscar for best documentary.

The ESPN film “O.J.: Made in America” runs seven hours and 47 minutes and is the longest film to win an Academy Award.

“O.J.” documentary director Ezra Edelman paid tribute to Simpson’s late wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman, whose brutal killings led to the so-called “Trial of the Century” against the former NFL great.

The film is one of several documentary contenders this year that examine racial issues in America, including “I Am Not Your Negro” and “13th.”

The category was introduced by the cast of “Hidden Figures.” They in turn introduced Kathrine Johnson, one of the black NASA pioneers.

—

 Mahershala Ali is the winner of the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his “Moonlight” role.

Ali won for his first Oscar-nominated role, in which he plays a Miami drug dealer who mentors a young boy who is being teased and bullied.

It has been a breakout year for Ali, who starred on the Netflix series “Luke Cage” and also had a role in another Oscar-nominated film, “Hidden Figures.”

Ali paid tribute to his teachers and “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins in his acceptance speech and thanked his wife, who gave birth to their daughter four days ago.

Costume Design went to “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”

“Suicide Squad” won the Academy Award for Makeup and Hair styling.

The Oscars have started off on an upbeat note with Justin Timberlake dancing in the aisles of the Dolby Theater and interacting with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Timberlake kicked off the show with a performance of his Oscar-nominated song “Can’t Stop the Feeling” that included a high-five with Denzel Washington. Actor Javiar Bardem danced like he was in a nightclub.

The singer had promised a politics-free opening to the 89th annual Oscars, and he delivered.

Host Jimmy Kimmel kept the mood light in his opening, telling Timberlake that if his former bandmates in ‘N Sync were watching, they’d let him back into the band.

Kimmel didn’t stray entirely from politics, and urged audience members to reach out to someone with opposite views from them. He also took a shot at President Donald Trump, saying his policies had made the Oscars seem less racist.

See the stars on the red carpet here. </s> The #OscarsSoWhite crisis of the last two years was quickly left behind at the 89th Academy Awards celebration Sunday.

African American actor Mahershala Ali won the Oscar for best supporting actor in "Moonlight", in which he plays a Miami drug dealer who mentors a young boy who is being teased and bullied.

And Viola Davis won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in "Fences".

 

 The award for best foreign language film when to "The Salesman" from Iran. It is the second win in this category for writer-director Asghar Farhadi, who previously won for 2011's "A Separation.'' In protest of President Donald Trump's travel ban, Farhadi boycotted the Oscars ceremony.

 

 In a statement read on his behalf, Farhadi wrote that filmmakers create empathy between others, and that is more needed today than ever.

The award for best documentary feature went to "O.J. Made in America", a film about the life of former football star O.J. Simpson, who was tried and found not guilty in the murder trial of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.

Thanks to films like "Moonlight", "Fences" and "Hidden Figures", a record six black actors are nominated this year. For the first time ever, a person of color is nominated in each acting category. And four of the five best documentary nominees also were directed by black filmmakers.

The ceremony was expected to be one of the most turbulent and politically charged ceremonies in recent memory. Host Jimmy Kimmel fired an opening salvo at U.S. President Donald Trump, saying his policies had made the Oscars seem less racist.

"La La Land" is in the lead film with 14 Oscar nominations including best actor, actress, director and picture. That ties the record shared with "All About Eve" and "Titanic". Close behind are "Arrival" and "Moonlight", each with eight nominations.

The other films up for best picture are Denzel Washington's"Fences", Mel Gibson's "Hacksaw Ridge", David Mackenzie's "Hell or High Water", Theodore Melfi's "Hidden Figures", Kenneth Lonergan's "Manchester by the Sea" and Garth Davis' "Lion".

The nominees follow the efforts by Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs to diversify the membership of the largely white, older and male film academy. In June, the academy added 683 new members: 46 percent of them were female; 41 percent were nonwhite; and they pulled from 59 countries.

 

 In Photos: Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals </s> Live

“La La Land” did what 800-lb gorillas are supposed to do: dominate the Oscar nominations tally, pulling down 14, including actor, actress, director and picture. That ties the record shared only with “All About Eve” and “Titanic.”

“Arrival” and “Moonlight” each came away with eight nominations. Ava DuVernay’s “13th” joins “O.J.: Made in America” among best documentary feature nominees, continuing our ongoing conversation about race in the United States. Speaking of which, with Viola Davis, Dev Patel, Octavia Spencer, Denzel Washington, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris and Ruth Negga getting acting nominations, the 89th Academy Awards will definitely not be so white.

The 89th Academy Awards will take place on Feb. 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and will air live at 5:30 p.m. PT. </s> LONDON (AP) — The Latest on the British Academy Film Awards (all times local): Dev Patel has won the best supporting actor prize at the British Academy Film Awards for playing a young man in search of his lost family in “Lion.” It’s was the film’s second prize of the evening at Britain’s equivalent of the Oscars. “Lion” also won for adapted screenplay. The London-born Patel expressed shock at being a winner at a ceremony he used to watch on television with his family. He said “Lion,” which co-stars Nicole Kidman, is “a film about family, about a love that transcends race, borders, color, anything.” Viola Davis has won the British Academy Film Award for best supporting actress for her performance in “Fences,” Denzel Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s stage drama about an African-American family. A visibly moved Davis praised Wilson’s play for showing “that our lives mattered as African Americans.” She said: “The horse groomer, the sanitation worker, the people who grew up under the heavy boot of Jim Crow. The people who did not make it into history books, but they have a story – and those stories deserve to be told.” The awards are Britain’s equivalent of the Oscars. Ada DuVernay’s film about mass incarceration in America, “The 13th,” has been named best documentary at the British Academy Film Awards. DuVernay’s feature film follow-up to her Oscar-nominated civil rights epic “Selma” explores the historic roots of the United States’ high incarceration rate. It takes its name from the section of the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery “except as a punishment for crime.” The awards are taking place Sunday in London. “I, Daniel Blake,” director Ken Loach’s hard-hitting drama about a man caught in the U.K.’s labyrinthine welfare system, has been named best British picture at the British Academy Film Awards. The 80-year-old director used his speech to lambast Britain’s Conservative government, saying his gritty drama shows that “the most vulnerable and the poorest people are treated by this government with a callous brutality that is disgraceful.” Loach also branded the government’s decision to end a program bringing child refugees to Britain “a disgrace.” The best British picture prize was the first handed out Sunday at Britain’s equivalent of the Oscars. The musical “La La Land” has 11 nominations and is favored to win several awards. Viola Davis says being nominated for a best supporting actress award in Britain shows that playwright August Wilson “told a universal story of the everyman and American history” with “Fences.” Davis was seen as the favorite to win the British Academy Film Award in that category for Denzel Washington’s screen adaptation of Wilson’s stage drama about an African-American family. The U.K. awards, known as BAFTAs, are seen as an indicator of who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held two weeks later. Prince William and his wife, Kate, were due on the red carpet, along with other nominees, including Meryl Streep, Casey Affleck and Nicole Kidman. The stars brought a dose of glamor to gray, wintry London, as hundreds of fans lined the red carpet at Royal Albert Hall. Hollywood stars will mingle with British royalty at the British Academy Film Awards, where “La La Land” is favored to dance away with multiple trophies. Prince William and his wife Kate are expected on the red carpet at London’s Royal Albert Hall, along with nominees including Meryl Streep, Casey Affleck and Nicole Kidman. “La La Land,” an effervescent musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, has 11 nominations, including best picture, best actor and best actress. The U.K. awards are often an indicator of who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held two weeks later. Prince William is due to present the British academy’s fellowship to veteran comedian Mel Brooks during Sunday’s ceremony. Hollywood stars mingled with British royalty on Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards, where “La La Land” was favored to dance away with multiple trophies. Prince William and his wife Kate were due on the red carpet at London’s Royal Albert Hall, along with nominees including Meryl Streep, Casey Affleck and Nicole Kidman. “La La Land,” an effervescent musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, has 11 nominations, including best picture, best actor and best actress. The U.K. awards, known as BAFTAs, are often seen as an indicator of who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held two weeks later. “La La Land” already is a dominant force at the Oscars, with 14 nominations. It also has won seven Golden Globes. Viola Davis was seen as the favorite to win the best supporting actress BAFTA for “Fences,” Denzel Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s stage drama about an African-American family. Davis said being recognized in Britain was proof that Wilson “has told a universal story of the everyman and American history.” The stars brought a dose of glamor to gray, wintry London, as hundreds of fans lined the red carpet outside a domed concert hall beside London’s Hyde Park. Many of those attending expected politics to make a guest appearance at the ceremony, as it has so often this awards season. Streep is among the stars who have used the awards stage to criticize President Donald Trump. Barry Jenkins, director of best-picture nominee “Moonlight,” said, “People ought to speak from their heart. If there’s something you’ve got to say, then say it.” Prince William, who is also president of Britain’s film academy, was to present the academy’s lifetime-achievement honor to veteran comedian Mel Brooks during Sunday’s ceremony. And while the luscious “La La Land” was the favorite, academy voters could choose to reward less escapist fare. The philosophical sci-fi yarn “Arrival” and the psychological thriller “Nocturnal Animals” have nine BAFTA nominations each. Director Ken Loach’s gritty “I, Daniel Blake,” a stinging critique of Britain’s welfare system, was up for five awards. Best-picture contenders are “Arrival,” ”I, Daniel Blake,” ”La La Land,” the wrenching New England drama “Manchester By The Sea” and the Miami-set coming-of-age story “Moonlight.” The BAFTAs differ from their U.S. counterpart in having a separate category for best British film. Nominees in that category include “I, Daniel Blake”; the raucous road trip “American Honey”; the courtroom drama “Denial”; the wizarding adventure “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”; the documentary “Notes on Blindness”; and the Iran-set horror film “Under the Shadow.” Gosling’s rivals in the best actor race were Andrew Garfield for “Hacksaw Ridge”; Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea”; Jake Gyllenhaal for “Nocturnal Animals”; and Viggo Mortensen for “Captain Fantastic.” Best-actress contenders were Stone; Amy Adams for “Arrival”; Emily Blunt for “The Girl on the Train”; Meryl Streep for “Florence Foster Jenkins”; and Natalie Portman for “Jackie.”
O.J.: Made in America wins the Best Documentary Feature.