Oscars 2026: 'Mr. Nobody...', 'All...Empty Rooms' win in documentary categories
What's the story
The Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards went to Mr. Nobody Against Putin. Meanwhile, All the Empty Rooms took the win for Best Documentary Short Film. Co-directed by Pavel Talankin and David Borenstein, Mr. Nobody... offers an in-depth look into how schools in a Russian mining town disseminated pro-Kremlin propaganda following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Twitter Post
See the official announcement
Congratulations to MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN, this year's Best Documentary Feature Film #Oscarspic.twitter.com/uTTu9gtKYe
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 16, 2026
Acceptance speech
'When we act complicit, when a government murders people...'
Borenstein said in his speech, "When we act complicit, when a government murders people on the streets of our major cities, when we don't say anything, when oligarchs take over media and control how we produce it...we all face a moral choice. But luckily, even a nobody is more powerful than you think." The film, created by Borenstein and Talankin, uses two years of footage shot by Talankin to show how the Russian state indoctrinates students with pro-war messaging.
Award details
'All the Empty Rooms' directed by Joshua Seftel
All the Empty Rooms, directed by Joshua Seftel, is a 33-minute documentary set largely in the bedrooms of children who were killed in school shootings across America. In the doc, TV journalist Steve Hartman collaborates with photographer Lou Bopp to explore the stories of four families who lost their children in school shootings. All the Empty Rooms is available on Netflix, while Mr. Nobody... can be rented via Prime Video.
Twitter Post
See the official announcement
ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS wins the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film. Congratulations #Oscarspic.twitter.com/coBs5EDKHp
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 16, 2026