The Academy OfMotion Picture Arts & Sciences unveiled a fiercely competitive shortlist of15 documentaries today [Tuesday] that will vie for the five nominee slots inthe 78th annual Academy Awards.

The rosterfeatures Luc Jacquet's record breaking March Of The Penguins, Jessica Sander's miscarriage of justiceexpose After Innocence,Marilyn Agrelo's Slamdance hit Mad Hot Ballroom, and Alex Gibney's Enron: TheSmartest Guys In The Room.

Also making thecut are Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro's account of quadriplegic rugbyplayers in Murderball,Matt Mochary and Jeff Zimbalist's story of a Rio-based cultural activist FavelaRising, DavidLaChapelle's street dance title Rize, and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's story of a radicalyouth exchange programme The Boys Of Baraka, which was picked up earlier this weekby THINKFilm.

The listcontinues with Rupert Murray's tale of lost identity Unknown White Male, Hubert Sauper's Tanzanian environmentaldisaster story Darwin's Nightmare, Dani Menkin's medical miracle tale 39 Pounds of Love, and Ian Olds and Garrett Scott's Occupation:Dreamland, whichfeatures testimony from US soldiers fighting in the Gulf.

The shortlist isrounded off with Jeff Feuerzeig's portrait of a manic-depressivesinger/songwriter The Devil And Daniel Johnston, Marshall Curry's account of the 2002Newark mayoral campaign Street Fight, and Linda Ellman's On Native Soil: The Documentary OfThe 9/11 Commission Report.

The Academy's documentary branch screening committeewhittled down the list from 82 submissions and must now choose the fivenominees to be announced with the other Oscar nominees on Jan 31.

The 78th annual AcademyAwards are scheduled to take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Mar 5,2006.