Sugarcane (film)
Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:54:48 PM Wikipedia source
Sugarcane is a 2024 documentary film, directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie and produced by Emily Kassie and Kellen Quinn. It follows an investigation into the Canadian Indian residential school system, igniting a reckoning in the lives of survivors and descendants. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024 where it won the Grand Jury award for Directing. It was theatrically released in limited engagements in the United States and Canada on August 9, 2024, before gradually expanding to other cities starting August 16, by National Geographic Documentary Films through Variance Films in the United States and Films We Like in Canada. It received critical acclaim and won the award for Best Documentary at the National Board of Review. At the 97th Academy Awards, it was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Film award.
Infobox
Directed by
mw- Julian Brave NoiseCat Emily Kassie
Produced by
Emily Kassie Kellen Quinn
Cinematography
Christopher LaMarca Emily Kassie
Edited by
Nathan Punwar Maya Daisy Hawke
Music by
Mali Obomsawin
Productioncompanies
Impact Partners Fit Via Vi Kassie Films Hedgehog Films
Distributed by
National Geographic Documentary Films (Worldwide)Variance Films (United States)Films We Like (Canada)
Release dates
January 20, 2024 (2024-01-20) (Sundance) August 9, 2024 (2024-08-09) (United States and Canada)
Running time
107 minutes
Countries
United States Canada
Languages
English Secwepemctsín
Box office
$134,257
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
Award
Sundance Film Festival
Date
January 28, 2024
Category
Grand Jury Prize U.S. Documentary
Recipient
Sugarcane
Result
Nominated
U.S. Documentary – Directing Award
U.S. Documentary – Directing Award
Award
U.S. Documentary – Directing Award
Date
Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie
Category
Won
Sarasota Film Festival
Sarasota Film Festival
Award
Sarasota Film Festival
Date
April 14, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient
Sugarcane
Result
Won
San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
Award
San Francisco International Film Festival
Date
April 28, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient
Won
Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
Award
Seattle International Film Festival
Date
May 19, 2024
Category
Best Feature Film
Recipient
Nominated
Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention
Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention
Award
Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention
Date
Won
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Award
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Date
November 10, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient
Nominated
Best True Crime Documentary
Best True Crime Documentary
Award
Best True Crime Documentary
Date
Won
Best Political Documentary
Best Political Documentary
Award
Best Political Documentary
Date
Won
Best Historical Documentary
Best Historical Documentary
Award
Best Historical Documentary
Date
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date
Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie
Category
Nominated
Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s)
Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s)
Award
Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s)
Date
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Date
Christopher LaMarca & Emily Kassie
Category
Nominated
Best Editing
Best Editing
Award
Best Editing
Date
Nathan Punwar & Maya Daisy Hawke
Category
Nominated
Gotham Awards
Gotham Awards
Award
Gotham Awards
Date
December 2, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient
Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn
Result
Nominated
National Board of Review
National Board of Review
Award
National Board of Review
Date
December 4, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient
Sugarcane
Result
Won
International Documentary Association Awards
International Documentary Association Awards
Award
International Documentary Association Awards
Date
December 5, 2024
Category
Best Feature Documentary
Recipient
Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn
Result
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date
Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
Category
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Date
Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie
Category
Nominated
Best Editing
Best Editing
Award
Best Editing
Date
Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke
Category
Nominated
Best Original Music Score
Best Original Music Score
Award
Best Original Music Score
Date
Mali Obomsawin
Category
Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society
San Diego Film Critics Society
Award
San Diego Film Critics Society
Date
December 9, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient
Sugarcane
Result
Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association
Chicago Film Critics Association
Award
Chicago Film Critics Association
Date
December 12, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient
Nominated
St. Louis Film Critics Association
St. Louis Film Critics Association
Award
St. Louis Film Critics Association
Date
December 15, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient
Nominated
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
Award
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
Date
December 15, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient
Won
Seattle Film Critics Society
Seattle Film Critics Society
Award
Seattle Film Critics Society
Date
December 16, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient
Nominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Award
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Date
December 18, 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient
Won
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Award
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Date
January 7, 2025
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient
Nominated
Cinema Eye Honors
Cinema Eye Honors
Award
Cinema Eye Honors
Date
January 9, 2024
Category
Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature
Recipient
Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn, Christopher LaMarca, Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke, Mali Obomsawin, Martin Czembor, Andrea Bella, Michael Feuser and Ed Archie Noisecat
Result
Nominated
Outstanding Direction
Outstanding Direction
Award
Outstanding Direction
Date
Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Production
Outstanding Production
Award
Outstanding Production
Date
Emily Kassie and Kellen Quinn
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography
Outstanding Cinematography
Award
Outstanding Cinematography
Date
Emily Kassie and Christopher LaMarca
Category
Won
Outstanding Original Score
Outstanding Original Score
Award
Outstanding Original Score
Date
Mali Obomsawin
Category
Nominated
Audience Choice Prize
Audience Choice Prize
Award
Audience Choice Prize
Date
Sugarcane
Category
Nominated
Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
Award
Satellite Awards
Date
January 26, 2025
Category
Best Motion Picture – Documentary
Recipient
Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
Award
Directors Guild of America Awards
Date
February 8, 2025
Category
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries
Recipient
Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
Result
Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
Award
Independent Spirit Awards
Date
February 22, 2025
Category
Truer Than Fiction Award
Recipient
Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
Result
Nominated
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Date
March 2, 2025
Category
Best Documentary Feature Film
Recipient
Sugarcane
Result
Nominated
Golden Trailer Awards
Golden Trailer Awards
Award
Golden Trailer Awards
Date
May 29, 2025
Category
Best Documentary TV Spot (for a Feature Film)
Recipient
National Geographic / Silk Factory/Silk Factory GFX
Result
Nominated
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
| Sundance Film Festival | January 28, 2024 | Grand Jury Prize U.S. Documentary | Sugarcane | Nominated | |
| Documentary – Directing Award | Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie | Won | |||
| Sarasota Film Festival | April 14, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Sugarcane | Won | |
| San Francisco International Film Festival | April 28, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Won | ||
| Seattle International Film Festival | May 19, 2024 | Best Feature Film | Nominated | ||
| Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention | Won | ||||
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | November 10, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Nominated | ||
| Best True Crime Documentary | Won | ||||
| Best Political Documentary | Won | ||||
| Best Historical Documentary | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie | Nominated | |||
| Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s) | Nominated | ||||
| Best Cinematography | Christopher LaMarca & Emily Kassie | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nathan Punwar & Maya Daisy Hawke | Nominated | |||
| Gotham Awards | December 2, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn | Nominated | |
| National Board of Review | December 4, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Sugarcane | Won | |
| International Documentary Association Awards | December 5, 2024 | Best Feature Documentary | Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Music Score | Mali Obomsawin | Nominated | |||
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 9, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Sugarcane | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 12, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Nominated | ||
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 15, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Nominated | ||
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | December 15, 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Won | ||
| Seattle Film Critics Society | December 16, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Nominated | ||
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 18, 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Won | ||
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 7, 2025 | Best Documentary Film | Nominated | ||
| Cinema Eye Honors | January 9, 2024 | Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature | Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn, Christopher LaMarca, Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke, Mali Obomsawin, Martin Czembor, Andrea Bella, Michael Feuser and Ed Archie Noisecat | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Direction | Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Production | Emily Kassie and Kellen Quinn | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography | Emily Kassie and Christopher LaMarca | Won | |||
| Outstanding Original Score | Mali Obomsawin | Nominated | |||
| Audience Choice Prize | Sugarcane | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | January 26, 2025 | Best Motion Picture – Documentary | Nominated | ||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | February 8, 2025 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries | Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 22, 2025 | Truer Than Fiction Award | Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 2, 2025 | Best Documentary Feature Film | Sugarcane | Nominated | |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 29, 2025 | Best Documentary TV Spot (for a Feature Film) | National Geographic / Silk Factory/Silk Factory GFX | Nominated |
References
- Sundance Film Festivalhttps://festival.sundance.org/program/film/656a0808fac9f44676c046df
- Sugarcanehttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt30319854/
- The Numbershttps://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sugarcane-(2024)
- "2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Award Winners - sundance.org"https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2024-sundance-film-festival-announces-award-winners
- National Board of Reviewhttps://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/2024/
- Impact Partnershttps://www.impactpartnersfilm.com/films/sugarcane
- Nation Talkhttps://nationtalk.ca/story/williams-lake-first-nation-focused-film-sugarcane-to-premiere-at-sundance-film-festival
- Catapult Film Fundhttps://catapultfilmfund.org/films/Sugarcane/
- International Documentary Associationhttps://www.documentary.org/enterprise/2022production
- International Documentary Associationhttps://www.documentary.org/project/sugarcane
- Vanity Fairhttps://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/with-sugarcane-lily-gladstone-wants-to-force-north-americans-to-face-an-act-of-collective-genocide
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2023/12/2024-sundance-film-festival-lineup-movies-1235652869/
- SIFFhttps://www.siff.net/festival/sugarcane
- sheffdocfesthttps://www.sheffdocfest.com/film/sugarcane
- SFFhttps://www.sff.org.au/program/browse/sugarcane
- Eventinehttps://doxa2024.eventive.org/films/6604d3f9c999c1027ac5712f
- nantucketfilmfestivalhttps://nantucketfilmfestival.org/events/sugarcane/
- IFFBOSTONhttps://iffboston.org/series/the-festival/
- Sarasota Film Festivalhttps://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/film/sugarcane/
- MUBIhttps://mubi.com/en/awards-and-festivals/maryland-film-festival?year=2024
- Cleveland Filmhttps://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/sugarcane
- full frame festhttps://www.fullframefest.org/film/sugarcane/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2024/02/nat-geo-buys-sugarcane-documentary-sundance-1235827114/
- Film Forumhttps://filmforum.org/do-not-enter-or-modify-or-erase/client-uploads/FF_July-Sept2024_PrinterFriendly_optBv1.pdf
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/video/sugarcane-national-geographic-documentary-trailer-debut/
- Sugarcanehttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sugarcane
- Sugarcanehttps://www.metacritic.com/movie/sugarcane/
- "The Complete List of 2024 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners|Sundance Film Festival"https://festival.sundance.org/blogs/the-complete-list-of-2024-sundance-film-festival-award-winners/
- IndieWirehttps://www.indiewire.com/awards/results/2024-sarasota-film-festival-award-winners-1234974396/
- Awards Watchhttps://awardswatch.com/sugarcane-the-teacher-earn-awards-at-67th-san-francisco-international-film-festival-as-sffilm-enters-a-state-of-change/
- SIFFhttps://www.siff.net/blog/siff-2024-award-winners
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-documentary-awards-2024-nominations-nominees-list-1236031369/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2024/10/2024-gotham-awards-nominations-1236160891/
- IndieWirehttps://www.indiewire.com/awards/results/national-board-of-review-2024-winners-list-1235072435/
- IndieWirehttps://www.indiewire.com/awards/results/ida-documentary-awards-2024-nominations-1235067340/
- NextBestPicturehttps://nextbestpicture.com/the-2024-san-diego-film-critics-society-sdfcs-nominations/#google_vignette
- Next Best Picturehttps://nextbestpicture.com/the-2024-chicago-film-critics-association-cfca-nominations/
- Next Best Picturehttps://nextbestpicture.com/the-2024-st-louis-film-critics-association-stlfca-nominations/
- AwardsWatchhttps://awardswatch.com/2024-san-francisco-bay-area-film-critics-circle-sfbafcc-nominations/
- The SunBreakhttps://thesunbreak.com/2024/12/06/seattle-film-critics-society-announce-2024-nominees/
- "Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association – Official site of the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association"https://dfwcritics.com/
- Alliance of Women Film Journalistshttps://awfj.org/2024-eda-awards-categories/2024-eda-award-nominees/
- Deadlinehttps://deadline.com/2024/10/cinema-eye-honors-2024-nominations-list-1236157695/
- "2024 Nominees | International Press Academy"https://www.pressacademy.com/2024-nominees/
- The Bearhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/2025-dga-awards-nominations-tv-documentaries-commercials-1236103201/
- "DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2024"https://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2025/250107_77thAnnualDGAAwardsTelevisionNomineesAnnounced
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/film/news/spirit-awards-2025-nominations-1236233647/
- Documentary Weeklyhttps://documentaryweekly.com/home/oscar-nominations-2025-documentary
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/golden-trailer-awards-2025-winners-1236233223/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2025/05/golden-trailer-awards-nominations-2025-list-wicked-deadpool-wolverine-1236390530/