Every day in the week leading up to the Academy Awards, February 17th to 21st, ONE and Accountability Lab will unveil a category for our Honesty Oscars 2015, an award that honors not Hollywood films, but the creative work of activists and organizations that fight global corruption. Vote for your favorites, and we’ll announce the winners following the Oscars on Monday, February 23rd.

Today, we unveil the first category in ONE and Accountability Lab’s Honesty Oscars: Best Picture. It wouldn’t be an “Oscars” without this category! Like the Academy Awards, “Best Picture” honors all efforts in putting together the film, including writing, editing, directing and execution.

Scroll through the five nominees, then vote for your favorite in the form below. Voting for this category closes Monday, February 23 at 9AM.

Category 1: BEST PICTURE

1.) CITIZENFOUR

A “real life thriller,” this documentary follows filmmaker Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald as they delve into the life of Edward Snowden. The film depicts Poitras, Greenwald, and Snowden as they deal with the media and the make-or-break decisions they face on a daily basis. CITIZENFOUR examines the issue of governmental surveillance and challenges the way you think about “your phone, email, credit card, web browser, or profile.” (CITIZENFOUR FILM 2014)

2.) Virunga

This documentary comes from executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio and chronicles the fight to save an expansive national park in Congo. After British company Soco International began looking for oil in the park, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the park rangers mobilize to conserve the park. The film combines activism, history, investigative journalism and stunning scenery to tell an incredibly compelling story.

3.) The Price We Pay

In The Price We Pay, Director Harold Crooks tells the story of big-business tax avoidance, offshore bank accounts, and the trillions of dollars hidden from governments as a results.

4.) Leviathan

This dramatic fictional film from Director Andrey Zvyagintsev takes place in a fishing town on the northern coast of Russia where the film’s protagonist, Nikolai, takes on the town’s corrupt mayor when he is informed that his home will be repossessed.

5.) The Perfect Dictatorship (La dictadura perfecta)

A comedy and political satire film written, produced and directed by Luis Estrada. The film revolves around the most powerful Mexican television corporation as they disclose a story of the political corruption of Governor Carmelo Vargas linking him to crime and illicit business. With a team of conspirators and the media, the Governor works to transform his sullied image into one of a political star and a potential presidential candidate.

VOTE NOW for your favorite Best Picture nominee!



Which film should win the 2015 Honesty Oscar for ‘Best Picture’?

Check back tomorrow to see our nominees for Best Activist in a Leading Role and to vote!