Documentaries hoping to compete at this year's Academy Awards must complete weeklong commercial runs in both L.A. and Gotham by the end of this month as per Rule 12. To that end, the International Documentary Assn. (IDA) sponsors DocuWeek in both cities, showcasing the current work of its members and making them Oscar eligible. The New York run just concluded, while the Los Angeles one begins Friday. Both feature-length and short documentaries are included in the program of 23 entries.

Anne Thompson of Variety catalogs the success of the series, now in its 12th year, noting "25 films featured in DocuWeek have been nominated for an Academy Award; six films have won Oscars, including the 2008 feature Docu winner, 'Taxi to the Dark Side.' "

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(Photo courtesy Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times, "Made in America" filmmaker Stacy Peralta, center, with ex-gang members Rodney "Shaka" Moralez, left, Kumasi, co-writer Sam George and consultant Clifford "Skipp" Townsend.)