October in Los Angeles means cool nights, pumpkins galore and the beginnings of the 2009 Oscars® race! Today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences kicked things off in the non-fiction arena by announcing the eight films shortlisted for the statue for Documentary Short Subject. Three to five will eventually garner Oscar® nominations.

And the contenders are...

“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province,” Downtown Community Television Center, Inc.
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner,” Just Media
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant,” Community Media Productions
“Lt. Watada,” Chanlim Films
“Music by Prudence,” iThemba Productions, Inc.
“Rabbit a la Berlin,” MS Films
“Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak,” Outside Productions
“Woman Rebel,” Women Rebel Films

We're excited for all the potential nominees, but especially thrilled for "Rabbit a la Berlin," which qualified for Award eligibility through IDA's DocuWeeks.

Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 37 eligible entries and submitted their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers for tabulation.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.

Have a favorite? Let us know in the comments section.

Want a look back at last year's Oscar® adventures?
Check out IDA's coverage of the Nominees Reception and the Ceremony, plus video interviews with the Man on the Wire Philip Petit and the nominees answers to the question: "Where would you put your statue?"

For more on the Shorts Shortlist:
-Steve Pond's coverage on TheWrap.com
-AJ Schnack's coverage on AllTheseWonderfulThings.com