Documentaries (feature-length and short)
The following list mentions the year of selection of the German films submitted for the Academy Award (OSCAR) for Best Documentary. Films nominated by the Academy are marked (*) and films which then received an OSCAR are marked (**). The OSCAR Awards Ceremony always takes place in the following year.
- 1959: ** Serengeti darf nicht sterben by Bernhard Grzimek
- 1961: * Kahl by Haro Senft
- 1962: Alvorada - Aufbruch in Brasilien / Alvorada - Brazil's Changing Face by Hugo Niebeling
- 1970: * Erinnerungen an die Zukunft / Chariots of the Gods by Harald Reinl
- 1970: Time is Running Out by Horst Dallmayr, Robert Menegoz
- 1972: Hundertwassers Regentag / Hundertwasser's Rainy Day by Peter Schamoni
- 1972: * Silent Revolution, The by Edouard de Laurot
- 1973: * Schlacht um Berlin / Battle of Berlin by Franz Baake
- 1975: Millions of Years Ahead of Man by Manfred Baier
- 1980: * gelbe Stern, Der / Yellow Star, The - The Persecution of the Jews in Europe 1933-1945 by Dieter Hildebrandt
- 1984: * Marlene by Maximilian Schell
- 1999: * Buena Vista Social Club by Wim Wenders
- 2004: * Geschichte vom weinenden Kamel, Die / Story of the Weeping Camel, The by Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni