Earlier this year leading film news site indieWIRE reported on plans being hatched for an independent documentary awards program to challenge the Oscars. Film producer AJ Schnack enlisted Toronto International Film Festival programmer Thom Powers and online independent distributor IndiePix to produce the awards.

Jenifer Venditti's has been nominated for Outstanding Debut Feature for her critically-acclaimed documentary Billy the Kid.

The name of the awards, the Cinema Eye Honors For NonFiction Filmmaking, were announced last weekend at the Sundance Film Festival.

For a complete list of the entrants click here.

The Cinema Eye Honors, named for the revolutionary group of young filmmakers led by pioneering documentarian Dziga Vertov, will be awarded on 18March 2008 at a ceremony at the IFC Center in New York City.

Full details on the Cinema Eye Awards can be found at the official website.