Congrats to Anvil!

The documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil, which recently got totally shafted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences got a measure of revenge yesterday when the film won the top feature award from the International Documentary Association. The band were on hand, along with director Sacha Gervasi, to receive the honor.

For those that have seen the film (and if you haven't, I really urge you to check it out; it's now on DVD) the movie getting totally snubbed by the Academy is a bitter piece of irony. The documentary is about a Toronto-based heavy metal band that while incredibly influetial to a slew of famous and successful bands, somehow failed to have their own moment in the sun. Despite the repeated kicks in the teeth from the music industry the two men at the heart of the band continued, for decades, to do what they loved best: making metal music. The success of the documentary has won them new fans and perhaps more importantly, many new oppoturnies. The band have appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, landed gigs opening for AC/DC and Saxon and will appear in the upcoming Michel Gondry film The Green Hornet as themselves.

But despite all of this hard fought success and respect, somehow the Academy managed to completely overlook the fantastic film that brought their story - and their music - back into the public eye. If you're wondering how it's possible that a film could win the best feature award from the International Documentary Association and yet not even make the 15-film short list for nominations for the Best Documentary Academy Award, you're not alone.