46th Annual Humanitas Prizes Winners & Nominee Watchlist
In honor of The 46th Annual Humanitas Prizes, here is a watchlist of this year’s nominated films and TV shows. Whether you’re looking for a film, a limited series, or a sitcom, this list offers brief descriptions and links to platforms they are streaming on — Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, HBO Max, SHOWTIME, and more.
Children’s Teleplay
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
El Deafo (Written by Cece Bell and Will McRobb) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
Deafo” follows insightful young Cece (voiced by Lexi Finigan, who is also deaf) as she loses her hearing and finds her inner superhero. Going to school and making new friends can be tough. Having to do both while wearing a bulky hearing aid on your chest? That takes superpowers! With a little help from her superhero alter ego, El Deafo, Cece learns to embrace what makes her extraordinary.
Stream it now on Apple TV+
Karma's World: “Hair Comes Trouble” (Written by Kellie R. Griffin and Halcyon Person)
Karma considers changing her hair after a sleepover with her classmates makes her uncomfortable; but her mum teachers her how to love her crown of curls.
Stream it now on Netflix
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love (Written by Alex Galatis)
Mother’s Day and Peppermint Patty is upset because she doesn’t have a mom while Snoopy helps Woodstock return to his childhood nest to visit to his bird mother."
Stream it now on Apple TV+
The Babysitters Club: “Claudia and the Sad Goodbye” (Written by Sascha Rothchild)
A heartbreaking turn of events redefines Claudia's life and, with loving support from her friends and family, pushes her out of her comfort zone.
Stream it now on Netflix
Comedy Feature Film
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
Don’t Look Up (Written by Adam McKay) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
Two astronomers go on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling toward Earth. The response from a distracted world: Meh..
Stream it now on Netflix
Everything Everywhere All At Once (Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert)
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman who can't seem to finish her taxes.
Now in theaters
Queen Bees (Written by Donald Martin)
While her house undergoes repairs, fiercely independent senior Helen Wilson temporarily moves into a retirement community, where she meets lusty widows, cutthroat card players, and a hotbed of bullying "mean girls." She also discovers it's never too late to start over, to make frends, or fall in love.
Stream now on SHOWTIME
tick, tick…BOOM! (Written by Steven Levenson)
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature directorial debut with tick, tick…BOOM!, an adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, who revolutionized theater as the creator of Rent.
Stream it now on Netflix
Comedy Teleplay
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
Abbott Elementary: “Pilot” (Written by Quinta Brunson)
Abbott Elementary follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers - and a slightly tone-deaf principal - who are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible educators may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do - even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
Stream it now on ABC
black-ish: “If A Black Man Cries in the Woods…” (Written by Robb Chavis) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
In its seventh season, black-ish continues to tell stories that shine a light on current events through the lens of the Johnson family, addressing the global pandemic, voting, systemic racism, and the movement for social justice and equality.
Stream it not on ABC
Somebody Somewhere: “BFD” (Written by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen)
Devastated by the recent loss of her sister, an increasingly unmoored Sam receives an unexpected lifeline from her coworker Joel.
Stream it now on HBO
The Conners: “Triggered” (Written by Lecy Goranson)
This special edition of “The Conners” continues the show’s legacy of handling difficult subjects when the family is locked down in their home due to a shooting incident in the neighborhood.
Stream it now on ABC
Documentary
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock (Shannon Kring)
A group of indigenous women risk their lives to stop the oil pipeline construction that desecrated their ancient burial grounds and prayer sites and threatens their land, water, and very existence.
Stream it now on Peacock
Frederick Douglass In Five Speeches (Julia Marchesi)
A unique look at the life and work of Frederick Douglass, guided by his own words about the American struggle for Black freedom and equality.
Stream it now on HBO
In the Same Breath (Nanfu Wang) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
A probe into the origin and spread of COVID-19, focusing on the devastating fallout of misinformation campaigns in China and the U.S.
Stream it now on HBO
Through Our Eyes: “Shelter” (Smriti Mundhra)
Three children, age eight to ten, and their families try to keep their dreams alive while navigating housing insecurity in Los Angeles.
Stream it now on HBO Max
Drama Feature Film
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
A Hero (Written by Asghar Farhadi)
Rahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don't go as planned…
Stream it now on Prime Video
CODA (Written by Siân Heder)
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is the sole hearing member of a deaf family – a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother. But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles. Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
Steam it now on Apple Tv+
Nine Days (Written by Edson Oda)
Will spends his days in a remote outpost watching the live Point of View (POV) on TVs of people going about their lives, until one subject perishes, leaving a vacancy for a new life on Earth. Soon, several candidates — unborn souls — arrive at Will's to undergo tests determining their fitness, facing oblivion when they are deemed unsuitable. But Will soon faces his own existential challenge in the form of free-spirited Emma, a candidate who is not like the others, forcing him to turn within and reckon with his own tumultuous past.
Stream it now on STARZ
The Starling (Written by Matt Harris) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
After the loss of their newborn baby, Jack is admitted to a mental health clinic while Lilly remains in the "real" world, where a starling bird that has nested in her backyard begins to harass and attack her. With guidance from Larry, a quirky psychologist-turned veterinarian with a troubled past of his own, the two help the other to explore, acknowledge and confront their problems.
Stream it now on Netflix
Drama Teleplay
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
Chicago P.D.: “Burnside” (Written by Ike Smith)
As the team works to solve a deadly shooting in Burnside, Atwater realizes he has a very personal connection to the case.
Stream it now on NBC
Pachinko: “Chapter One” (Written by Soo Hugh) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
In 1920s Korea, Yangjin and Hoonie shield their only child, Sunja, from the realities of life under colonial rule. In 1989, Solomon closes a big deal.
Stream it now on AppleTV+
Queen Sugar: “May 27, 2020” (Written by Anthony Sparks)
Ralph Angel and Darla enjoy their honeymoon, while news of the murder of George Floyd affects each member of The Bordelon family in a very different way.
Stream it now on Hulu
Swagger: “Radicals” (Written by Reggie Rock Bythewood & George Dohrmann)
Six months after the season shutdown, Swagger DMV embark on a road trip and play in a tournament where they’re confronted with racism.
Stream it now on Apple TV+
This is Us: “The Challenger” (Written by Dan Fogelman)
This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their kids (The Big Three), Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day along with Toby (Chris Sullivan) and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson). In this episode, The Big Three celebrate their 41st birthday.
Stream it now on Peacock
Family Feature Film
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
8-Bit Christmas (Written by Kevin Jakubowski)
In 1980s Chicago, a 10-year-old sets out on a quest to get the Christmas gift of his generation: a Nintendo Entertainment System.
Stream it now on HBO Max
Cinderella (Written by Kay Cannon)
Cinderella is an ambitious young woman whose dreams are bigger than the world will allow, but with the help of her Fab G, she is able to persevere and make her dreams come true.
Stream it now on Prime Video
Encanto (Written by Charise Castro Smith & Jared Bush) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
Mirabel—the only ordinary member of her extraordinary family— discovers that the magic surrounding their home is in danger, and she might be her family’s last hope.
Stream it now on Disney+
Spin (Written by Carley Steiner and Josh A. Cagan)
Rhea is an Indian-American teen who discovers her passion for creating DJ mixes that blend the rich textures of her South Asian culture and the world around her. Her life revolves around her eclectic group of friends, her after-school coding club, her family's Indian restaurant and her tightknit, multigenerational family. Everything changes when she falls for aspiring DJ Max, and her long-lost fervor for music is reignited.
Stream it now on Disney+
Limited Series, TV Movie, or Special
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
Love Life: “Mia Hines” (Written by Rachelle Williams-BenAry & Sam Boyd)
Marcus Watkins begins to question his marriage as he develops a unique friendship with the magnetic Mia Hines.
Stream it now on HBO Max
Maid: “Snaps” (Written by Molly Smith Metzler)
Gaining strength and support from a creative writing therapy group, Alex fights for her future by facing off with Sean over custody of Maddy.
Stream it now on Netflix
Three Months (Written by Jared Frieder)
Caleb, a South Florida teen, loves his camera, his weed and his grandmother. On the eve of his high school graduation, everything changes when he's exposed to HIV. While he waits three months for his results, Caleb finds love in the most unlikely of places.
Stream it now on Paramount+
Women of the Movement: “Mother and Son” (Written by Marissa Jo Cerar ) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
This six-episode series to be aired in three parts is based on the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley, who in 1955 risked her life to find justice after her son Emmett was brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chose to bear her pain on the world’s stage, emerging as an activist for justice and igniting the civil rights movement as we know it today.
Stream it now on ABC
Short Film
2022 Humanitas Prize Nominees
Far from the Tree (Written by Natalie Nourigat)
In Far From the Tree, curiosity gets the better of a young raccoon whose frustrated parent attempts to keep them both safe.
Stream it now on Disney+
Girls Are Strong Here (Written by Scott Burkhardt) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
When a mother and daughter arrive at his service station with a broken down car and no where to sleep that night, a Syrian immigrant must decide how trusting he can be in his new country.
N/A
Leap (Written by Margaret Nagle)
Leap tells the story of a therapist specializing in treating OCD, seeing patients on zoom during the COVID 19 pandemic in the weeks where riots over police brutality are also happening. Leap deals with the therapist's personal intersection of race, COVID, the challenge of treating her patients and her own personal battle with OCD as her world is upended with the unexpected arrival of an abandoned dog.
N/A
Nona (Written by Louis Gonzales)
A grandmother, Nona, plans to spend her day off by shutting out the world to watch her favorite TV show, “E.W.W. Smashdown Wrestling.” However, when her 5-year-old granddaughter Renee is unexpectedly dropped off, Nona is caught between her two favorite things. Renee wants to play while the normally-doting Nona wrestles with wanting to watch the Smashdown, leading to a decisive showdown between the two, and a loving compromise.
Stream it now on Disney+
Web Series
2022 Humanitas Prize Winner
The Disappointments (Written by Rich Burns) 2022 HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER
After the suicide of one of their own, three gay friends in their late 50’s are forced to face the fact that their lives have fallen tragically short of what they had imagined for themselves when they were in their 20’s. Careers are a bust, bank accounts are empty and personal affairs are in complete disarray. With retirement looming and the clock ticking, they begin taking desperate and half-baked actions in an effort to turn everything around in this darkly comedic look at friendship, loss, disappointment and hope.
Stream it now on YouTube