International Documentary Association

Rob Epstein's acclaimed 1984 documentary, "The Times of Harvey Milk," won the Oscar for best documentary and several other prizes, including the special jury honor at the Sundance Film Festival. But as Epstein recalls, "We couldn't get anyone to distribute the film. We were turned down by everyone. There wasn't the same possibility as today for documentary in theaters at that point. It became a hit on its own through the festival circuit. We got a small company to release it theatrically.

"Hoop Dreams," the 1994 film about two African American teenagers pursuing basketball stardom, has been voted the best documentary in movie history by the International Documentary Assn. To help celebrate its 25th anniversary, the organization polled its 3,000 members -- filmmakers, executives and educators -- to determine the top 25 documentaries.