Each year, the Fargo Film Festival juries nominate films and vote on the overall Best Documentary Short from movies in competition.

2024: Hakki Rising (David Larson)
2023: Stranger at the Gate (Joshua Seftel)
2022: When We Were Bullies  (Jay Rosenblatt)
2021: The Game (Roman Hodel)
2020: R.A.W Tuba (Darren Durlach and David Larson)

2019: Beneath the Ink (Cy Dodson)
2018: Trophy (Inder Nirwan)
2017: Refugee (Joyce Chen and Emily Moore)
2016: The Champion (Brett Garamella and Patrick McGowan)
2015: Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution (Matthew VanDyke)
2014: Framing the Other (Ilja Kok and Willem Timmers)
2013: Walk Tall (Kate Sullivan)
2012: Incident in New Baghdad (James Spione)
2011: Found (Paramita Nath)
2010: Trip to Hell and Back (Stu Maddux)

2009: A Day Late in Oakland (Zachary Stauffer)
2008: The Children of Leningradsky (Andrzej Celinski and Hanna Polak)
2007: A Short History of Sweet Potato Pie and How It Became a Flying Saucer (Nina Gilden Seavey)
2006: The World’s Most Dangerous Polka Band (Sonya “Sonny” Tormoen)
2005: The Mattlaberg Photographer (Jonas Bagger)
2004: If the Weather Permits (Elisapie Isaac)