Based on a unique true story, “The First Oscar” tells about the filming of the first Academy Award-winning film from Russia — a documentary titled “Moscow Strikes Back,” shot in the trenches by a dozen student cinematographers in 1942, in the midst of World War II. In Hollywood, producer David Selznick had to stand against his powerful father-in-law Louis B. Mayer to introduce a new award category for Best Documentary and lobby for this new Oscar to be awarded to a film from an “enemy” country.