Oscars 2015: Edward Snowden's Girlfriend Makes an Appearance

— -- Lindsay Mills, the girlfriend of Edward Snowden, made an appearance at Sunday's Oscars -- part of the group accepting the Best Documentary Feature Award for “Citizenfour,” a film about the National Security Agency whistleblower.

Mills joined director Laura Poitras, producer Dirk Wilutzky and journalist Glenn Greenwald onstage.

Poitras’ film documents her initial meeting in Hong Kong with Snowden.

Snowden was charged under the federal Espionage Act and is currently living in asylum in Russia. Because of the sensitive nature of the footage, Poitras made "Citizenfour" under intense secrecy and edited it in Germany.

"Thank you to Edward Snowden for his courage, and for the many other whistleblowers, and I share this with Glenn Greenwald and other journalists who are exposing truth," Poitras said when accepting the award.

Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris mentioned Snowden as Poitras and her collaborators walked offstage.

"The subject of 'Citizenfour,' Edward Snowden, could not be here tonight for some treason," Harris said.

Snowden released a statement through the American Civil Liberties Union, congratulating Poitras on the Oscars win.

“When Laura Poitras asked me if she could film our encounters, I was extremely reluctant,” the statement read. “I’m grateful that I allowed her to persuade me. The result is a brave and brilliant film that deserves the honor and recognition it has received. My hope is that this award will encourage more people to see the film and be inspired by its message that ordinary citizens, working together, can change the world.”

“Citizenfour” beat out four other documentary films: “Virunga,” “Last Days of Vietnam,” “The Salt of the Earth” and “Finding Vivian Maier.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.