Who is Geeta Gandbhir? Indian-American filmmaker earns two Oscar nominations in same year

Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir has become one of the most talked-about documentary voices of the year after landing two Academy Award nominations in a single Oscars season. She received her first-ever Oscar nods on January 22, 2026, earning recognition in both the Best Documentary Feature Film and Best Documentary Short Film categories. Her nominated projects, The Perfect Neighbour and The Devil Is Busy, take on urgent issues ranging from violence and race to reproductive healthcare and protest tensions, placing Gandbhir firmly among the leading documentary contenders of this awards cycle.

Meet Geeta Gandbhir: The filmmaker behind two Oscar nods

Geeta Gandbhir is a director, producer, and editor known for documentaries centred on social justice, power, and systemic inequities. Her work has earned major recognition over the years, including Emmy and Peabody honours, and she is widely admired for combining sharp storytelling with emotional depth.

Gandbhir was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Indian parents who immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. She studied at Harvard University, where she pursued visual art with a focus on animation.

Before building her reputation in documentaries, she began her career in filmmaking through narrative work and behind-the-scenes roles, gradually shifting into non-fiction storytelling. Along the way, she worked with influential figures including Spike Lee and Sam Pollard, experiences that helped shape her approach to documentary cinema.

For most filmmakers, even one Oscar nomination is career-defining. Securing two nominations in the same year, across two different documentary categories, is far rarer.

It signals a filmmaker operating at the highest level in both feature-length and short-form documentary storytelling, and confirms Gandbhir as one of the standout names in this year’s Oscars race.

What is The Perfect Neighbour nominated for

Gandbhir’s documentary The Perfect Neighbour is nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film.
The film examines the 2023 fatal shooting of Ajike Owens in Ocala, Florida, using police body-camera footage to reconstruct events and explore issues such as:

• neighbourhood conflict
• racial tension
• how self-defence claims are judged
• the legal and social debates around “stand your ground”

The Perfect Neighbour premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where Gandbhir won the US Documentary Directing Award, boosting the film’s awards momentum. The film is now available to stream on Netflix.

What is The Devil Is Busy nominated for

Her second nomination is in Best Documentary Short Film for The Devil Is Busy, which she co-directed with Christalyn Hampton.
The documentary follows Tracii, the head of security at a women’s healthcare clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, as she works to protect patients and staff amid:

• abortion restrictions
• protest activity
• rising safety pressures

The film runs for 31 minutes and is available to stream on HBO Max.

What kind of filmmaker is she known as

Gandbhir is known for documentaries that confront difficult realities head-on. Her work often focuses on:

• personal stories shaped by national issues
• institutions that affect everyday lives
• the human cost of polarised conflict
• power dynamics in public spaces

Her films are grounded, intimate, and politically sharp, without losing sight of the people at the centre of the story.

The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where Gandbhir will compete in both documentary categories.