Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir makes Oscar 2026 history with two documentary nods in one year but fails to win

Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir made Oscar history at the 98th Academy Awards, but the landmark night ended without a win. Gandbhir entered the ceremony with two nominations: one for Best Documentary Feature and one for Best Documentary Short. That made her the first woman to earn nominations in both documentary categories in the same year. Even without a trophy, her double nomination placed her among the standout documentary contenders at this year’s Oscars.

Geeta Gandbhir’s Oscar journey

According to Network18, Gandbhir’s short film 'The Devil Is Busy,' which she co-directed with Christalyn Hampton, competed in the Best Documentary Short category. The film was nominated alongside 'All the Empty Rooms,' 'Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud,' 'Children No More: We Were and Are Gone,' and 'Perfectly a Strangeness.' When the winner was announced, 'All the Empty Rooms' took the Oscar.





The film follows Tracii, who “serves as head of security at a women’s healthcare clinic in Atlanta, Georgia.” It shows one day in her life as she protects patients and staff while the clinic faces “growing protests and tighter abortion restrictions.” The 31-minute documentary turned a tense, local reality into a national story.

Geeta Gandbhir and ‘The Perfect Neighbor’

The report also noted that Gandbhir earned a Best Documentary Feature nomination for Netflix’s 'The Perfect Neighbor,' which she directed and produced. The film competed against 'The Alabama Solution,' 'Come See Me in the Good Light,' 'Cutting through Rocks,' and 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin.' In the end, 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' won the award, leaving Gandbhir without a victory in either category.

'The Perfect Neighbor' revisits a deadly shooting in June 2023 in Ocala, Florida. The documentary recounts how “Susan Louise Lorincz, a white woman, shot and killed her Black neighbor Ajike Owens during a confrontation.” The case drew national attention, and the film brought it back into focus through documentary storytelling.

Born to Indian parents who moved to the United States in the 1960s, Gandbhir has built a strong reputation over nearly two decades in documentary filmmaking. She was mentored by Spike Lee and Sam Pollard, and her work has earned Emmy and Peabody honors. Her notable projects include 'I Am Evidence,' 'Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power,' and the Emmy-winning short 'Through Our Eyes: Apart.'

Her nominations also carried India’s only direct Oscars connection this year after Neeraj Ghaywan’s 'Homebound' failed to make the Best International Feature shortlist.

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