Oscars 2026 Geeta Gandbhir: Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir made history at the 98th Academy Awards with two nominations in the documentary categories. While the milestone marked a major achievement for the director, the night ultimately ended without a trophy for her projects.
Geeta became the first woman to receive nominations in both Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short in the same year. The rare double recognition placed her among the most closely watched contenders at Hollywood’s biggest awards ceremony.
Who is Geeta Gandbhir?
Born to Indian parents who moved to the United States in the 1960s, Geeta built her reputation through films exploring race, justice and civil rights. Before directing, she gained recognition as an editor on acclaimed projects, including the HBO documentary series When the Levees Broke, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award.
Over the years, she has worked on several influential documentaries, including I Am Evidence and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power. She was also mentored by filmmakers Spike Lee and Sam Pollard.
Geeta Gandbhir’s double nomination at Oscars 2026
Geeta’s short documentary The Devil Is Busy, co-directed with Christalyn Hampton, competed in the Best Documentary Short Film category. The 31-minute film follows Tracii, the head of security at a women’s healthcare clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. It captures a tense day in her life as she protects patients and staff amid growing protests and stricter abortion laws.
The project was nominated alongside All the Empty Rooms, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, Children No More: Were and Are Gone, and Perfectly a Strangeness. When the winners were announced, All the Empty Rooms secured the Oscar.
Geeta also competed in the Best Documentary Feature category with The Perfect Neighbor, a Netflix production she directed and produced. The documentary revisits a tragic shooting that took place in Ocala, Florida, in June 2023. It examines how Susan Louise Lorincz shot and killed her Black neighbour, Ajike Owens, during a confrontation, sparking national conversations around race and justice.
The film faced strong competition from titles including 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.