Geeta Gandbhir Makes History with Dual Oscar Nominations
Geeta Gandbhir's Historic Oscar Nominations
Documentary filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir missed the Oscar nominations announcement on January 22, fearing she might not receive a nomination despite being on the shortlist. However, she woke up to the exciting news of her two nominations: one for The Perfect Neighbor in the best documentary feature category and another for The Devil is Busy in the best documentary short category, the latter co-directed with Christalyn Hampton. While many actors and filmmakers have received multiple nominations over the years, Gandbhir stands out as the first woman to achieve two nominations in the documentary categories at the 98th Academy Awards.
Geeta Gandbhir's Achievement at the 98th Academy Awards
In an interview with Variety India, Gandbhir expressed her pride in being the first female director nominated for two films in a single year, stating, "The Academy informed me that it’s a record, as no woman has received this honor before." Prior to her, only five men had been double-nominated, including notable figures like Walt Disney and Eric Nyari. Gandbhir now has the opportunity to become the first woman to win two directing Oscars in one evening.
Exploring The Perfect Neighbor
Netflix's The Perfect Neighbor garnered 16.7 million views within its first three days of release on October 10, 2025. This documentary utilizes body-cam footage to narrate the tragic story of Ajike Owens, an African-American woman fatally shot by her white neighbor, Susan Lorincz, who had repeatedly called the police over children playing near her home. The film ranked as the second most-watched title on Netflix during the week of October 13-19, 2025, following The Woman in Cabin 10.
The Perfect Neighbor premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year, where it won the Directing Award: US Documentary. It has also received accolades from the Film Independent Spirit Awards, Astra Awards, and Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.
Insights into The Devil is Busy
The short film The Devil is Busy premiered at Doc NYC on November 14, 2024. Co-directed by Gandbhir and Hampton, it portrays the challenges faced by an Atlanta abortion clinic under siege from protesters.
Filmed in a cinéma vérité style, this gripping documentary highlights the experiences of both staff and patients as they navigate threats from anti-abortion demonstrators. It won the Audience Award at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films in June 2025.