Mar 15, 2026 3:54pm IST
Geeta Gandbhir on Historic Double Nomination at Oscars 2026: ’The Academy Told Me It’s A Record Of Sorts’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Fresh off the acclaim for “The Perfect Neighbor,” filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir is having a landmark awards season. The Netflix documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has since generated strong critical buzz, placing Gandbhir firmly in the Oscar conversation this year.
She is nominated in two categories at the 2026 Academy Awards: Best documentary feature for “The Perfect Neighbor” and best documentary short for “The Devil Is Busy,” making her the first woman to be nominated for two films she directed in the same year.
Reflecting on the milestone, Gandbhir said, “I’m the first woman to be nominated for two films I directed in the same year. The Academy told me it’s a record of sorts, because there has never been a woman who has had this recognition.”
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Even as “The Perfect Neighbor” continues to draw praise for its unflinching storytelling and emotional force, Gandbhir remains clear about what awards recognition can and cannot do. Can a successful film create momentum for what comes next? She says, “If you have a project that is successful, it can open more doors for the next one.”
She pointed to the broader ripple effect one breakout title can have. “When a film is successful, everyone can benefit,” she said, noting that wins can encourage buyers, platforms and financiers to believe more deeply in independent documentary storytelling.
For Gandbhir, that is meaningful in the case of smaller films. “When an independent film made with little money with a small team goes well, it makes everyone believe that more of that is possible,” she said.
The filmmaker stressed that symbolic progress should not be mistaken for structural change. Reflecting on women in the industry, Gandbhir said, “I think there’s a lot of work to do.”
She was even more direct about the state of the directing space. “There is no equity in pay. It is a male-dominated field,” she notes.
At the same time, Gandbhir sees documentary filmmaking as a space that can push the industry forward. “Documentary film, interestingly, is more balanced than the larger Hollywood field,” she said, adding, “In some ways, documentary films can lead the way for this.”
It will be interesting to see if “The Perfect Neighbor” wins Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars. It would be an even bigger triumph if Gandbhir becomes the first woman to take home two directorial Oscars in one night.
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