For most filmmakers, receiving a single Academy Award nomination is the pinnacle of a lifetime in cinema. For American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir, that dream has arrived twice in the same year.
At this year’s Academy Awards, Gandbhir has earned nominations in two separate documentary categories – a rare achievement in the nearly century-long history of the Oscars.
She is nominated for Best Documentary Feature for the Netflix film The Perfect Neighbor and for Best Documentary Short for The Devil Is Busy, streaming on HBO Max.
“It’s a thrill and an honour,” Gandbhir told the BBC. “Our minds are kind of blown.”
A rare Oscar milestone
Being nominated in both documentary categories in the same year is exceptionally rare. Only a handful of filmmakers have achieved the feat in Oscar history. Among them is legendary animator Walt Disney, who made history in 1954 when he won four Academy Awards in a single night.
Disney’s victories included best documentary feature for The Living Desert and best documentary short for The Alaskan Eskimo.
Now Gandbhir has joined this elite group – and in doing so, she has carved out her own place in Oscar history as the first woman ever nominated in both documentary categories in the same year.
Anxious wait for the nominations
Despite being shortlisted for nominations, Gandbhir said she deliberately tried to avoid watching the live announcement.
“It’s anxiety-inducing to watch the actual announcements. I’ve done it before,” she said while attending the annual Academy Awards luncheon.
“I decided to sleep through it… Though of course, I was awake until 3 am.”
When the nominations were finally announced, she woke up to the sound of celebration.
Her husband, who is also a producer on The Perfect Neighbor, was on the phone with her best friend and co-director of The Devil Is Busy, shouting with excitement.
Two powerful stories
Both nominated films tackle deeply human stories through documentary storytelling.
The Devil Is Busy follows a tense day inside an abortion clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, seen through the eyes of a security guard who witnesses the risks staff and patients face amid America’s shifting political climate.
Meanwhile, The Perfect Neighbor uses police body-camera footage to reconstruct the tragic story of a young mother killed by a neighbour who repeatedly called police to complain about children playing near her home.
The films, released through major streaming platforms, have been widely praised for their raw storytelling and social relevance.
One filmmaker, two possible speeches
When asked whether she had prepared two acceptance speeches, Gandbhir laughed.
“Touch wood,” she said.
If The Devil Is Busy wins, she will share the stage with her co-director, Christalyn Hampton.
Rare double nominations in Hollywood
Multiple nominations in the same year are rare across Oscar categories. In the past, actors such as Cate Blanchett and Emma Stone have also achieved the feat.
Blanchett received two acting nominations in 2007 for Elizabeth: The Golden Age and I'm Not There.
But Gandbhir’s case is particularly remarkable – not only because she earned two nominations, but because they come from two separate films telling very different stories.
As Hollywood prepares for Sunday night’s ceremony in Los Angeles, Gandbhir now stands at a rare crossroads – with two chances to hear her name called on the biggest stage in cinema.