Geeta Gandbhir

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Geeta Gandbhir
Spike Lee, Geeta Gandbhir, and Samuel D. Pollard, May 2011 (cropped).jpg
Gandbhir at the 70th Peabody Awards in 2011
Born
Greta Gandbhir[ citation needed ]
Alma mater Harvard University (BA)
Occupation
  • Director
Years active2006–present
Children2

Geeta Gandbhir is an American filmmaker known for her work as a director, producer, and editor. [1] She has won multiple awards including Emmy Awards and Peabody Awards.

Contents

Early life and education

Gandbhir grew up in the Boston area. Her father Sharad immigrated from India to the US in the 1960s to study chemical engineering and her mother Lalita joined him, with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Her sister Una S. Gandbhir is a superior court judge for the Third Judicial District serving Anchorage, Alaska. [2] Her brother Ashwin Gandbhir is also a filmmaker and editor.

Gandbhir attended Harvard University to study visual art with a focus on animation. At the school, she was introduced to Spike Lee, who was teaching there, and an editor for Lee, Sam Pollard.

Career

Spike Lee, Maureen Ryan, Geeta Gandbhir and Sam Pollard at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards Spike Lee, Maureen Ryan, Geeta Gandbhir, and Samuel D. Pollard, May 23, 2011.jpg
Spike Lee, Maureen Ryan, Geeta Gandbhir and Sam Pollard at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards

She started her career in narrative film working for Spike Lee and Sam Pollard, and then branched into documentary film. Her films include Hungry to Learn and I Am Evidence . [3]

She was the editor of the Spike Lee-produced HBO documentary film If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise about life after Hurricane Katrina, which won the 2010 Peabody Award. [4]

Gandbhir was a part of the filmmaking team of the PBS film series Asian Americans which won a 2020 Peabody Award. [5] She was a field director for And She Could Be Next, directed by Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia.

Her short film from the HBO series Through Our Eyes: Apart won a 2022 Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Documentary. [6]

In 2023, Gandbhir directed and executive produced Born in Synanon , a documentary series for Paramount+ revolving around Synanon. [7]

In 2025, Gandbhir directed and produced The Perfect Neighbor focusing on the Killing of Ajike Owens. [8] It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2025. [9] That same year, she directed and executive produced Katrina: Come Hell and High Water alongside Spike Lee and Samantha Knowles for Netflix. [10]

Awards and nominations

Gandbhir at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Geeta Gandbhir at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.jpg
Gandbhir at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

Major associations

Emmy Awards

YearWorkCategoryResultRef.
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
2007 When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming Won
2010 By the People: The Election of Barack ObamaWon
2011 If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't RiseNominated
News and Documentary Emmy Awards
2015P.O.V.(episode "American Promise")Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Editing - Documentary and Long FormNominated
2019 HBO Documentary Films(episode "I Am Evidence")Outstanding DocumentaryWon [11]
Outstanding Investigative DocumentaryNominated
Doc World:(episode "Armed With Faith")Outstanding Politics and Government DocumentaryWon
2022 Through Our Eyes(episode "Apart")Outstanding Short DocumentaryWon [12] [13]

Other awards and honors

AwardYearWorkCategoryResultRef.
African-American Film Critics Association 2022Black and MissingBest DocumentaryWon
American Cinema Editors Awards 2018 Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge: "01"Best Edited Documentary for TelevisionNominated [14]
Atlanta Film Festival 2016A Journey of a Thousand Miles: PeacekeepersBest Documentary FeatureNominated
Astra Awards 2026 The Perfect NeighborBest Documentary FeaturePending [15]
Black Reel Awards for Television 2022 The Perfect Neighbor Outstanding Television Documentary or Special Nominated [16]
Cinema Eye Honors 2019 I Am EvidenceOutstanding Broadcast Nonfiction FilmmakingNominated
2022 Black and MissingOutstanding Nonfiction SeriesWon [17]
2023 Lowndes County and the Road to Black PowerOutstanding Broadcast FilmNominated [18]
2026 The Perfect NeighborOutstanding Non-Fiction FeaturePending [19]
Outstanding DirectionPending
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 2025 The Perfect Neighbor Best Director Won [20]
Cleveland International Film Festival 2017Puppies Behind BarssBest FilmNominated
2018I Am EvidenceExcellence in DirectingNominated
Local Heroes CompetitionNominated
Denver Film Festival 2023How We Get FreeBest Short FilmNominated
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2022 Black and MissingBest New Non-Scripted or Documentary SeriesWon [21]
2026 The Perfect Neighbor Best Documentary Feature Pending [22]
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2025 The Perfect Neighbor Best Documentary Nominated [23]
Gracie Awards 2022Black and MissingBest DirectorWon
Hamptons International Film Festival 2017I Am EvidenceSocial Justice AwardHonoree
NAACP Image Awards 2022 Black and Missing Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)Won [24]
Sundance Film Festival 2025 The Perfect Neighbor Grand Jury Prize – U.S. Documentary CompetitionNominated [25]
Directing Award: U.S. DocumentaryWon

References

  1. ↑ "Geeta Gandbhir On Being The Slightly Shrill Person In The Room". CAAM Home. August 26, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  2. ↑ Verge, Beth (November 30, 2022). "Judge Una Gandbhir, pointing to own experience, says opportunity is abundant within Alaska Court System". Alaska's News Source. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Geeta Gandbhir and Sam Pollard". Talkhouse. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ "If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Producers of Asian Americans Look Back on the Making of the Documentary Series | Asian Americans". Asian Americans. April 22, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ Piña, Christy (September 30, 2022). "'The Rescue,' 'The First Wave' Among Top Documentary Emmy Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Born in Synanon to Premiere on Tuesday, December 12". Paramount Press Express . November 16, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  8. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (January 25, 2025). "Soledad O'Brien on Exposing the 'Chaos' of Stand-Your-Ground Laws With Sundance Doc 'The Perfect Neighbor': 'These Make It Easier to Kill People. Period'". Variety . Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  9. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  10. ↑ Rice, Lynette (January 30, 2025). "Spike Lee Series About Hurricane Katrina Among Docs Planned For Netflix In 2025". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  11. ↑ "NOMINEES FOR THE 40th ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  12. ↑ "WINNERS FOR THE NEWS CATEGORIES OF THE 43rd ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  13. ↑ "WINNERS FOR THE DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES OF THE 43rd ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  14. ↑ Carolyn Giardina (January 3, 2018). "'Dunkirk,' 'Shape of Water,' 'Baby Driver' Among ACE Eddie Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  15. ↑ admin (November 25, 2025). "The 2025 Hollywood Creative Alliance's (HCA) Astra Film Award Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  16. ↑ Complex, Valerie (June 16, 2022). "6th Annual Black Reel Television Awards Nominations Announced". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  17. ↑ Carey, Matthew (October 20, 2022). "Cinema Eye Honors: 'Four Hours At The Capitol,' 'The Beatles: Get Back' Lead First Round Of Nominations For Documentary Awards Show". Deadline . Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ Carey, Matthew (October 19, 2023). "'The 1619 Project,' 'Nothing Lasts Forever' Lead Charge As Cinema Eye Honors Announces First Round Of Documentary Nominations [Full List]". Deadline . Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  19. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (November 13, 2025). "Cinema Eye Honors 2026 Nominations: 'Come See Me In The Good Light' Leads Field". Deadline . Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  20. ↑ Davis, Clayton (October 14, 2025). "'Orwell: 2+2=5' and 'The Perfect Neighbor' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Awards Nominations". Variety . Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  21. ↑ Patten, Dominic; D'Alessandro, Anthony; Topel, Fred (March 6, 2022). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'The Lost Daughter' Takes Home Best Feature as Netflix Reigns with Six wins". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  22. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (December 3, 2025). "Spirit Award Nominees include 'Sorry, Baby', 'Peter Hujar's Day', 'Train Dreams', 'Twinless', and 'The Plague'". IndieWire . Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  23. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (October 28, 2025). "Gotham Awards Film Nominations: One Battle After Another Leads Pack; Multiple Noms for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, It Was Just An Accident, No Other Choice". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  24. ↑ "NAACP Image Awards: 'Insecure,' 'Judas and the Black Messiah' Among Winners From Night Two of Non-Televised Ceremonies". The Hollywood Reporter . February 22, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  25. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 31, 2025). "'Atropia' Takes U.S. Grand Jury Prize Dramatic At Sundance Film Festival: Full Winners List". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 1, 2025.
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