Indian-Origin Emmy Winner to Be Felicitated at Cinema Fest
Indian-origin American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir is set to be recognized at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (HSDFF) in Arkansas this October. The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director will receive the Impact Award during the festival’s 34th edition, which opens on October 10. HSDFF is the longest-running nonfiction film festival in North America, and it has become a platform that celebrates innovative voices in documentary cinema.
Gandbhir, who began her career working alongside industry legends like Spike Lee and Sam Pollard, spent more than a decade in scripted filmmaking before shifting her focus to documentaries. This year, her recognition at HSDFF comes on the heels of her Netflix documentary The Perfect Neighbor, which will premiere globally on October 17. The award will be presented after the festival’s screening of her film.
The 97-minute documentary, which earlier won the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, explores the deeply personal story of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a family friend and community member killed by a disgruntled neighbor. Through extensive use of police body camera footage, Gandbhir reconstructs the harrowing events and examines the ripple effects of the tragedy on her community. Beyond investigative storytelling, the project also reflects her own process of grappling with grief and seeking closure.
Gandbhir grew up in Boston after her family immigrated from India and later attended Harvard University. Over the years, she has built a strong reputation in the documentary world. Among her credits are impactful works such as Katrina: Come Hell and High Water, directed alongside Spike Lee and Samantha Knowles, as well as The Devil Is Busy, How We Get Free, and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power.
Her entry into documentaries was largely influenced by editor and director Sam Pollard, who guided her during her early work on When the Levees Broke. Notably, one of her first projects in narrative film was Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.
More recently, Gandbhir was also profiled by Netflix alongside Brazilian filmmaker Petra Costa, where she reflected on her artistic journey and enduring collaborations. Now, with The Perfect Neighbor set to reach a wider audience, her recognition at HSDFF underscores her impact as a filmmaker committed to truth, justice, and storytelling that bridges personal experiences with broader social realities.
