Meet the New Oscar Documentary Voters

Part one featuring Smriti Mundhra, Sam Soko, Asmae El Moudir, Molly O’Brien, Bao Nguyen, Benjamin Ree, Sam Feder and Elena Fortes

Clockwise TL-BL: Smriti Mundhra, Sam Soko, Asmae El Moudir, Bao Nguyen, Elena Fortes, Sam Feder, Benjamin Ree, Molly O’Brien.

Last week the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences announced its newest members of the Doc Branch. Over the next three issues, we’ll be celebrating this year’s additions to the industry’s most lauded jury, spotlighting these filmmaker’s latest achievements and asking them what joining AMPAS means to them.

This week, we hear from Smriti Mundhra, Sam Soko, Asmae El Moudir, Bao Nguyen, Molly O’Brien, Benjamin Ree, Sam Feder and Elena Fortes.

You can read our double-feature on last year’s selection of Doc Branch members below.

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Smriti Mundhra is a DGA Award winner, two-time Academy Award nominee, and three-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker known for pushing the boundaries of nonfiction storytelling. She created and directed The Romantics, Netflix’s definitive documentary on Bollywood history, featuring 35 stars and rare archival material. Her breakout short, St. Louis Superman was Oscar-nominated and acquired by MTV Documentary Films after a bidding war, with support from Judd Apatow, Brad Pitt, and Mark Ruffalo. Her second Oscar nomination came for I Am Ready, Warden, continuing her focus on urgent, character-driven stories. She is the creator, director, and executive producer of Netflix’s Emmy-nominated global hits Indian Matchmaking and Jewish Matchmaking.

“Being invited to join the Academy is not just a personal honor, it's also an opportunity to expand the lens of what the Academy sees and elevates. Audiences are often ahead of institutions. I hope to use my position not simply to vote, but to advocate for a redefinition of excellence that includes risk, relevance, and authenticity.”

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Sam Soko is a Nairobi-based documentary filmmaker whose bold films have earned global acclaim and viewership. A passionate advocate for freedom of expression and equitable access to powerful storytelling, he co-founded LBx Africa to amplify African voices on the world stage.