Congratulations to two Duke alumni who have earned Oscar nominations for 2026: filmmaker Ryan White (Trinity ’07) and producer Teddy Schwarzman (Duke Law ’06). White is nominated for Best Documentary Feature for Come See Me in the Good Light, which also won the 2025 Iris Tillman Hill Audience Award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, a program of Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies. Schwarzman, founder of Black Bear Pictures, is nominated for his work as a producer on Train Dreams, which is up for Best Picture and received additional nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Original Song. Their achievements highlight the far‑reaching impact of Duke’s creative community.
To celebrate White’s nomination, the Center for Documentary Studies has published a feature on his journey, from discovering documentary filmmaking as a Duke undergraduate to premiering Come See Me in the Good Light at Sundance and returning to Full Frame as an award‑winning filmmaker. The article traces the mentors, experiences, and Durham‑based documentary ecosystem that shaped his voice and career. Read the full story on the CDS website to learn more about White’s roots at Duke and the path that led to his newest Oscar‑nominated work.
Duke Center for Documentary Studies (CDS)
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