Parvez Sharma

Parvez Sharma
Parvez Sharma at a showing of A Jihad for Love in Washington, DC, USA, 2008-09-07
Sharma at a showing of A Jihad for Love in Washington, D.C., on 7 September 2008
Born8 July 1976
India
Alma materUniversity of Calcutta
Jamia Millia Islamia University
Cardiff University
American University
Occupation(s)Filmmaker and writer
Websitehttps://parvezsharma.com/

Parvez Sharma is a New York-based Indian filmmaker, author, and journalist. He is a recipient of the 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship in the film/video category.[1][2][3][4][5][6] He was amongst the 173 fellows selected from 3000 applicants in the 94th year of the fellowship, which originally started in 1925. In an official press release by the foundation, president Edward Hirsch said, "The winners of the 94th annual competition as "the best of the best...This diverse group of scholars, artists, and scientists are appointed on the basis of prior achievement and exceptional promise."[2][7][8] Sharma is best known for his two films A Jihad for Love[9], A Sinner in Mecca[10], and his 2017 book A Sinner in Mecca: A Gay Muslim's Hajj of Defiance.[11][12][13][14][15] A Jihad for Love was the world's first film documenting the lives of gay and lesbian Muslims.[16][12][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] He received the 2009 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary amongst several other international awards for A Jihad for Love. In 2016, Sharma was named "a human rights defender" by Amnesty International.[26][27] This was an award given at the Hague in the Netherlands to "worldwide human rights activists" which he shared with the Saudi human rights activist Ensaf Haidar.[28][29]

His second film, A Sinner in Mecca, premiered at the 2015 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival[30] and is a New York Times Critics' Pick[31] amongst other press attention. Over the years, worldwide press have profiled Parvez Sharma and reviewed his work.[1][32][33][34][35][36][37] For example, The New York Times collectively in two excerpts and two reviews, says "There is no doubting the courage and conviction of the New York documentarian Parvez Sharma…We emerge from (Sharma's) films more enlightened, but arranging to meet (this filmmaker) is a little like setting up an appointment with an extremely polite spy. Nothing in his difficult processes -- including the threats to himself -- have destroyed Mr. Sharma's faith in the ability of Islam to tolerate diversity."[38][39] The newspaper also showcased his short films online.[40][41] In 2004 the New York Times had said, "threats to the director have become routine."[42][43] This was almost four years before A Jihad for Love was released.[44][42] The New York Times said "After A Jihad for Love, Mr. Sharma was labeled a Kafir, and in the intervening years, he has gotten more death threats than he cares to recall."[45]

  1. ^ Guggenheim. "Fellow Parvez Sharma". Archived from the original on 6 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Guggenheim Website". Archived from the original on 6 April 2018.
  3. ^ Halio, Grace (5 April 2018). "John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Names 2018 Fellows". ARTnews. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. ^ "'Best of the Best': Ten Outstanding Indian Americans Named 2018 Guggenheim Fellows". India West. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Artforum - Guggenheim 2018". Archived from the original on 12 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Eleven Indian-American and Indian-origin researchers, artistes awarded prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships". News India Times. 9 April 2018. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Guggenheim Foundation Announces 2018 Fellows". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Official Guggenheim Press Release" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 April 2018.
  9. ^ "A JIHAD FOR LOVE:::A FIlm by Parvez Sharma". ajihadforlove.org. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  10. ^ "A Sinner in Mecca: A Film by Parvez Sharma". A Sinner in Mecca. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  11. ^ Sharma, Parvez (15 August 2017). A Sinner in Mecca: A Gay Muslim's Hajj of Defiance. BenBella Books. ISBN 9781944648374.
  12. ^ a b Kaiser, Charles (10 September 2017). "A Sinner in Mecca review – Islam, homosexuality and the hope of tolerance". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  13. ^ "A Sinner in Mecca review – Islam, homosexuality and the hope of tolerance". TheGuardian.com. 10 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018.
  14. ^ Sharma, Parvez (2017). A Sinner in Mecca: A Gay Muslim's Hajj of Defiance Paperback – August 15, 2017. ISBN 978-1944648374.
  15. ^ "A Sinner in Mecca, the book is here!". A Sinner in Mecca. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Cinema Q: A Jihad For Love | Denver Film Society | Parvez Sharma | USA". secure.denverfilm.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  17. ^ "A Jihad for Love - Laemmle.com". www.laemmle.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  18. ^ "A Jihad For Love | Cinereach". Cinereach. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  19. ^ A Jihad for Love, archived from the original on 3 December 2017, retrieved 3 March 2018
  20. ^ A Jihad for Love, archived from the original on 19 March 2018, retrieved 3 March 2018
  21. ^ Dawson, Nick. "Parvez Sharma, A Jihad For Love | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  22. ^ Sharma, Parvez (21 May 2008), A Jihad for Love, Muhsin Hendricks, A. K. Hoosen, Mazen, archived from the original on 14 October 2018, retrieved 3 March 2018
  23. ^ Sharma, Parvez (21 April 2009), A Jihad for Love, FIRST RUN FEATURES, archived from the original on 12 March 2012, retrieved 3 March 2018
  24. ^ "Jeremy Kay on A Jihad for Love, a film about Islam and homosexuality". the Guardian. 6 September 2007. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Indo-American Arts Council, Inc". www.iaac.us. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Een zondaar in Mekka - Joop". Joop (in Dutch). 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  27. ^ "Ik wist niet zeker of ik terug zou keren van deze reis" (in Dutch). 28 March 2016. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  28. ^ "Zoeken - Movies that Matter Film Festival". www.moviesthatmatter.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  29. ^ "When the Personal is Political and the Political is Personal…on Film". Praxis Center. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  30. ^ "Error Occurred". Hot Docs. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  31. ^ Webster, Andy (2016). "A-Sinner-in-Mecca - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  32. ^ "The Times of India". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  33. ^ Kennicott, Philip (5 September 2008). "Gay Muslims, Victims of 'A Jihad for Love'". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  34. ^ ""Being gay is a part of my identity, so is being a devout Muslim" - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  35. ^ Ali, Lorraine (12 September 2015). "Filmmaker Parvez Sharma on Islam, homosexuality and the new 'A Sinner in Mecca'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  36. ^ Helfand, Duke (26 July 2008). "Film airs secret struggle of gay Muslims". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  37. ^ "'A Sinner in Mecca' Documents Gay Muslim's Pilgrimage". Newsweek Pakistan. 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  38. ^ Glaser, Gabrielle (24 September 2015). "A Gay Muslim Filmmaker Goes Inside the Hajj". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  39. ^ Webster, Andy (3 September 2015). "In 'A Sinner in Mecca,' a Gay Director Ponders His Sexuality and Islamic Faith". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  40. ^ Films, Haram (24 September 2015). "Filming in Mecca". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  41. ^ Films, Haram (24 September 2015). "The Kaaba". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  42. ^ a b Hays, Matthew (2 November 2004). "Act of Faith: A Film on Gays and Islam". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  43. ^ Lee, Nathan (21 May 2008). "A Jihad for Love - Review - Movie". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  44. ^ Hays, Matthew (2 November 2004). "Act of Faith: A Film on Gays and Islam". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018.
  45. ^ Cite error: The named reference Glaser was invoked but never defined (see the help page).