Parvez Sharma

Parvez Sharma
Parvez Sharma at a showing of A Jihad for Love in Washington, D.C. on 7 September 2008
Born	India
Residence	New York City
Alma mater	University of Calcutta Jamia Millia Islamia University Cardiff University American University
Occupation	Filmmaker and writer

Parvez Sharma is a New York-based Indian filmmaker and writer. Sharma is best known for his two films A Jihad for Love and A Sinner in Mecca. The first film documented the lives of gay and lesbian Muslims, and for which he received the 2009 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary amongst seven other international awards.

In 2009, Sharma was named as one of "50 Visionaries changing your world" in a list headed by the Dalai Lama. His second film, A Sinner in Mecca, premiered at the 2015 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and is a New York Times Critics' Pick amongst other press attention. Over the years the New York Times has also published two feature profiles on Sharma and his work.

Sharma grew up in India, where he studied English Literature at Presidency College of the University of Calcutta. He received his master's degrees in Mass Communication (Film and Television) from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Broadcast Journalism from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and Video from American University's School of Communication. He moved to the United States in 2000.

As a commentator on Islamic, racial and political issues, Sharma's writings have appeared on The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast and The Guardian

In 2009 Sharma reported about the aborted Green Movement in Iran using first hand accounts and interviews with friends in Tehran and often giving readers of The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast a look into the workings of the uprising.