Jawad Sharif
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Jawad Sharif is a Pakistani filmmaker, producer, and activist, who directed the documentary film '' Indus Blues'' (2018). The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Guam International Film Festival in the United States. At the 11th
Jaipur International Film Festival The Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) is held annually in Jaipur, India, since 2009. The festival is conducted by the Jaipur International Film Festival Trust. The Jaipur International Film Festival started in 2009 under Hanu Roj. The ...
, it was declared the Best Documentary Feature and also bagged the award for Best Cinematography. He is also the producer, cinematographer, and editor of the award-winning documentary film ''K2 & the Invisible Footmen'' (2015). The film has won over 37 awards in several categories. Sharif was born in Rawalpindi. He was awarded a scholarship at
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT), is one of the 12 schools within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) located in Los Angeles, California. Its creation was groundbreaking in that it was the first time a leadi ...
in 2016. He is a
TED fellow TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "Ideas Change Everything" (previously "Ideas Worth Sprea ...
and represented Pakistan as a filmmaker in
Vancouver, Canada Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Me ...
in 2022 for a TED talk. He received the HBL PSL Hamaray Heroes Award, 2022. Sharif also directed ''Natari'' (2021), ''The Color of Smog'' (2022), and '' Beyond the Heights'' (2015). ''Natari'' was part of the official selection of the Climate Crisis Film Festival 2021, which was held in line with the COP26 in Glasgow, UK. Jawad Sharif is
National Geographic Explorer
 In February 2024 he also attended the annual National Geographic Storytellers Summit which was held in Los Angeles, California.


Early life

Jawad Sharif was born in
Rawalpindi, Pakistan Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...
. He completed his degree in computer science before venturing into filmmaking. He started his career as a commercial television director and transitioned to documentary filmmaking in 2012. He went to
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT), is one of the 12 schools within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) located in Los Angeles, California. Its creation was groundbreaking in that it was the first time a leadi ...
in 2016.


Career and international recognition

He directed the
documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
'' Beyond the Heights'' (2015) which is about a young Pakistani Mountaineer
Samina Baig Samina Khayal Baig (; born 19 September 1990) is a Pakistani mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest in 2013, all Seven Summits by 2014, and K2 in 2022. She is the first Pakistani woman to climb Everest, K2 and the Seven Summits. She climbed Mt. ...
. She is the first ever Pakistani woman to climb
Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...
at the age of 22. He is also the producer, cinematographer, and editor of the feature documentary ''K2 and the Invisible Footmen'' (2015). The film is about the lives and efforts of Pakistani porters, who for decades have facilitated mountaineers from around the world to the ascent of K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. The film is dedicated to
Amir Mehdi Amir Mehdi (sometimes spelled Amir Mahdi, and also known as Hunza Mehdi; 1913–1999) was a Pakistanis, Pakistani mountaineer and porter known for being part of the team which made the first successful ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1953, and of 1954 I ...
, the high-altitude porter who lost his toes to frostbite in the first ascent to K2 in 1954. The film won the Best Cinematography and Best Sound and Editing Award at
Jaipur International Film Festival The Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) is held annually in Jaipur, India, since 2009. The festival is conducted by the Jaipur International Film Festival Trust. The Jaipur International Film Festival started in 2009 under Hanu Roj. The ...
, in 2016. Sharif produced and directed '' Indus Blues'' in 2018. It is a feature documentary film that captures the plight of folk artists and their struggles to keep the fading art forms and the dying indigenous musical instruments alive. The film features 11 endangered musical instruments and their craftsmen from across Pakistan. Artists in the film include
Nighat Chaudhry Nighat Chaudhry (Urdu: نگہت چودھری) is a Kathak classical dancer who was born on 24 February 1959, in Lahore, Pakistan. She moved to London with her parents when she was one year old. She studied ballet and contemporary dance; but wh ...
, Saif Samejo of
The Sketches The Sketches () is a Sufi folk rock band from Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan, created by young musician Saif Samejo. "Sindhi melody is very charming; there is enormous flexibility of words" says Saif Samejo. Their motherland has always been a major ...
, Mai Dhai, and Arieb Azhar, who is also the creative producer of the film. '' Indus Blues'' won several national and international awards and has brought the artists and their instruments into the mainstream through its screenings around the world. In 2019, he founded his film production company Jawad Sharif Films. He has directed and produced the documentary film ''Natari'' (2021) which revolves around the issue of
climate migration Climate migration is a subset of climate-related mobility that refers to movement driven by the impact of sudden or gradual climate-exacerbated disasters, such as "abnormally heavy rainfalls, prolonged droughts, desertification, environmental de ...
in the shrinking Kharo Chan Island in the
Indus Delta The Indus River Delta forms where the Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea, mostly in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan with a small portion in the Kutch Region of India. The delta covers an area of about , and is approximately across ...
. In 2021, he directed ''The Color of Smog'' (2021) which raises awareness about the issue of
smog Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and ''fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odour. The word was then inte ...
in
Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
. In the film, sixteen artists came together to exhibit and talk about their art and the impact of smog on it. The film was preceded by an exhibition titled The Smog Show. ''The Losing Side (2022)'' directed by Jawad Sharif won the Best Human Rights Films Award at the Cannes World Film Festival in December 2022.  The Losing Side is about four women whose lives take an unexpected turn when they are forced to convert and marry against their will. The narrative explores themes of resilience and the fight for justice. ''Bhashaili'' (2023)'','' a film by Jawad Sharif, was screened in May 2023 at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS). The film explores the challenges of Pakistani Bengalis facing citizenship and statelessness issues. The film was part of the exhibition Kaghazi Kashtiyan: The Pakistani Bengali Story.


Awards and nominations


Achievements

* Alumnus of Swedish Institute and Institut Fur Auslandsbeziehunge, Germany * Jury of the Jaipur Library Academy Awards, India


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharif, Jawad Pakistani documentary filmmakers Pakistani directors Pakistani film directors Living people Year of birth missing (living people)