Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Her career in the Hindi film industry has spanned over 160 films, mostly within independent and neorealist parallel cinema, though her work extended to mainstream films as well as a number of international projects. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several genres. She has won a record five National Film Awards for Best Actress, in addition to five Filmfare Awards and several international accolades. The Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Padma Bhushan in 2012.
Kaifi Azmi was an Indian Urdu poet. He is remembered as the one who brought Urdu literature to Indian motion pictures. Together with Pirzada Qasim, Jaun Elia and others he participated in many memorable Mushaira gatherings of the twentieth century. His wife was theatre and film actress Shaukat Kaifi.
Sarah Miriam Schulman is an American novelist, playwright, nonfiction writer, screenwriter, gay activist, and AIDS historian. She holds an endowed chair in nonfiction at Northwestern University and is a fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities. She is a recipient of the Bill Whitehead Award and the Lambda Literary Award.
Angela Robinson is an American film and television director, screenwriter and producer. Outfest Fusion LGBTQ People of Color Film Festival awarded Robinson with the Fusion Achievement Award in 2013 for her contribution to LGBTQ+ media visibility.
Rose Troche is an American film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter.
Namkeen (transl. Salty), is a 1982 Hindi-language social drama film, directed by Gulzar, it stars Sanjeev Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, Shabana Azmi, Waheeda Rehman in the lead role. It was yet another film by Gulzar made on some very sensitive but untouched aspects of Indian society especially in rural areas. The story Akal Basant was by Samaresh Basu on whose story, Gulzar had previously made Kitaab (1977).
Garm Hava is a 1973 Indian drama film directed by M. S. Sathyu, with Balraj Sahni as the lead actor.
Train to Pakistan is a 1998 Indian Hindi film adapted from Khushwant Singh's 1956 classic novel by the same name set in the Partition of India of 1947 and directed by Pamela Rooks. The film stars Nirmal Pandey, Rajit Kapur, Mohan Agashe, Smriti Mishra, Mangal Dhillon and Divya Dutta.
The Iris Prize, established in 2007 by Berwyn Rowlands of The Festivals Company, is an international LGBT film prize and festival which is open to any film which is by, for, about or of interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex audiences and which must have been completed within two years of the prize deadline.
Tehzeeb (transl. 'Etiquette') is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Khalid Mohammed. It premiered on 21 November 2003. The film stars Shabana Azmi, Urmila Matondkar, Diya Mirza, Arjun Rampal and Rishi Kapoor in a special appearance. Urmila and Shabana were praised for their roles. It was inspired by Ingmar Bergman's Swedish drama Autumn Sonata (1978), and was dedicated to Bergman.
Shaukat Kaifi, also credited as Shaukat Azmi, was an Indian theater and film actress. Her husband was the Urdu poet and film lyricist, Kaifi Azmi. The couple were leading lights of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and the Progressive Writers Association (IWA), which were the cultural platforms of the Communist Party of India.
Kam Kardashian is an American web series written by Fawzia Mirza and Ryan Logan and directed by Logan, which premiered on February 14, 2012, via YouTube. Filmed in Chicago, IL, the comedic show chronicles the day to day adventures of Kameron, the fictional long-lost lesbian sister from a very famous family, and her best friend Mary Hollis. The show is directed by Ryan Logan, shot by Amanda Clifford, and based on a character created by Fawzia Mirza. In January 2013, it announced it would return for season two after a successful Kickstarter campaign, premiering in mid-March.
Signature Move is a 2017 American indie comedy-drama film directed by Jennifer Reeder and co-written and produced by Fawzia Mirza about a Pakistani Muslim lesbian living in Chicago with her mother. Fawzia Mirza also introduced herself as a lesbian on Twitter before the film was announced. The film premiered at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival.
Evening Shadows is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Sridhar Rangayan. The film stars Mona Ambegaonkar, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, Devansh Doshi, Arpit Chaudhary, Yamini Singh, Abhay Kulkarni, Veena Nair, Kala Ramnathan, Disha Thakur, Sushant Divgikar and Faredoon Bhujwala.
Poshida: Hidden LGBT Pakistan is a 2015 Pakistani and British documentary about the LGBT community in Pakistan. Created by Faizan Fiaz and others, the 25-minute documentary explores the lives of a group of LGBT Pakistanis. It was described by the Daily Pakistan as the first ever movie on the topic. The film screened at film festivals in Spain and the United States.
The Empire is an Indian period drama streaming television series created by Nikkhil Advani and directed by Mitakshara Kumar based on the novel series Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford for Disney+ Hotstar. The series was premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 27 August 2021.
What's Love Got to Do with It? is a 2022 British romantic comedy film directed by Shekhar Kapur, from a screenplay by Jemima Khan. The film stars Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson, Sajal Ali, Oliver Chris, Asim Chaudhry, Jeff Mirza, Alice Orr-Ewing and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night is a 2021 short comedy film, directed by Fawzia Mirza. The film is written by and stars Kausar Mohammed as Noor, a queer Muslim woman who brings her Puerto Rican partner Luz home to a family gathering for the first time.
Amrit Kaur is a Canadian actress, producer, and writer, best known for her role as Bela Malhotra on the 2021 HBO Max series, The Sex Lives of College Girls.
The Queen of My Dreams is a 2023 Canadian comedy-drama film, written and directed by Fawzia Mirza. Mirza's full-length directorial debut, the film stars Amrit Kaur as Azra, a Pakistani Canadian woman who has had a strained relationship with her parents since coming out as lesbian, who undergoes an emotional journey after the sudden unexpected death of her father Hassan.
