For award-winning documentary filmmaker and visual anthropologist Harjant Gill, making films is about casting a spotlight on urgent and often overlooked social issues, and making marginalized members of society feel less isolated and more understood. Dr. Gill’s research and films explore the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, citizenship, transnationality and notions of belonging with a particular focus on Indian and diasporic masculinities. His films have screened at film festivals, academic conferences, and on television networks worldwide including BBC, Doordarshan and PBS. Born and raised in Chandigarh, Dr. Gill studied film and anthropology at San Francisco State University before pursuing his PhD at American University. Dr. Gill resides in Washington DC where he is an associate professor at Towson University. Funded by the Performing Arts fellowship by American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) and the Fulbright-Nehru Research Award, Dr. Gill is currently living in Delhi while developing an eight-part immersive virtual reality web-series on Indian masculinities titled “Tales from Macholand."
"In a world where, increasingly, art is bowing to commercial considerations, it is heartening to find young filmmakers like Harjant Gill who have the courage to use their art as an instrument for social change." - Shabana Azmi, Actress & Human Rights Activist, Mumbai, India.