Qasim Basir’s film “Glimpse” won the Drama category of the One Nation, Many Voices online film contest. Born and raised Muslim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he is a 27-year-old independent filmmaker who lives in New York City. 

Qasim has been making films since he was 16, and took a filmmaking class in high school. But he didn’t make filmmaking his career until he was in a near fatal car accident six years ago and decided to focus on making a contribution to the world by doing what he loved.

“Every film I do, I try to open someone’s eyes,” says Basir. “I feel like a huge problem today is just the amount of ignorance that unhinges us as a people. Every film I see, it’s terrorist this and terrorist that. And that’s nothing like my life. All the brothers I’ve ever met, Pakistani to Arab to Black, it’s about peace and love. With this film, ‘Glimpse,’ I felt like I had to show the side I know.”

Basir’s films all seek to show a new side of common narratives. His most recent feature, “One Nation, Two Worlds” and his upcoming “Moozlum,” expose the complex and diverse lives of American Muslims.

Posted March 24, 2008