Smash Opening for A JIHAD FOR LOVE!

Here we go! Our JIHAD is on fire! Here is what our distributor said to IndieWire- (just remember that Box Office proceeds do not really mean income for us and we are still in fundraising mode for our International Muslim Dialogue Project)
"A Jihad For Love" Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma's controversial documentary about gay and lesbian Muslims striving to reconcile their faith and their homosexuality, earned $13,418 in four-day earnings for First Run Features from an exclusive debut at New York's IFC Center. "Jihad For Love," Sharma's debut feature film featuring people from twelve countries including India, Egypt and Iran, became the year's number three documentary debut, just behind "Up the Yangtze" and "Planet B-Boy." "It was a great mixture of the audiences that the film directly addresses - Muslim and gay - but also people who won't fit into those two categories, for instance, a nice turnout of women and Jewish people," said Marc Mauceri, vice president, First Run Features. "The energy in the theater was tremendous and the filmmaker panels were very successful." Mauceri confirmed a deliberately paced platform plan for "Jihad For Love" throughout the summer and fall. "With a six day total of $20,183, we have a bona fide hit on our hands. Our plan all along has been a slow rollout to accommodate the filmmakers' wish to travel as much as possible with the film and to have the time to put as much work as possible into every opening."

Great Numbers! We need to keep them going-to prove that an extremely Muslim film has appeal at the US Box Office!

This is just some of what the critics have said-

"POWERFUL!" - Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

"HEARTFELT!" - Nathan Lee, The New York Times

"PROVOCATIVE!" - Jim Ridley, Village Voice

"Lifts the veil of secrecy...frankly brave!" - National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation

"CRITIC'S PICK! Brave...Eye-opening!" - Sara Cardace, New York Magazine

"REVEALING and moving!" - Wall Street Journal

"Passionate, essential...both haunting and inspiring!" - S. James Snyder, New York Sun

This is what others are saying:

I'm a hardcore muslim from Saudi Arabia ...but im gay :D
still havn't found peace in my self to actually believe that it's ok to be homosexual
I live in Vancouver Canada ...so I don't think i could atten this ...I wish i could have a copy of it though
peace

And here is another one-

Dear Parvez Sharma,

When will you and your film be in Chicago? I
really want to see it!

I read the Amy Goodman interview and visited the
film's website, and watched "The Hour" interview
with you.

Bless you 1,000 times, you are on the very
cutting edge of gay liberation, your work is
vitally important in so many ways.

Love,

K