Yehuda Sharim

Yehuda Sharim is an Assistant Professor of Media and Performance Studies at the University of California, Merced, within the Global Arts, Media, and Writing Program. His work bridges film, poetry, and photography to explore themes of displacement, migration, and social justice. Born in Petach Tikva, Israel, he holds degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (B.A.), Goldsmiths College (M.A.), New York University (M.A.), and UCLA (Ph.D.).

His research focuses on the intersection of imagination, immigration, and community activism. Key works include *El Ojo Comienza En La Mano* (2022), a critically acclaimed documentary on farmworker artist Rubén Sánchez, and *Experiments in Freedom* (2022), examining youth labor in California’s Central Valley. Sharim’s films have screened globally at over 70 festivals, earning awards such as the Rockport Film Festival’s Best Short Film and UCHRI grants.

Awardees of the National Endowment for the Arts and Hellman Fellowship, Sharim has also held residencies at the Obama Institute-Mainz and Virginia’s Coalition for Justice. His work emphasizes collaborative storytelling with marginalized communities, blending ethnographic rigor with poetic innovation. Recent projects include *Where’s My Coffee Cup?* (2025), addressing geriatric incarceration conditions, and *Flora* (2023), a meditation on collective healing.

Sharim’s academic background spans creative arts, performance studies, and cultural anthropology. He actively mentors emerging artists and advocates for arts-based social justice initiatives in education and community spaces.