OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, The SikhNet Film Festival has inspired scores of film submissions from all around the world. The Festival idea originated in 2006 with SikhNet’s recognition of the immense popularity and creativity of video postings sites like YouTube, and the need for youth to get involved in media and use their great creativity to better communicate the Sikh identity and values. Enlisting the help of a panel of six distinguished judges from the world of multimedia and film, entries were judged on Creativity and Originality, Ability to Deliver the Message and Technical Execution.

The idea took off and was followed by the 2007 Festival which enjoyed twice and many entries as the first one!

In 2008 the 3rd Film Festival theme "My Sikhi" inspired over 40 young Sikh filmmakers from Bombay to Brighton to respond with creativity, honesty, insight, and their own personal experience of the Sikh lifestyle to produce highly original and surprisingly professional short films. Last year’s event included a live broadcast online. For the first time ever on September 13th and 14th, SikhNet used new web broadcasting technology to get people engaged with the films and with each other by discussing the films as they were being shown. In the tradition of "Britain’s Got Talent and "American Idol," audience members voted for their favorites in real-time, right as the films were being shown.

Now in it’s fourth consecutive year, the online festival has been judged a huge success by the contestants as well as the creators.

Film Festival winners from previous years like Angad Singh and Jasmeet Singh have gone on to have their films shown on television in the U.K. and India as well as having them screened at other film festivals around the world.

Learn more and get help getting started with your own submission.