SikhNet Youth Online Film Festival » Competition Winners

Razza

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:35:39 +0000

This video is about a Frenchman Michael Rudel who adopted Sikhism and became Darshan Singh. He renounced his French nationality as a protest against French government which don’t allow Sikhs to wear turban in France. Now, he is a farmer ,doing organic farming near Anandpur Sahib (Punjab). From this video we want to show that how great is Sikhi that a person from west adopted it ,but unfortunately our own generation is giving away their Sikh identity.

Honorable Mention for SikhNet "Most Unique Documentary Topic" award

Directed by:	Pardeep Singh, GaganDeep Singh (Age: 19)
Location:	Mohali, Punjab – India
Length:	16 min, 33 seconds

Marrying a Turban

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:22:53 +0000

Marrying a Turban is a short photostory depicting the current mindset of a section of Sikh females who have developed an affinity towards “clean shaven Sikh men”. The idea behind this story has evolved from online discussions on various forums and it should not be stereotyped to the entire section of Sikh Females.

Honorable Mention for SikhNet "Hot Topic" award

Directed by:	Jasdeep Singh (Age: 26 or older)
Location:	Chandigarh, Punjab – India
Length:	6 min, 30 seconds

Justice & Hope

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:05:10 +0000

This film explores the continued and essential desire of Sikhs for Justice

Remember, Sikhs have sacrificed their lives for freedom over many generations.
Remember, Sikhs defend the defenseless, this is a key ethic.

We need to remember the genocide that took place in June and November 1984. The Sikh genocide like the Jewish genocide has to be remembered year on year to ensure that to honour the lives of innocent victims and ensure that such a situation never happens again.

Hope is important for a better tomorrow.
Together we can work towards reconciliation, charities for those who continue to struggle and improving our understanding of each other.

2nd place competition winner in 2009
for age group 26 or older

Directed by:	Dr Savi S Arora (Age: 26 or Older)
Location:	London, Middlesex – United Kingdom
Length:	12 min, 25 seconds

Mythbusters…with Masala

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:00:50 +0000

If you want to masala it up with me and Lara then you’ve come to the right place. Here we serve a wide selection of laughs, utter lameness and the truth about being who you are.

2nd place competition winner in 2009
for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa (Age: 15)
Location:	Perth, Western Australia – Australia
Length:	9 min, 12 seconds

Apna Mool Pehchaan

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:28:01 +0000

"If a man is a gursikh he can make one home
gursikh, but if a woman is a gursikh, she can
make the generation gursikh……."

Its the story about self realization of a mother.

2nd place competition winner in 2009
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Tripta Kaur (Age: 25)
Location:	Chennai, Tamil Nadu – India
Length:	17 min, 16 seconds

Through the Ashes

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:23:29 +0000

“Through the Ashes” is a documentary within a documentary chronicling 15 days of journeying through the importance of asking the question “Why?” and discovering the impact of incorporating meaning into aspects of Sikhi such as gender equality, standing out, and in this movie in particular—the meaning and importance of maintaining the Sikh Identity. After 2,500 miles of searching for answers, gathering the ideas of Sikhs and Non-Sikhs alike, and feeling the overwhelming kindness and hospitality of Sikhs in DC, a friend in Philadelphia, and busy filmmakers in NYC, I realized that yes, we must look for the answer, however we should not be discouraged if it seems we are not finding answers, because there is much to be learned by the journey itself.

1st place competition winner in 2009
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Harjus Singh (Age: 21)
Location:	Cincinnati, Ohio – USA
Length:	25 min

Summer Solstice 2008

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:32:18 +0000

I love summer solstices and have attended two for the last 3 years. i made this movie to show someone who never have been at summer solstice what it’s about.

3rd place competition winner in 2009
for age group 26 or older

Directed by:	Ek Ong Kar Kaur (Age: 26 or older)
Location:	Valley Village, CA – USA
Length:	25 min, 44 seconds

Outlaw

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:11:12 +0000

The movie concept was inspired by true events from 18th century Sikh history. In the Memory of the Khalsa who endured the turbulent regime of the 1700s in South Asia. For the freedom of the Panth today and thereafter.

Honorable Mention for SikhNet "Technical Merit" Award
(excellence in videography and post production)

Directed by:	Jatinder Kaur & Navpreeth Kaur (Age: 22)
Location:	Wolverhampton, West Midlands – UK
Length:	26 min, 49 seconds

Kivein Bhullaan (How can we forget?)

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:10:02 +0000

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the, 1984 Sikh Genocide, we are presenting this movie in the memory of the sons and daughters of the Sikh Nation who lost their lives in a ruthless massacre that has disturbed the psyche of every Sikh connected with his or her religious roots.

By presenting the movie “Kivein Bhullaan”, by presenting the movie “Kivein Bhullaan”, we, your children, have made a humble attempt to connect ourselves with the silent and painful struggle of Sikh nation towards justice.

The movie “Kivein Bhullaan” express the pain inflicted on the Sikh nation by the 1984 holocaust. Although the characters shown in this video are not real, they truly represent what the Sikh nation experienced during the genocide. This story is about a Sikh woman named Gian Kaur who experienced both the June attack on the Golden Temple and the anti-Sikh pogroms of November 1984. She lost all of her family except her daughter in law Gurleen when Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian army to attack Akal Takhat and Darbar Sahib. Six months later, in November of 1984, she also lost Gurleen. We are going to present the condition of Gian Kaur’s life after the events of June and November 1984. How she has been affected by the murder of her father, son and grandson in the Harmandar Sahib complex and by the gang-rape and scorching of her daughter-in-law during the November anti-Sikh pogroms, both of which she witnessed with her very eyes.

Although we cannot see any hope, and this night of atrocities and suffering does not seem to end, the our rich heritage built by Guru Sahibs and Sikh ancestors give us the message of Charhdikala and Sarbat Da Bhala (High Spirit and Goodwill of All).

1st place competition winner in 2009
for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Japman Kaur (Age: 12) & Triman Singh (Age: 9)
Location:	Windsor, Ontario – Canada
Length:	23 min, 51 seconds

Gur Sikh Meet Chalho Gur Chali

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:06:36 +0000

     A gursikh shares such a spiritual bond with the Guru, that even death can’t separate the two. Unfortunately, today we have blatantly undermined this relation.
     Sikh boys today go for fair complexion and mere physical beauty, sikh girls also look for smart, handsome cut surds. In this dark age of kalyug, can we rejuvenate the Guru-sikh relation? Can we revive the ethos of Anand Kaaraj as a spiritual bondage?
     Film made by SOCH group (Sikh Organization In Care of Humanity). http://sochnet.com

3rd place competition winner in 2009
for age group 18-25
(award money donated to upliftment of Sikligar Sikhs and other needy in Hyderabad)

Directed by:	Raminder and Randeep (SOCH group) (Age: 23)
Location:	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh – India
Length:	20 min, 45 seconds

Apni Maa Boli

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:09:02 +0000

This video was created especially for the younger generation to show them that they need to keep our mother tongue "Punjabi" alive

3rd place competition winner in 2009
for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Darshbir Kaur (Age: 17)
Location:	Brampton, Ontario – Canada
Length:	14 min, 36 seconds

turBAN

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:33:23 +0000

turBAN is a joint project between Dashmesh Pictures (Sartaj Singh Dhami) and G.N.E. (SaintSoulja aka Tanmit Singh, and The GodFather aka Gurvinder Singh).

In 2004, France passed a law banning all conspicuous religious symbols worn by students in public schools. Irremovable articles of faith, such as the Sikh turban, were included in the ban. Sikh students had to give up their faith, or give up their education. Many were forced to drop out, in the name of ’secularism.’ Even though Sikh soliders were received as hereos in Marseilles in World War I, the Sikh turban is banned in France.

The following video editorial, in the form of a music video, artistically challenges the current regulations invoked in the French public school system.

Download turBAN MP3

1st place competition winner in 2009
for age group 26 or older

Directed by:	Sartaj Singh Dhami, Dashmesh Pictures (Age: 26 or older)
Location:	Washington DC – USA
Length:	9 min, 51 seconds

Don’t Mess With Manmohan

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:42:42 +0000

We join our hero in the depths of Hounslow where, in trouble with the local gang, having a difficult time at home, failing to impress with his idiosyncratic fashion sense, it is clear that he has lost his way. One day, however, he makes a decision that may just change his life… forever

3rd place competition winner in 2009
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Jamie Stern-Weiner & Narvir Singh Khosa (Age: 19)
Location:	London, Middlesex – United Kingdom
Length:	16 min, 40 seconds

Roots And Wings (Updated)

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:44:11 +0000

The U.S.A is proudly known to be the Melting Pot of the World. But a teen Sikh American is not comfortable with the idea of assimilation at the cost of diversity. He would rather see his country to be a salad bowl where uniqueness is a good thing as long as it’s accompanied by co-existence.

Angad’s second documentary ‘Roots and Wings’ poses the question if one has to cut off their roots in order to spread their wings and soar high. He highlights the challenges the Sikh Youth face every day being both American and Sikhs, the spirit with which they overcome them and what they expect out of their fellow citizens.

The documentary speaks to anyone that faces challenges on account of being ‘different’ – whether visibly or ideologically. It persuades the audience to expand their horizons and think beyond stereotypes.

More About the Film: http://rootsandwings-themovie.blogspot.com

1st place competition winner in 2008
for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Angad Singh (Age: 15)
Location:	Roswell, GA – United States
Length:	29 min, 58 seconds

NOTE: This documentary was recently finished and re-sent to us to showcase on SikhNet. It was not complete when it was submitted in 2008 to the film festival, even though it won first prize in 2009. The video will not be in the 2009 competition.

35

admin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:18:36 +0000

In celebration of 300 years of our Guru Granth Sahib, I wanted to create a documentary portraying the importance of our Gurmukhi script as well as the language of the Guru Granth Sahib, Gurbani.

My intention of making this documentary was to motivate my brothers and sisters to make a conscious effort to understand Gurbani and the first step to doing that is by reading Gurmukhi.

1st place competition winner in 2008
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Raj Singh (Age: 19)
Location:	Boerne, Texas – United States
Length:	22 min, 06 seconds

Panj Kahaniyan

admin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:55:22 +0000

Panj Kahaniyan comprises of five stories depicting how the veil of illusion is torn away by Sadhsangat’s help and Guru’s Grace. This video tries to show how Gurbani helps the five main characters to self realize about the importance of Guru’s Bana and Sikhi Principles.

3rd place competition winner in 2008 for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Gagandeep Kaur (Age: 25)
Location:	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh – India
Length:	19 min, 02 seconds

Think Olympics

admin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:32:17 +0000

After watching the Olympics, the absence of Sikhs started teasing me. I think participation of Sikhs in Olympics is a very good avenue for identity awareness. The whole world will know who sikhs are and where we come from. The task is hard but there is a big reward. This small movie is a spark to initiate this thought in Sikh youth.

3rd place competition winner in 2008 for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Kirat Singh Shahi (Age: 11)
Location:	Union City, CA – United States
Length:	4 min, 50 seconds

Healthy, Happy, Holy.

admin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:18:19 +0000

Healthy. Happy. Holy tells the stories of four second-generation Western Sikhs. The film follows them from their early childhood in the American Sikh Sangat, to their years in Indian boarding schools and their return to the United States as teenagers. The film also looks to the future, going to the current boarding school where the next generation of Western Sikhs is growing up.

1st place competition winner in 2008
for age group 26 or older

Directed by:	Adithya Sambamurthy (Age: 26 or older)
Location:	Oakland, California – United States
Length:	21 min, 39 seconds

Teri Mardi Jawe Ma

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:44:54 +0000

Today, language experts from all over the world are disturbed, as out of 6800 languages that existed in the world, only 600 languages would survive in future. This means, on an average, one language dies every 15 days. Whenever a language dies, the culture and religion attached to it also die. Experts are foreseeing that Punjabi language will get eliminated in the coming 50 years. The irony is that ,the grave of Punjabi language is being dug by her own beloved children.

Feeling the suffering of their mother tongue, we the students of Mata Jai Kaur Public School, have made this small film – ‘Teri Mardi Jawe Maa’. With the help of this small effort, we want to wake up all Punjabi fraternity from their slumber. Let us all contribute towards our beloved language and put some effort, so that we can feel proud about our culture and language. Let us teach the future generation to respect and love ‘Punjabi’ and ‘Punjabiyat’.

In this film, at least 50 students of classes V to XII have contributed towards acting as well as other technical aspects of the film.

2nd place competition winner in 2008
for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Lovejot Singh and Sahebir Singh (Age: 16)
Location:	Delhi, Delhi – India
Length:	24 min, 24 seconds

The Warrior

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:01:08 +0000

Once in a galaxy not so far away. A young soldier of guru ji wandered the lands. As he travelled he longed for guru ji’s darshan. On this perilous journey he faced many foes who tried to corrupt him away from guru ji’s path. Finally he reached his destination…

2nd place competition winner in 2008
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Jatinder Kaur, Navpreeth Kaur and Anjupreeth Kaur (Age: 21)
Location:	West Midlands, Midlands – United Kingdom
Length:	8 min, 46 seconds

Teen Puncture (Three Punctures)

admin — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 02:40:25 +0000

Teen puncture (Three punctures) is a story of a puncture wala who gets a message from his daughter that her school teacher said that four months school fees are pending, If they don’t pay by morning, they will kick her out of school. What will he do now…..??

1st place competition winner in 2007 for age group 26 or older

Directed by:	ASHISH BHATIA (Age: 26 or older)
Location:	Mumbai, Maharashtra – India
Length:	06 min, 40 seconds

Gurmukh Singh

admin — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 02:00:50 +0000

Sometimes children make us think about the everyday beliefs that we take for granted. And that’s exactly what a loving husband and father has to do when a series of innocent events lead him to think about his dedication to his faith. See what happens as these events unfold in the charming life of "Gurmukh Singh"

1st place competition winner in 2007 for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Jasmeet Singh Bansal (Age: 20)
Location:	Easton, Pennsylvania – United States
Length:	18 min, 27 seconds

Jaswant Singh Khalra: A Martyr of Human Rights

admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:04:53 +0000

This documentary is still a work in progress about human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra. Upon completion of this documentary, there has been some progress in the murder trial case of Jaswant Singh Khalra. Six low-level officials were convicted for the abduction and murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra. However, the primary architect of this crime, former Director General of Police KPS Gill, has not been held accountable. Despite Special Police Officer Kuldip Singh’s testimony, who witnessed KPS Gill interrogate Jaswant Singh Khalra in illegal detention, the Central Bureau of Investigation refused to investigate or prosecute KPS Gill for his role in Jaswant Singh Khalra’s abduction, torture and murder.

3rd place competition winner in 2007
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Raj Singh (Age: 18)
Location:	San Antonio, Texas – United States
Length:	13 min, 29 seconds

One Light

admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:51:00 +0000

One Light celebrates the oneness of all people in the footsteps of Guru Nanak who traveled thousands of miles and reached millions of people in the conflicted world to impart the message of One God, One humanity.

In this film a 13 year old from suburban Atlanta takes on a project to educate his neighbors about himself as a Sikh and to learn about them as well. The mission is to connect with them – drawing on similarities, and inspiring everyone to take a baby step in the direction of making this world a friendlier place by education, connection and inspiration.

Read Angad Singh’s blog where he talks about this video project in more detail:
http://onelightthefilm.blogspot.com

1st place competition winner in 2007
for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Angad Singh (Age: 13)
Location:	Roswell, Georgia – United States
Length:	24 min

Farz

admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:14:20 +0000

‘Farz’, as the name of the film suggests, is an inspiring and insightful guide for the parents of vulnerable children who need to be shown the right path of life. The right path is ‘naam simran’ which gives the strength and courage to the children needed to face the challenges of life while growing up. Parents must educate their children to chant naam at a very early age so that when they grow up their character is already established and they are wise enough to move ahead. This wisdom is attained through naam as it is the only true strength and it gives ultimate happiness. In this way, they will never end up taking the help of any negative force like drugs, because the power of naam helps them to survive through the highs and lows of life. Naam simran is not the ideology of any person. It is the ultimate message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

2nd place competition winner in 2007 for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Lovejot & Sehebir Singh (Age: 15)
Location:	Delhi, Delhi – India
Length:	16 min, 29 seconds

The Call

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:57:02 +0000

Life’s routine can often make a person question their beliefs and values but sometimes doubt turns into determination and the quest to be one with God begins. Meet a young Sikh, a wandering soul, as he journeys thru life awaiting the Gurus call.

1st place competition winner in 2006
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Jasmeet Singh Bansal & Baljeet Singh Bansal (Age: 19)
Location:	Easton, Pennsylvania – United States
Length:	8 min, 25 seconds

Priceless

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:47:16 +0000

A Spoof on the popular television advertisement for the Mastercard (credit card). This video takes the aspects of being a Sikh and turns it into a funny and positive video promoting the Sikh Identity. You can see one of the real mastercard commercials to get an idea of the original ones. (Original 1, Original 2)

3rd place competition winner in 2006
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Satbir Singh (Age: 24)
Location:	Espanola, New Mexico – United States
Length:	1 min, 25 seconds

Sikhi Sambhal Veera

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:32:08 +0000

Through this video film (Sikhi sambhal veera), the dedicated students of Mata Jai Kaur Public School, Ashok Vihar, Delhi, India, have tried to awaken sikh community, especially the young generation, so that we can save ourselves from showing our backs to the guru.

Pictured Above: Some of the kids from Mata Jai Kaur Public School who were involved in making this video.

1st place competition winner in 2006
for age group 11-17

Directed by:	Harsimrat Singh Gujral (Age: 16)
Location:	New Delhi, New Delhi – India
Length:	13 min, 6 seconds

Immortality

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:37:36 +0000

A short experimental, animated, abstract film about being initiated into the Sikh faith and Khalsa nation.It describes the atmosphere, mood and emotions of receiving the hold nectar (Amrit). The aim of this film is to really visualise my feelings and how I saw and felt this Amrit ceremony in my own eyes.

2nd place competition winner in 2006
for age group 18-25

Directed by:	Jagmeet Singh (Age: 21)
Location:	Wolverhampton, West Midlands – United Kingdom
Length:	2 min, 9 seconds