November 16, 2010 (ORANGE, CA) – SikhLens is proud to
announce the 2010 Sikh Art & Film Festival Opening Celebration, taking
place at 7:00pm on November 19, 2010 at Chapman University’s Dodge College of
Film and Media Arts.
A grand sequence of events awaits guests as we open the weekend with beautiful Maharaja and Maharani flair and style. Attendees will be greeted with a red carpet welcome at this premier Sikh event of Southern California. The celebration will move indoors to the theater and Mirin Kaur will take to the stage to officially open the 2010 festival with an Educational Cultural Safari discussing California Legislature Bill ACR181, which declares November 2010 as the Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month.
The first film cluster of the festival will feature the following short inspirational films:
King G.Mall's "AAO JI" (Come In) is a vibrant and groundbreaking music video featuring four Non-Asian artists from four different countries. The voices of Anita Lerche, Yaz Alexander, KiureliSammallahti combine in a rich tapestry to create this beautiful multi-cultural Bhangra track. The music video is the first ever Bhangra song to be filmed in three different countries (England, Denmark & Finland) and speaks to the cross-cultural aspects of the piece while displaying the global reach of the Bhangra musical tradition.
Wagah - Each night the only border crossing between India and Pakistan on a
1000km stretch becomes the sight of an extraordinary event. Thousands of
people gather to witness the ritual closing of the border, after which
the masses get as close as possible to the gate to greet their former
neighbors. This "festival" is therefore on the one hand a celebration of
the partition, but on the other hand also the only connecting element.
What do the terms separation, home and proximity mean to the people on
both sides?
Winner of 32 International Awards. A Film By Supriyo Sen.
The Reunion,
directed by Angad Bhai, takes a look at two friends who share a common background and who reunite after several years of being apart. One is a Sikh who has cut his hair after being brutalized during a hate crime, and the other has kept his hair since birth. Their dialogue deals with issues Sikhs face when trying to assimilate into modern American society, while maintaining their cultural and religious heritage.This is a world premiere event.
Nothing is
Impossible, directed by Nina Duttaroy, is a portrait of the admirable Fauja
Singh, a 99 year old long-distance runner. He holds the record for the
fastest marathon for runner over 90 years old, and defies preconceived notions
about age with a twinkle in his eye and an infectious zest for life.
You can see the full showing schedule here.
Details of the films to be shown are here.
You can book tickets here.
Following the film cluster, SikhLens will premiere the SikhPoint 2011 calendar, displaying the beautiful art of Creative Sikhs panelist K.P Singh. Dessert fit for a king will be provided by Manohar’s Delhi Palace and guests can enjoy musical excellence from Needle Free Pugs entertainment, as we conclude the night with a dance reception.
“The Opening Night Celebration is a night full of beautiful Sikh art, culture, and heritage, which sets the stage for the entire weekend,” exclaimed Ravin Kohli, festival co-chair. “In years past we’ve had as many as 800 guests attend the Opening Night Celebration and we are expecting just as large of a turnout this year. Purchase your tickets online at Sikhlens.com.”
About SikhLens: Sikh Art & Film Festival SikhLens provides an outlet for Sikh heritage and culture with the rest of the world by creating awareness for work that is “Sikh-centric,” showcasing the talent, and instilling pride in the community. SikhLens seeks work from artists in a variety of fields, including but not limited to movies, books, music, and art. It creates appropriate avenues for their work with the aim of getting them more exposure. This also results in a better understanding of Sikh culture and values in an unbiased way.