Young Sikh Women form Film and Photography Production Company

Jatinder Kaur & Navpreeth Kaur

5 Rings Productions produces breath-taking cinematic weddings and photography in the UK and then channels all its profits into Sikh youth projects.

The company was setup by a group of young Sikhs whose interest in film was kindled by the SikhNet Online Film Festival. We had initially hoped to enter the 2007 competition but were unable to do so due to the intensive Sikh youth activities we were delivering during that summer.

In 2008 we assembled a team of film making enthusiasts inspired by the films produced by Sikhs worldwide the previous year. Our first movie was The Warrior - it combined martial arts and comedy with an underlying message about the 5 mental thieves. We were humbled to be awarded 2nd place.

Using our prize money, and the experience gained, we invested in new technology to produce our next feature for the 2009 SikhNet Festival - Outlaw. The film was inspired by Sikh history, but set in the future. It follows the attempts of alien mercenaries to capture a Singh. We were extremely grateful to receive a special award for excellence in videography and post production.

The support and inspiration of SikhNet steered us towards forming our own professional company in 2010. 5 Rings Productions was formed into a social enterprise - a not-for-profit business.

The purpose of the company is to generate finance for our sikh youth activities and provide Sikhs with a specialised wedding film and photography service that could capture the true essence of the Anand Karaj.

We understand that the Lavan is not merely a union of the bride and groom, but a pledge that describes the evolution of the (atma) soul towards the supreme soul (parm-atma).

The teachings conveyed through the Guru Granth Sahib Ji are stepping stones that can allow one to realise this spiritual evolution. In our work we try to capture the importance of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our shots seek to illustrate the bride and groom's hopes of dedicating their lives around the teachings of Gurbani. To illustrate this we capture majestic shots of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the Divan in relation to the bride and groom using various effects, bringing the kirtanees and sangat into the action at key moments.

Our first year in full production, 2011, has proved to be an overwhelming success. So much so, that even people of other faiths are hiring our services. We will always remember that our path here was initiated by the SikhNet Online Film Festival and without it we would never have dreamed of becoming professional film-makers.