SIKHLENS: The World's Premiere Sikh Film Festival

HIDDEN HISTORIES: PIONEER SIKHS IN CANADA

Karen Dosanjh’s book Untold Stories: The South Asian Pioneer Experience in BC (British Columbia) has been adapted into a documentary. Hidden Histories: Pioneer Sikhs in Canada showcases the historic milestones of the first South Asians who migrated from India to Canada. The documentary covers the arrival of South Asians in the early 1900s and the rampant anti-Asian sentiments they faced to the key events that led to the disenfranchisement of the early settlers. It also reveals the untold stories of Canadian immigration bans and other discriminatory actions that hindered the basic citizens’ rights of the South Asian pioneers.

ORKA KING 

Harbhajan Singh, founder of Samra Produce, is America’s “king of okra.”. The film details the story of Harbhajan Singh who came to Southern California in 1985 as a trained agronomist, with a master’s degree in economics. He saw California as ideal for growing the kind of Indian specialties that he ate as a child–okra, eggplant, bitter melon,  and beans. His success reflects a broader reality in the nation’s produce market. As ethnic populations, and interest in ethnic food, grow across the country, so do the opportunities for entrepreneurs like Harbhajan Singh. 

AMERICAN SIKH PROJECT

Eight years after the Project S film Red, White and Beard Chapman film graduate Ryan Westra collaborates with the subject of the film Vishavjit Singh in the making of the animated film American Sikh.

THE FORGOTTEN SOLDIER

Why would someone vandalize a war memorial? When veteran Aatma Singh witnesses The Lions of the Great War monument being vandalized, his family jump to their own conclusions and seek revenge. Their actions end in terrible consequences.

THE STONE THAT HIT MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGHT (ANIMATED)

This episode from the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh shows his wisdom and large-heartedness and has been dramatized in this 3D animation. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the 19th Century Emperor of Punjab, was riding through the capital city of Lahore. He was on top of an Elephant and there was great rejoicing to celebrate another victory by his general Hari Singh Nalwa. As they rode through a street, a stone came flying over a wall and struck Ranjit Singh on his forehead.

MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH AND RETURN OF THE KOH-I-NOOR DIAMOND (ANIMATED)

The Koh-I-Noor diamond, the largest and the most precious diamond in the world mined around 5000 years ago in India was the Jewel in the Crown of many Indian Maharajas but was looted along with many other precious jewels by the Iranian Afghani ruler Nadir Shah in the 14th century and then became part of Afghanistan’s Rulers. This story traces the diamond’s Journey and how Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the richest Indian Kingdom of Punjab, managed to get this diamond back to India by using his troops to save Shah Shuja of Afghanistan who had inherited the diamond but then refused to part with the diamond which had been promised in return for his safety. Instead, he lied that the diamond was no longer in his possession. But the Maharaja using his spies along with his clever wit and diplomacy managed to extricate this diamond from Shah Shuja of Afghanistan in the 19th century.

Peaceful Mind (animated)

“Peaceful Mind” is a short, animated film that shows how we can stay calm in today’s stressful world and feel peace in our life by making small changes in our thinking. 

CREATIVE SIKHS MODERATOR: NIKKI GILL

Nikki Gill has spent her entire life in the world of film and television production. As a teenager, she began filming and editing video while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts at York University. Today, Nikki serves IMC among the city’s preeminent postproduction facilities as it’s CFO. However, in a shop as diverse as IMC, responsibilities entailed so much more than crunching numbers. The company specialized in most facets of post and demanded a highly diversified skill set from its executives. It is evident that the loyalty and dedication she has given to the company is well reflected by the shop’s slate of top-name clients; CTV, CBC, Shaw, CP Rail, Discovery, MuchMusic, YTV, are merely a few. Nikki’s vast industry experience and passion for all forms of media are also serving her well as a talented Executive Producer for TV shows such as Fight Xchange. For over 35 years, Nikki has continued to work in filmmaking. Now, Nikki continues her passion for film as one of the MCs for this year’s Sikhlens Art and Film Festival.

AMAN BATRA

Aman K. Batra is a Punjabi-American poet from Artesia, CA. She is a TEDx speaker, a National Poetry Slam finalist, and has toured colleges, universities, and poetry venues across the country. She graduated from UCLA with a BA in Creative Writing, and is currently obtaining her MFA in poetry from Antioch University. Aman’s poetry is heavily tied to her commitment as an educator and an activist. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, All Def Poetry, Button Poetry, Vibe, Bustle, and Fight Evil With Poetry – Anthology. For more, follow her on socials @amankbatra and her website: amankbatra.com.

The Light and the Load

This film, about the farmers’ protests in India, exposes how the new farming laws passed have resulted in unfair policies against small farmers. It details how the laws affect them financially, as well as environmentally, and how the farmers have responded by protesting. The lack of coverage by the media also demonstrates the bias of big media toward the government.

Sarbat Da Bhala-Hosiarpur Langar Project

Sarbat da Bhala has a new definition with Manjinder Singh who while calling the US home, has been providing meals to the needy in as many as seventeen places in Punjab. Feeding 50,000 people, 365 days, 24×7, the facility sends mini trucks filled with cooked meals to civil hospitals around Hoshiarpur.

Art Finds its Way

Aman (aka Almond Singh) is a 19-year-old micro engraver who is the Guinness World Record holder for making portraits on almonds. As we follow Aman on his artistic journey, we realize that artistic passions can lead to a fulfilling career, even though it may not be a traditional one. Supporting Sikh art can be a unique gift. 

THE SUPER SIKH

The film is the journey of a Specially Challenged Sikh, Jagwinder Singh and how he broke all the barriers to achieve his goal.

COPELESS

The son of a drunk and abusive politician reconciles with the guilt that comes from not protecting his mother from his father.

LOHRI

A husband (Jaskaran Singh) and wife (Aman Buttar) try to celebrate their daughter’s birth while dealing with his alcoholism, toxic masculinity, and the culture’s negative attitude towards women.

CHILDREN OF PARTITION: AN ORAL HISTORY OF POTHOHARIS

Look back at the events of 1947 through this illuminating documentary.  Children of Partition: An Oral History of Pothoharis is a deep focus on how a community was affected by Partition and their subsequent migration to the UK. The film focuses on the Pothohar region of West Punjab and how this community’s heritage and culture has been nurtured and cultivated by the generation who came to Britain. This documentary has been made by the Pothohar Association UK and has been supported by the Heritage Fund.

EMERGENCE: OUT OF THE SHADOWS (R RATED) 

For Kayden, Jag, and Amar, awakening to and expressing their sexuality within conservative South Asian families was a lonely and terrifying experience. Denial, shame, and despair haunted their youths, even threatening their lives. Yet, they’ve emerged. In the feature documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows, the disparate journeys of Kayden, Jag and Amar converge around a shared sense of compassion and healing as they bravely convey their often heart-wrenching stories. Confronted with tradition and taboo in their Punjabi Sikh cultures, Jag’s parents and Amar’s mother choose love and support for their children, offering courage and inspiration to individuals and communities struggling with acceptance.

R.K. JANMEJA (MEJI) SINGH, PhD

Dr. Meji Singh discusses the issues involved in the prior films. Meji is the Chief Training Consultant at the Community Behavioral Health Training Center, Concord, California. He is the Founding President of Inter-faith organization Ik Onkar Peace Foundation (2002-2006) currently a member of the Board of Trustees. It is a Co-operation Circle of the United Religions Initiative (U.R.I.), San Francisco. It has over 900 such Cooperation Circles in 80 different countries. He was a Member of the Action Coalition for Global Change, San Francisco. He was a member of the Beyond War Higher Education Group of Bay Area. He was one of the founding members (1964), Secretary (1972-1973, 78 &79), Chairman (1974, 75) of the Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area, El Sobrante Gurdwara. He taught Sikh Scripture Gurbani at the Gurdwara from 1990 to 2004. He was the founding Trustee and Secretary of the Sikh Foundation of North America, Redwood City, California (1966-74). In 1975 International Institute of the East Bay recognized him “For Unselfish Service to This Community.” Since 1996 he has served as a judge for the International Youth Symposium organized every year by Sri Hemkunt Foundation of New York. He was on the Board of Directors of the Inter-faith Center at Presidio in San Francisco (2002-2004).  

WOMEN IN THE FRONT SEAT

Fierce, Bold, Fast, Brave! “Women in the Front Seat” paints a vibrant and diverse picture of women who not only drive their motorcycles but drive their lives. This feature documentary captures the growing movement of women hitting the throttle and riding into the wind, breaking social norms and shattering stereotypes about women and women riders.

On a transformative solo cross country quest riding her Indian Scout motorcycle, filmmaker Indy Saini challenges her own fears, facing harsh weather conditions, exhaustion, and an existential crisis, to discover who these women are, why they decide to ride, and how they make the leap into the front seat. Indy’s story of growing up a mixed race kid struggling with self-esteem and a sense of belonging, weaves through the stories of the women she meets, touching on the common themes of fear, freedom, camaraderie, personal permission, and power.

JITT DE NISHAN

Jitt De Nishan: Signs of victory is the life journey of Sikh couple Bapu Nahar Singh and his wife Jind Kaur who were bystanders of the revolutionary eras (partition of India-Pakistan 1947, Sikh genocide 1984 and Farmers’ Protest, 2020) in Punjab state. They lost their loved ones in these tough times, but they still stand in pride with the blessings of God to serve for the community.

JAAGDI NEEND: REALITY DECODED

Jaagdi Neend is a documentary that speaks about the takeover of technology on our generation and upcoming generations. Mr. Harpreet Singh Khalsa and Mr. Tarunpreet Singh explores the issue in their own way and through their knowledge of Gurbani – Sikh Teaching.

THE 51 PERCENT

A documentary on women’s liberation and Women’s Studies features several Sikh/Southeast Asia women whose careers are illustrative of the success that women have had. Interviews include several professors and others involved in early Women’s Studies departments, as well as female politicians well-known for their stance on social justice issues. Support for this film helps everyone better understand the history of the women’s rights movement, and why there is still a need to promote equality for women.

LOOP

Loop is a short film about the struggle of doing the same things over and over again until you stop wanting to do anything.

SIMRAN

Simran is your average high school Indian girl with strict Asian parents. One day her best friend Carly is invited to a Halloween party and after convincing her mom, Simran is able to go as well. Things take a dark turn however when she must face the unfortunate aftermath of a sexual assault.

RISING LOTUS

A Punjabi immigrant woman stuck in an abusive arranged marriage finally musters the strength to escape when she realizes that her estranged son’s life is in danger. Mother and son quickly learn, however, that life is not necessarily easier on the streets. But through perseverance and ingenuity–and a little bit of luck–they eventually arrange for the promise of a better future.

SILVER LINING

An inspiring journey of Seva that led an American Sikh towards establishing a mission for vision as a selfless act of serving his community. With sixty camps a year across the state of Punjab, Rashpal Singh Dhindhsa is the visionary behind the extensive free-of-cost eye camps for the people of rural Punjab in India. The Visionary encapsulates the journey of United Sikh Mission that started in 2005 with its first eye camp and still continues to give back to the community of Punjab, regardless of age, caste, creed, religion, or gender.

turBAN 

Ranjit Singh, a lawyer and activist, fights against a French law that bans the wearing of religious symbols in public schools and government building. As a result of the ban, Sikh men and women have been forced to choose between their faith and education and employment.

FROM HERE 

From Here is a hopeful story of artists and activists based in Berlin and New York whose lives hang in the balance of immigration and integration debates. Our protagonists move from their 20s into their 30s as they fight for citizenship, start families, and find room for creative expression. This sensitive and nuanced documentary captures their journeys to define what it means to “belong” in societies that are increasingly hostile to their existence. Filmed over a decade in two of the world’s largest immigration countries–the U.S. and Germany–their individual stories echo the millions of young people from immigrant families coming of age during this era of rising nationalism. FROM HERE showcases not only their struggles, but enormous power.

KARTARPUR CORRIDOR-COLLECTIVE MEMORIES, CONNECTED HISTORIES

This film tells the story of how the communities of India and Pakistan, who parted into two countries a long time ago, have been taking care of each other’s cultural heritage that was left on the other side of the border with love and respect.

In 1947 the year when two independent nations were created – India and Pakistan. The borders of Punjab on the west and Bengal on the east witnessed large scale migration of communities, the Muslim population moved into Pakistan and Hindus, Sikhs, and others, into India. Communities were uprooted from their homes. They brought with them memories of lost lands, culture, and associations. In a recent joint effort of both the governments, Pakistan and India, a ‘corridor’ has been created as a passage for the Sikh community to visit a very important religious shrine in Pakistan, Kartarpur, the place associated with Guru Nanak (the first Guru of the Sikhs spent last 18 years of his life) without a visa. This is the first time since 1947, that effort has been made by the two countries, India, and Pakistan to use the power of cultural heritage for building peace and understanding. The film shows the engagement of the local community in taking care of the heritage of the ‘other’ as a service. It further challenges the notion of whose heritage is it in times of displacement – and the relationship between cultural heritage and the local community, those ‘displaced’ and further the ‘relocated’.

TILLA JOGIAN

Before partition, there were numerous religious hubs in India and Pakistan, but after many of these sites became deserted. The primary purpose of this short film is to showcase such religious places to create intercultural and inter-religious harmony among the people of India and Pakistan to ensure peace and friendly relationship across borders.

GOING HOME: TRAVELS IN THE LOST HOMELAND

Sikhs lost their homeland when, in 1947, Punjab was partitioned and divided between two newly created nations, Pakistan and India. What would it feel like for Sikhs to visit the land their ancestors left behind in Pakistan, where the major portion of their historical, cultural, and religious heritage is located today? Join Sikhlens as they experience a flood of mixed emotions as they tour the land of their forefathers for the first time.

ASMA QADRI (POETRY)

Dr. Asma Qadri is a Professor of Punjabi in University of the Punjab, Lahore with a teaching experience of more than two decades. She has also taught Punjabi in University of California, Santa Barbara as a Visiting Research Scholar in 2013. She has done her Post Doctorate from the University of California. Dr. Qadri has published various books in Pakistan and India. She has also published her research articles in different research journals. She has delivered lectures and talks on her work in the U.S, Canada, UK, and Pakistan. Her major work is on interfaith, Sufism and Punjabi philosophy focusing on the poetry of Baba Farid, Baba Guru Nanak, and Najm Hosain Syed. Her work on the literature and poetry of Guru Granth Sahib is very unique and thought provoking.

JATIN SALWAN (Poetry on Film)

A High Court lawyer by profession , Jatin Salwan is a sensitive emotional being whose heart bleeds for the destitute and the forlorn, nurtures a small lush green backyard garden, loves animals and Nature’s bounties having planted thousands of trees across the city, dabbles in sketching in free moments, and pens poetry in Hindi, Panjabi, and Urdu.  Jatin Salwan had his schooling and early years in Amritsar, and developed love for poetry right from his school days.  “Life is a great teacher that have left indelible marks on my life, and I continued to scribble them on paper for a long time, and the collection is vast, and it was only on the persuasion of my friends and family that this first collection in Gurmukhi has come about,” he remarks.

TRAVELS TO PAKISTAN: A DISCUSSION WITH BICKY AND GURPREET SINGH

There will be at Q & A session with Gurpreet and Bicky Singh about traveling to Pakistan. 

BULLY HIGH

A Muslim High School girl is bullied for wearing a Hijab. Sikh actress Aneesha Madhok and Chapman graduate Monet Weir star in the film, along with Arnold  Schwarzenegger’s son Joseph Baena. Aneesha and Monet will discuss the film after its screening with Essraa Nawar of the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University.

THE FORGOTTEN SOLDIER

Why would someone vandalize a war memorial? When veteran Aatma Singh witnesses The Lions of the Great War monument being vandalized, his family jump to their own conclusions and seek revenge. Their actions end in terrible consequences.

THE STONE THAT HIT MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGHT (ANIMATED)

This episode from the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh shows his wisdom and large-heartedness and has been dramatized in this 3D animation. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the 19th Century Emperor of Punjab, was riding through the capital city of Lahore. He was on top of an Elephant and there was great rejoicing to celebrate another victory by his general Hari Singh Nalwa. As they rode through a street, a stone came flying over a wall and struck Ranjit Singh on his forehead.