SAFF 2025 :: SUNDAY MATINEES
Event Details
On Sunday, November 23rd, we will host programs in two theaters at The Frida Cinema, starting at 1:00 PM. All matinee sessions listed below are free of charge. You can get your tickets at your local Southern California gurdwara, or at the theater on the day of the event.
The Frida Cinema
305 E 4th St #100
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Phone: (714) 285-9422
The content, selections, and schedule subject to change without notice.
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM – AFTERNOON SESSION 1 – THEATER 1
FLYING HIGH-FALCONS SIKH PRIMARY SCHOOL
Flying High-Falcons Sikh Primary School celebrates the 10-year journey of Falcons Primary School – the first Sikh faith school in Leicestershire. It showcases how its dedicated staff, families, and community members work together to inspire student who embody the school motto & “To be the best we can be “.
DEPORTATIONS 700?
Deportations 700? chronicles the 2023 struggle of Indian students in Canada who faced deportation due to fraudulent offer letters provided by immigration agents. The film depicts their unprecedented protest and ultimate victory as they fought to prove their legitimate studies and remain in the country.
FERROFLUID
A documentary that chronicles the journey of a ten-member experimental fusion band from Chandigarh with diverse musical backgrounds spanning folk, classical, ambient, and electronic genres. The film follows the band as they prepare for and participate in the Kabir Yatra 2024, a nomadic music festival in rural Rajasthan. Part road film and part intimate portrayal, the documentary explores the musicians’ identities and the influences that shape their unique, evolving sound as they perform and reflect on their journey.
JALEBI
A short rideshare trip ends up steering a young passenger’s outlook on life into a new direction.
LORD’S SIGNAL
Life is moving so fast these days that we have even forgotten that God exists, miracles also happen, and there are also signals from God.
NANAK CHINTA MAT KARO
A man loses his job when his corrupt boss takes a bribe to replace him. Despite rejections, he never loses hope, following Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s teaching: “Do not worry; the One is taking care of everything.” He eventually finds new work and gets promoted. Two years later, he discovers his former boss critically ill and broke in a hospital. Choosing compassion over revenge, he pays for the boss’s surgery, proving the core message: keep acting with a kind heart, and the Lord will take care of everything.
10 MINUTES
At a quiet train station, a father considering boarding school for his children meets an elderly woman abandoned by her son. In just ten minutes, her story of loss, resilience, and unconditional love completely changes his perspective on family. A powerful reflection on how brief encounters can transform lives, directed by multi-international award-winning filmmaker Harjot Singh.
BADLAAV REPUBLIC
Women leaders inculcate the pursuit of knowledge and growth to kids and men in a local community in India.
BECOMING MARI JI
Take a 6-minute poetic journey with Mariella, an Italian American woman whose evolving connection to the Sikh and Panjabi heritage and culture inspired this artistic, heartfelt, and original story. For the Sikh and Panjabi community, celebrate, resonate and connect onscreen with some of your traditions and religious principles. For others, follow the rhyme and expand your knowledge.
1 MINUTE
1 Minute is based on the true story of the Khanna Rail Disaster of November 26, 1998 – one of India’s deadliest train accidents. At 3:13 AM near Khanna, Punjab, the Calcutta-bound Sealdah Express collided with derailed coaches of the Amritsar-bound Frontier Mail, killing 209 passengers and injuring 140 others. The film follows two passengers at Khanna Railway Station: Jarnail Singh, who missed boarding the Frontier Mail by just one minute, and Om Prakash, who came to receive family members traveling on the Sealdah Express. Tragically, there was only one minute between the Frontier Mail’s derailment and the fatal collision.
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM – AFTERNOON SESSIONS 2 – THEATER 2
I WILL MEET YOU YET AGAIN: CONTEMPORARY SIKH ART
I Will Meet You Yet Again: Contemporary Sikh Art captures an extraordinary exhibition at UCLA’s Fowler Museum, curated by Sonia Dhami and Syona Puliady. Through paintings, posters, tapestries, and multimedia installations, the exhibition offers a contemporary lens on Sikh culture, history, and identity. The documentary, produced by the Sikhlens Community Voices Program, features curator Sonia Dhami discussing the vision, artists, and challenges of bringing this diverse collection together. More than an art showcase, it highlights how such exhibitions create platforms for cross-cultural dialogue on heritage, resilience, and the evolving Sikh narrative.
GIFT OF LIGHT
Gift of Light follows Dr. Gurpal Bhullar, an orthopedic surgeon, who organizes a free three-day eye camp in a small village in Punjab. Locals are offered check-ups, treatments, and even free surgeries — transforming lives and restoring sight, one patient at a time.
RANDHAWA FOUNDATION
Meet the noble Randhawa family, founders of the Randhawa Foundation, a US-registered NGO. This film shines a light on their incredible work — from organizing free medical camps for the underprivileged to running a school that educates and empowers children in their native village in India.
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO GURU TEGH BAHADUR
Jessi Kaur provides a reflection on Guru Tegh Bahadur’s legacy.
LIFTING TOGETHER
Lifting Together is an intimate short documentary that follows the journey of national record-holding weightlifter Harmanpreet Kaur and her husband-coach Sukhwinderpal Singh Padda, a professor and former athlete. Set in Punjab, India, the film explores their shared dedication to the sport, the gender and societal challenges they face, and the unique strength of their partnership—both on and off the lifting platform.
#KALYUG AGE OF DARKNESS
Raj, a rising actor in Bollywood, faces controversy after a reckless tweet in today’s politically charged climate. His attempt to speak truth to power makes him an industry outlier amid rising censorship. As real-world consequences mount, he encounters a mysterious woman in his dreams who offers him an impossible choice. Torn between doing what’s right for the greater good or staying silent for personal gain, Raj must decide. His choice will impact not just his life, but countless others for generations to come.
AMRITSAR JUNCTION
Amritsar Junction is a film based on a Sikh family’s experiences during the Partition of India in 1947.This traumatic episode in the region’s history resulted in the expulsion of Sikhs from the Punjab, their traditional homeland and the center of their religion and culture. With the division of colonial India into the nation-states of India and Pakistan, there was extraordinary violence, torment, and bloodshed, and mass migration of refugees on both sides of the new border. The main character worked for the British-built railway system, which played a pivotal role in the refugee experience during the Partition.
AS DUSK FALLS
The promise of a bigger and better life in Canada where his older brother has already settled has long inundated the dreams of Navraj, a young Punjabi man in Chandigarh. But when his long-awaited visa finally gets approved, he realizes the cost of leaving home may be far greater than he ever anticipated. More than leaving behind his friends, he cannot bear to break the news to his beloved grandmother who adoringly depends on him.
HARMONY OF HEALING
Harmony of Healing follows the journey of Major General Dr. Lakhvinder Singh Vohra (retired), a renowned oncologist who saved countless lives but couldn’t save those dearest to him. When his wife is diagnosed with cancer, his world shatters, leading to personal breakdown. Yet he finds strength to rebuild and embarks on a new path as a singer. Dr. Vohra’s story illustrates the resilience of the human spirit and its capacity to heal and flourish even in the most challenging trials, inspiring anyone facing their own struggles.