BY A STAFF REPORTER

HOLLYWOOD, CA -  The inaugural Sikh Art & Film Festival (SAFF), held at the Eygptian Theater here, starting on Nov. 13 through 15, was off to a rousing start with a spectacular sold out event attended by close to 800 guests. The courtyard of the venue radiated a royal ambience as the throng of people were afforded a red carpet welcome on arrival. Ladies turned out in their most splendid attire and many a male added even more color dressed in majestic, brilliantly colored clothes with resplendent  turbans.

After the social  hour, the action then moved into the packed theater where the function was officially flagged off by Festival Chair Ravin Kaur Kohli with a short welcome address. She then shared the stage for the rest of the evening with Co-Chair Tina Kaur Anand and comedian Harvin Sethi in guiding the audience through the remaining of the official segment of the evening. It included an awards ceremony and the screening of a couple of short films from among the 17 which were presented over the festival.

 Bob Bassett, Dean of the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University and  President Doti (Chapman University), received the Partners in Progress award, presented by Raj and Marta Bhathal, for the University’s support and commitment to the festival. Addressing the viewers, Basset expressed his delight in the collaboration between the University and the Sikhlens and said he looked forward to a productive and long association.

Rich tributes were paid to the late literary scholar Patwant Singh by Saanand Sethee and a posthumous Life Time Achievement Award to him was accepted by co-author Jyoti Rai presented by sponsor Hamilton Brewart. Heritage Awards were also given away to the film makers whose work was screened during the festival, to those included in the Creative Sikhs Panel and the sponsors who had contributed handsomely. 

Films featured on opening night were ‘Location/Situatedness through Memory,’ a film focused on the Sikh encounter with colonial power; and ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ and the ‘Via Dolorosa Project,’ a semi autobiographical art documentary film by the Singh Twins that culminates in a project that seeks to bring the tumultuous events  of 1984 to a global audience by making parallels between the Sikh experience of 1984 and the Christian tradition of the Via Dolorosa or “path of pain.”

The gathering then moved back to the courtyard for a dessert reception  where the glossy Sikhpoint Calendar was released and distributed. Author Navjot Kaur was on hand to autograph copies of  her illustrated  children’s book “ A Lion’s Mane.”Outdoor  and entertainment was provided by the National Bhangra Association team, which was followed by the upbeat musical performance by Meetu Chilana, presented by Rukus Avenue and the winner of AVS’s Voice of Choice Award 2009.

A youth-focused cluster started off Saturday’s events.  This segment  focused on films and live book readings intended to incite interest and inspire youth, while teaching about Sikh history. An animated film that spoke of the story of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, had everyone learning with some lesser known facts about the great leader.  Jessie Kaur of IIGS released and read from her new children’s fiction book ‘The Royal Falcon’ where Guru Gobind Singh’s Falcon comes alive to instill values and bolster the thinking and confidence of a young Sikh child.  Navjot Kaur, from Toronto, Contd. from A2
had the young in the audience come to the stage while she read from her book which neatly tied world cultures to the central concepts of Sikhism.

The focus then turned to creative Sikhs in the visual, audio and entertainment industries and  attendees were fortunate to hear the stories, watch and listen to the craft, and interact with the nine extremely talented individuals  breaking ground in the arts. The panel included Navjot Kaur (Author), Gurmustak Singh Khalsa ( Creator of  Sikhnet.com) Harvin Sethi (Comedian), Jagmeet Singh (Musician), Shamser Singh (Tabla player), Tanmit Singh (Rapper), Puneet Sira (Film Maker), Parvesh Cheena (Actor) and Diana Pinto(Actress).

The day’s screening contained  a series of short films, including SikhNet Youth Online Film Festival Award winner, ‘turBAN,’ a music video aimed at challenging the ban on religious symbols within France’s public schools. To close out the second day, a SikhLens exclusive montage Sikhs in Bollywood  served as a prelude to the SAFF feature film, ‘Kisaan.’  This sweeping, melodramatic saga, starring Jackie Shroff, Arbaaz Khan, and Sohail Khan, presents an honest view of the rugged life and goals of a simple farming family against the lush green agricultural lands of modern day Punjab. Direct Puneet Sira was in attendance and was given a warm ovation at the conclusion of the screening.

Sunday’s events started with an international flavor, with an emphasis on Sikh films and artists from all over the world.  The final cluster of SAFF paid remembrance and took an in-depth look at the events of 1984, with several films/videos as well as a panel discussion on the horrific and largely unknown facts about the riots in New Delhi.

An exciting Mela concluded the festivities of this inaugural Sikh Art and Film Festival.  It was yet another evening to remember with various food stalls, music, dancing, and a myriad of other booths!  Throughout the weekend’s events, “Raaga Village.” took place in the courtyard between clusters and featured live entertainment by various Sikh artists.

Bicky Singh, the man behind the concept of  a combined Sikh Art and Film Festival said the idea had formulated over the decade and a half he has been actively engaged in the promotion of  Sikh art and culture. The focus (which implies the zooming in on a specific area and spawned the name “ Sikhlens,”)  has moved beyond just films and documentaries with so much more art and creative talent which need to be showcased.  Sensing that highlighting each element of  art independently would not be an optimal utilization of resources Sikhlens conceived of an idea to combine them in a three day festival which has blossomed  into the event.

He is very excited with the breakthrough made with  Chapman University  to collaborate with SikhLens as it  throws open doors for its army of student film makers to expose  more of India and the Sikh heritage to the world though their projects and it would also   give them opportunities to showcase their work at its festivals. At the same time it will gain  access for those in the  community interested in creative media  to the technology and the labs of the esteemed institution.