SANTA ANA, CA, NOV 18 : The Sikh Arts & Film Festival this year will he hosted from November 20 at The Frida Cinema and end on November 22 evening at Chapman University’s Memorial Hall. The Festivsal begins at 7 p.m with a red carpet entrance and a special screening of ‘Zubaan’, followed by a dessert reception!
The Fesvital will showcase some of the top content created by a variety of artists and talented filmmakers from the South Asian community, according to Bicky Singh.
Schedule for November 21 starts with the ‘Youth’ session from 10 a.m to 12:30 p.m. This will include short films targeted for the younger audience. During these screenings, in the adjacent theater, Sikhlens will showcase ‘Valentino’s Ghost’ – a documentary film that takes a look at America’s portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in the media.
A highlight of the day will be the ‘Creative Sikhs’, a panel which takes place at 1:30 p.m and will feature some of the biggest and brightest Sikh names from the television, film, and the music Industry. The day will round out with additional short films, a screening of ‘The Last King’, a dance workshop for kids, and a discussion panel on the State of Sikhi: A conversation Pre and Post Sarbat Khalsa 2015.
“We are very proud to end the day with two full-length feature films: ‘Angrej’, a comedy about a thoughtful young man struggling to find a woman to marry, and ‘Learning to Drive’, starring Oscar-winning actor Ben Kingsley. The day will end with a beautiful reception featuring desserts, drinks, and dancing,” according to Mr Bicky Singh.
The final day’s programming will commence at 10 a,m at the Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, Chapman University. The first session of the day will feature short films and run until 1:30 PM. There will also be a youth workshop that explores the world of art with special guest Amandeep Singh from Inkquisitive Illustrations.
A Sikh Art Expo will run throughout the day at Memorial Hall where festival goers can see and purchase work from some of today’s top Sikh artists. At 4 p.m the festival will have a unique presentation at Memorial Hall, the play ‘The Maharajah and the Kohinoor’. The exhibit includes a unique coin of the Empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, minted exclusively for Sikhlens.
The festivities will come to a close with a very special concert at 5 p.m featuring some very talented musicians from around the world. This year’s headlining acts will be joining Sikhlens from Australia and Canada and are sure to please everyone in the crowd.