SIKH GROUP LOOKS TO BUILD AWARENESS IN HOLLYWOOD THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY’S DODGE COLLEGE OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS

 

Funding Awarded For Student Films on Sikhs

 

 

Orange, CA (November 16, 2011) – SikhLens today unveiled details of its annual Sikh Art and Film Festival (SAFF) to be held from November 18-20, 2011, at the prestigious Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange, Calif.

 

SAFF provides a venue for artists to present their “Sikhcentric” films, art, and music to the broader community with the intent of showcasing their talents and generating increased awareness of Sikh culture. SikhLens showcases work from artists in a variety of fields, including but not limited to film, books, music, and art. It creates avenues for this work to be shared with the rest of the world with the aim of getting more exposure for the artists and writers and at the same time creating awareness and a better understanding of Sikh culture, heritage and values.

 

It was also announced that The SikhLens Award, underwritten by The Bhathal Family Trust and Sandy and Harriet Sandhu, is providing two Dodge College student documentary groups $5,000 each to produce their films about Sikh themes. The student filmmaking teams are:

 

Team 1:            Ruth Paul (BFA/TBJ), Brendan Nahmias (BFA/TBJ), Jacob Taylor (BFA/TBJ), Bobby Moser

Film:           Humble, the Poet documents the life of a Sikh rapper wrestling with his art and his Sikh identity.

 

Team 2:            Matt Diamond (MFA/FP/CR), James Parker (BFA/FP), Ruby Stocking (BFA/TBJ)

Film:            documents a Sikh family trying to bridge the vast geographical and cultural differences between India and America.

 

The three-day Sikh Art and Film Festival will kick off with a red-carpet Opening Night celebration on Friday, November 18th at 7:15 pm. Guests will be welcomed and introduced to the Festival with a series of short films, live entertainment, and the launch of the 2012 SikhPoint Calendar. Attendees will enjoy Sikh artwork and books in a cultural setting, while mingling with featured artists, writers, and the local community. The evening will then continue with a dessert and dance reception.

 

Actress Camilla Belle and actor Vinay Virmani will be in attendance for Saturday night’s red carpet U.S. Premiere of “Breakaway” and will take part in an audience Q&A following the screening.


The schedule of events for Saturday and Sunday includes special film clusters and programs focusing on igniting passion, creating discussion, and instilling inspiration. Among other activities, there will be youth-focused film and book panel of Sikh artists telling their stories and exhibiting their talents, a “Sikhs Across the World” film cluster, and a panel focused on the discussion of social issues affecting the Sikh community

 

Ticket pricing, and more information on SikhLens and the annual Sikh Art and Film Festival (SAFF), is available at www.sikhlens.com.

 

About Chapman University:

 

Chapman University, founded in 1861, is one of the oldest, most prestigious private universities in California.  Chapman’s picturesque campus is located in the heart of Orange County – one of the nation’s most exciting centers of arts, business, science and technology – and draws outstanding students from across the United States and around the world.  Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Schmid College of Science, College of Performing Arts, School of Law and College of Educational Studies.   Named to the list of top universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review, Chapman University enrolls more than 6,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students.

 

Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts:

 

One of the premier film schools in the country, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts offers students the unique opportunity to learn filmmaking in a hands-on environment modeled on a working studio.  The college is comprised of the Sodaro-Pankey Undergraduate School of Film and Media Arts, offering degrees in film production, film studies, screenwriting, creative producing, television and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising, and digital arts; and the graduate Conservatory of Motion Pictures, offering M.F.A. degrees in film production, film and television producing, production design, and screenwriting, and an M.A. in film studies. Two joint M.F.A. degrees in producing are also offered in conjunction with the business (M.F.A./M.B.A.) and law (M.F.A./J.D.) schools. Dodge College is housed in Marion Knott Studios, a state-of-the-art, 76,000-square-foot studio and classroom building that provides students with 24-hour access to sound stages, edit bays, Dolby surround mixing, a motion capture stage and more.  With an Oscar and Emmy-award winning full-time faculty that boasts more feature film credits than any other film school, Dodge College is where students learn the entertainment business from the inside out.