ORANGE: For an entire weekend, Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts hosted the SikhLens' Sikh Arts and Film Festival for a second consecutive year from Nov. 18-20, celebrating the best and brightest in Sikh cinematic and artistic culture.

The three-day cinematic showcase featured emerging artists and musicians, a gamut of films touching on the Sikh experience and a series of panels highlighting emerging and established talents.

"SikhLens was created to provide a unique venue for artists to present their 'Sikh-centric' films, art and music to the broader community with the intent of showcasing their talents and generating increased Sikh awareness," SAFF co-chairs Ravin Kaur Kohli and Tina Kaur Anand stated.

"This festival is a premiere venue to highlight social issues, recognize talent and watch the harmony between the Sikh faith and the external cultures that surround its diverse followers."

The centerpiece film that perhaps captured that harmony was the Nov. 19 United States premiere of the Sikh-themed film "Breakaway."

Starring a mix of Indian, Indian American and Hollywood actors, including Vimay Virmani, Russell Peters, Noureen DeWulf, Anupam Kher, Camilla Belle and Rob Lowe, the American debut of "Breakaway" was the glitziest moment of SAFF, with Virmani, DeWulf, and Belle being escorted down the red carpet by an energetic Bhangra team.

Focusing on an all-Sikh hockey team in Canada called the "Speedy Singhs," Robert Lieberman's "Breakaway," a cross-cultural film bridging Indian and Western cinemas, officially debuted in September at the Toronto Film Festival.

Virmani said the film, with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar as its executive producer, is a source of pride for the Sikh community and Indians in general, but is entertaining for non-Sikhs and non-Indians alike. A film featuring Indians and hockey should come as no surprise, he said.

"Field hockey is the national sport of India, ice hockey is the national sport of Canada. Indians in Canada love ice hockey (and) a lot of young Sikh boys are starting to play," Virmani told India-West.

DeWulf, who recently married NHL star and Olympic Silver Medalist Ryan Miller, said she was excited to play the role of a sports journalist who covers the Speedy Singhs.

"In this film, I play a sports reporter (who) covers hockey, and I marry Russell Peters in the movie. We kind of provide some comedy, we have our own wedding storyline," DeWulf told India-West.

SAFF opened Nov. 18 with an Opening Night Gala that welcomed nearly 500 attendees. The festivities included musical performances by Jas Ahluwalia, Kamaljeet Ajimal and Raginder "Violinder" Momi as well as comments by Chapman's Dean Bob Basset, Professor Jeff Swimmer and Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

Guru Singh of "Outsourced" fame emceed the opening festivities, while 100-year-old Fauja Singh (see separate story) served as the evening's chief guest and comedian Jus Reign entertained the audience with a standup routine.

The award-winning "A Little Revolution" and the scholarly documentary "Humble the Poet" were screened on the first night. The second day featured the U.S. premiere of "Breakaway" and a trio of items dedicated to youth films, creative Sikhs and short films.

SAFF concluded Nov. 20 with an item dedicated to creative Sikhs as well as short films featuring Sikhs around the world and social issues.

Artists featured throughout the festival were Canadian actress Agam Darshi, hip hop artist Mandeep Sethi, artist Rupy Cheema Tut, television host Gurmeet Sodhi, singer Charanjeet "CJ" Virdi, music composer Tej Gill and Fauja Singh trainer Harmander Singh.

The festival also announced the SikhLens Award. Underwritten by The Bhathal Family Trust and Sandy and Harriet Sandhu, the award provided two Dodge College student documentary groups with $5000 each to produce their films incorporating Sikh themes.

The student filmmaking teams included Ruth Paul, Brendan Nahmias, Jacob Taylor and Bobby Moser of "Humble The Poet," and Matt Diamond, James Parker and Ruby Stocking who are currently documenting "a Sikh family trying to bridge the vast geographical and cultural differences between India and America."

Films featured at SAFF included Rohit Khanna's "Punjab's Forgotten Women," The Singh Twins' "The Making of Liverpool: Portraits of a City," Khushwant Singh's "Turbaned Tornado," David R. Gray's "Canadian Sikh Soldiers," Harjant Gill's "Roots of Love," Mandeep Sethi's "Sikligar" and Nina Dutta Roy's "Nothing is Impossible," among others.

The 19 films screened at SAFF covered a broad range of Sikh issues ranging from farming, the military, women's rights, dowry and marital pressures to infanticide, drugs and faith.

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