40 films for SikhNet's online festival

Conceived last year to inspire Sikh youths to express their faith and make Sikhism understood in the wider world, SikhNet's Youth Film Festival has attracted 40 entries this year, which have been put online. A panel will adjudge the best films in three competition categories on Sep 28.

The festival has attracted small films and documentaries from Pennsylvania to Punjab. Their duration varies from three minutes to half an hour.

The entries are divided into three age groups: 11-17 years, 17-25 and older. The awards for the first two categories carry cash prizes.

Sikhnet's chief executive officer Guruka Singh picked three of his favourites for IANS.

'Guru Nanak, Please Come Back' is about a boy who is led to take refuge in god by his pent up frustrations caused by human suffering and miseries around him.

'Gurmukh Singh' is about an American Sikh who is provoked by his school-going son to revisit his earlier decision to cut his hair.

'Teen Puncture' is about a roadside tyre puncture repairer who resists a temptation to make a quick buck by unfair means.

SikhNet started the film festival last year in recognition of the popularity and creativity of some video postings on sites such as YouTube and Google Video, and the need for Sikh youth to get involved in the media and produce interesting and educational pieces to spread the spirit of Sikhism.

According to SikhNet webmaster Gurumustuk Singh: "When we initiated the festival, we could not envision what beautiful films we would receive. Nor could we have imagined the groundswell of support from the Sikh community worldwide."

Last year's festival awardees have been entered in the fourth annual Spinning Wheel Film Festival, which will be held by the Sikh Art & Film Foundation in New York on Sep 23. One of them, 'Priceless', is a take on Mastercard's commercial seen through the eyes of a Sikh youth living in America.

SikhNet's mission is to educate and communicate on all matters of interest concerning Sikhs around the world. The portal has existed in its present form since 1996. It functions from Espanola, New Mexico.

Indo-Asian News Service