ESPANOLA, NEW MEXICO: The Third Annual SikhNet Youth Online Film Festival will be held LIVE online for the first time this year with a broadcast streaming event on September 13th and 14th.
See the schedule of screenings here
The film festival has inspired scores of film submissions from around the world. The Festival idea originated in 2006 with SikhNet's recognition of the immense popularity and creativity of video postings on Internet sites such as Google Video and YouTube, and the need for youth to get involved in the media to better communicate the Sikh identity.
Now in it's third year, the online festival is deemed to be a huge success by contestants as well as the creators. Film Festival winners from previous years like Angad Singh and Jasmeet Singh have gone on to have their films shown on television as well as having them screened at other film festivals around the world.
"For the first time ever, this year's event will be held live, in real-time." said SikhNet Webmaster Gurumustuk Singh. "We want to use new web broadcasting technology to get people engaged with the films and with each other by discussing the films as they are being shown."
In the tradition of "Britain's Got Talent and "American Idol", this year audience members will be able to vote for their favorites in real-time, right as the films are being shown."
According to him, "Tapping into the creativity of Sikh youth worldwide has been one of SikhNet's primary goals. In 2006, when we initiated the online film festival, we could not envision what beautiful and creative films we would receive. Nor could we have imagined the tremendous support we have received from the Sikh community worldwide."
This year's theme "My Sikhi" has inspired young Sikh filmmakers from Bombay to Brighton to respond with creativity, honesty, insight, and their own personal experience of the Sikh lifestyle to produce highly original and surprisingly professional short films. After the judging is completed later this month, the films will become available for viewing online at www.SikhNet.com
Cash prizes will be given in both the intermediate and junior divisions - 18-25 years old and 11-17 years old respectively. The best films from filmmakers age 26 and older will also be selected and shown online, but will not be eligible for cash awards.
One of the many comments Sikhnet received from the young filmmakers follows:
"Thanks a ton for... making a sincere effort towards taking the light of Sikhism further. I and my whole team would like to convey our heartiest gratitude and thanks to the whole team of Sikhnet for doing a great job. There are no words to express what you are doing for the community in such an interesting way. We, the youth, really want such encouragement and inspiration so that we keep following the path shown by our revered Gurus and transfer this light to the coming generation. We've won the second prize but what we've learnt in this whole process is priceless. We would try our best and love to be a part of all such events and activities conducted by Sikhnet in future. Thanks a lot!" - Bhupinder Singh (Director of 2007 prizewinner "Buley Marg Jinhe Bataya")