Source: The Hindu

Wire Service: PTI

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200609180311.htm

On September 18, 2006 the Press Trust of India reported, "Online film festivals are fast becoming common, but when one is held exclusively on Sikh films, it is sure to be rare. The first online Sikh film festival, held last week had both features and shorts, and drew film-makers from Mumbai to Texas alike. 'It is a Sikh media revolution of sorts. Twenty film-makers under the age of 25 made it to the finals at the online film festival for Sikhs,' said its organisers, Sikhnet, a US based Sikh advocacy group... The Festival idea originated 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, according to SikhNet Webmaster Gurumustuk Singh... The festival had 20 enteries and the first prize in the senior category (18-25) was bagged by Jasmeet Singh Bansal & Baljeet Singh Bansal, from Easton, Pennsylvania - United States for 'The Call.' In the junior category, the first prize was bagged by Harsimrat Singh from New Delhi. The judges included Waris Ahluwalia, Indian-American actor, Kulvir Singh Gill, former co-chair of the Spinning Wheel Film Festival; and Valarie Kaur, writer and producer of 'Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath.'" (Festival website: http://www.sikhnet.com/s/2006Competition)