↑ Grab this Headline Animator

The Spinning Wheel Film Festival Celebrates Third Year of Showcasing...

The Spinning Wheel Film Festival is entering its third year of being a forum for audiences and filmmakers to come together in celebration of Sikh film and culture at the Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles Street West ) in Toronto , Ontario . The Festival continues to expand its scope by presenting over 25 films ranging from children's8217;s programming to gritty documentaries and dramatic features from this unique South Asian community. Running from Friday October 14th to Sunday October 16th.



This year's8217;s Opening Gala film is Amu (Oct. 14th, 9:15p.m ), a film set across the 1984 massacre of the Sikhs in India . In Amu, a young Indian-American woman returns to visit family in India only to uncover secrets about her past rooted in the 1984 massacre of Sikhs by fanatical Hindus and Congress Party members. Amu was awarded the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) prize at the 2005 Bombay International Film Festival and made its North American debut at this year's8217;s Toronto International Film Festival where it screened to critical acclaim. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film 's8220;beautifully personalizes a social and political tragedy's8230; an engrossing tale without compromising political viewpoint.'s8221;



Canadian films in this year's8217;s Festival feature stories that are exciting, insightful and inciting. By Guru's8217;s Grace (Oct.16th, 11 a.m. ), is a collection of vignettes that examines the spiritualism and real-world application of Sikhism in Canada and around the world. Runaway Grooms (Oct. 15th, 3 p.m. ) investigates the troubling increase in Indo-Canadian men who use Canadian law to their advantage by going to India to extort huge dowries then abandon their wives. Tiger! (Oct. 15 th, 11:45 a.m. ) follows the story of Tiger Jeet Singh, who arrived in Canada with six dollars in his pocket and literally fought his way to riches and international success.



The changed landscape of the post 9/11 United States is a theme which is featured in several films at the Spinning Wheel Film Festival. Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath (Oct. 16th, 7:30 p.m.) is a documentary which captures the loss, fear, hope and resilience of Sikh, Muslim and Arab communities across the United States immediately after 9/11. This documentary also sets out again four years later to see how things have changed or failed to change and how discrimination divides Americans in times of war. Making its Canadian premiere at the Spinning Wheel Film Festival is the feature drama, Waterborne (Oct. 15th, 8:15 p.m. ). This film takes the next step and portrays a major American city after a devastating terrorist attack. Starring Indian film legend Shabana Azmi, the film follows three pairs of characters in Los Angeles as the city copes with a contaminated water supply.



The search for identity of British Sikhs is also highlighted with films such as In Search of the Tartan Turban (Oct. 15th, 8:15 p.m. ), where a Sikh Scot tries to find the humour in Britain 's8217;s multicultural youth. It's8217;s Like Juggling (Oct. 16th, 2 p.m.) interviews 15 Edinburgh Sikhs between the ages of 10 and 15 about their day to day lives and struggle to be true to two cultures. My Yorkshire (Oct. 16th, 2 p.m.) follows Roop Singh, who shares the stories of his childhood and religion to school children of his home English county.



Spinning Wheel Film Festival also offers free seminars for would-be filmmakers. 's8220;So You Want to Be a Screenwriter's8221; hosts a panel of seasoned screenwriters, Amnon Buchbinder, Telefilm Canada 's8217;s PITCH THIS! winner, Richie Mehta and Sharat Raju, who talk about how to capture one's8217;s heritage in writing. On the flipside, 's8220;My Film is Finished, So Now What's8221; tackles the question of how to get a film distributed and screened. With a panel made up of experienced filmmakers and broadcast executives from OMNI Television and CBC Television, this seminar gives insight to both sides of film acquisition. All seminars will be taking place at the Isabel Bader Theatre.



The Spinning Wheel Film Festival is a cinematic examination of Sikh life and culture in India and throughout the world, as well as universal themes of human rights, global peace, religious freedom, and tolerance. The Spinning Wheel Film Festival seeks to use the power of film and video to both entertain and educate, while also challenging conventional perspectives on complex and challenging issues facing the Sikh people and the world community alike. The aim of the Festival is to provide a forum for the community (Sikh and non-Sikh) to preview Sikh films, engage in discussions and inspire the next generation of Sikhs to pursue careers in the arts. The Festival also aims to build and maintain an archive of Sikh films and increase the accessibility of Sikh Films to the community.



The Spinning Wheel Film Festival Celebrates

Third Year of Showcasing the Best of Sikh Film

Isabel Bader Theatre

October 14 's8211; 16, 2005



www.spinningwheelfestival.com



Please add this information to your listings. We are presently confirming interviews.



For Media information, please contact :

Planet3 Communications, Lisa Mahal / Joanne Smale

T: 416.922.4459

E: e-mail protected from spam bots



For further information, please contact :

Spinning Wheel Film Festival, Kulvir Singh Gill

T: 416-730-0354

E: e-mail protected from spam bots

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

---

This article has been robotically scanned and tagged by Prnewsnow with the following search tags. No human manipulation of these tags take place.
| Access | Telephony Office | telephony office linx |

---

4911 readers online...

, Local News