Sikhlens: Sikh Arts & Film Festival

Gurpreet Kaur Phokela

Musician

A multidisciplinary individual with a diverse background in science and the arts. She holds academic degrees in Education, Physics, Hindustani Classical Music (Sitar, Vocal), Tabla, and Industrial Relations and Personnel Management.

Gurpreet has extensive experience spanning 15 years of teaching high school Physics, Music, and Drama in India. She is an instructor of Laughter Yoga, Classical Music, Kirtan, which she taught for 19 years at SCOC, and Indian dances which she taught for the India Medical Association of Southern California. Committed to community service, she has been involved in medical camps. A Rangoli artist, Gurpreet loves playing various instruments and is an avid learner of Gurbani.

Sandip Sodhi

Writer

A Canadian, British born Sikh woman whose parents immigrated from Punjab, India. She is both a children's book author and an elementary school teacher in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, where she has been educating children ages 5-13 for more than 30 years. Currently serving as a Teacher-Librarian, Sodhi is deeply passionate about cultural representation and diversity in children's literature. Drawing from her own childhood in 1970s East Vancouver, where such representation was lacking, she believes children need to see themselves reflected in the books they read and has made a conscious commitment to writing books that celebrate inclusivity and diversity.

Jasmeet Kaur

Artist

A mixed media artist who draws inspiration from her travels and encounters with people from diverse backgrounds. With a background in Textile Design and Development, she has exhibited her work in various cities throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.

Kaur strives to continuously experiment with new concepts and thoughts, embracing challenges that present positivity and unique narratives. When she's not painting, she works on interior design projects and indulges her passion for traveling, experiences that continually inform and enrich her artistic practice.

Nirinjan Singh Khalsa

Jewelry designer

Most people that know me in the Sikh and greater community in Southern California, know me as an activist who fights for the rights and welfare of Sikhs in California and beyond. But few know what I do to make the living that allows me to do this Seva that I love.

Since I was young I have always loved gems and jewelry and have made a life searching for, mining and fashioning precious and semi precious gems into fine jewelry.

Hansjeet Duggal

Creative Sikhs

An award-winning editor and immersive media trailblazer based in Hollywood. His VR animated short Freiheit was selected by the prestigious Annecy Animation Festival in France. Recently, Duggal was chosen for the American Cinema Editors Diversity Program, connecting him with Oscar-winning mentors.

Davinder Singh

Creative Sikhs

An acclaimed Indo-Canadian director, actor, and producer known for impactful projects like Waleed, What's Your Identity, and Beneath the Makeup. Waleed earned honors as the 3rd Best North Indian Film. Singh's recent productions include Apna Farz; Basera; Patka Box; Bold Helmets; Khalsa Centre - Simran, Seva, Sangat; Deportations 700; and Benaqab Chehre on Chaupal TV. With several compelling films in the pipeline for 2024, Singh continues to garner attention for his directorial skills.

Harjus Singh Sethi

Creative Sikhs

A director/screenwriter who explored his Sikh heritage in his poignant Chapman MFA thesis film, All Quiet on the Homefront. Starring Waris Ahluwalia, it tells the true story of Bhagat Singh Thind and has screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals including LA Shorts.

Born in Cincinnati and raised in Ohio, Harjus' films focus on identity and power dynamics. He continues writing and directing projects that deliver impactful narratives. Harjus currently has a feature script in the final round of Sundance Labs. He has industry experience at companies like EuropaCorp and CBS, demonstrating his dedication to the craft.

Kabir Singh Sethi

Creative Sikhs

An inquisitive and creative 13 year old boy, who is a true out of the box thinker. Born and raised in Northern California as a Sikh American, Kabir has had a passion for legos from the age of 4. This passion evolved into making Stop-Motion Animation videos, beginning at the age of 9, and now mounting to over 175 short videos on his YouTube channel, Kabir The Legomaster. When he's not working on stop motion, Kabir also enjoys tabla, playing the dhol, practicing his card tricks and basketball.

Chef Inderpal Singh Chawla

Creative Sikhs

A respected Executive Chef and global hospitality professional with over 15 years of experience, currently leading the culinary program at Market District in Dublin, Ohio. Born to Indian immigrant parents and trained under Master Chefs in both Washington, DC and Italy, his approach blends classical techniques with rich cultural heritage. His impressive career spans leadership roles at prestigious establishments including The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International, and elite private aviation and nautical sectors.

Professor Sally Rubin

Creative Sikhs

Sally Rubin is a documentary filmmaker, editor, and tenured professor who has worked in the field for over 25 years. She is currently directing (with Kristy Guevara-Flanagan) a feature-length documentary funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities called Taking the Reins, about the cowboy icon and American identity.

Honey Trehan

Featured guest

Honey Trehan was born on October 4, 1978 in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India. He is a casting director and assistant director, known for Raat Akeli Hai (2020), Delhi Belly (2011) and Talvar (2015).

Sukhman Dhami

Featured guest

Sukhman Dhami is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ensaaf. This human rights organization works to end impunity and achieve justice for crimes against humanity in India, focusing on Panjab.

Sukhman received the 2004 Unity Award from the San Francisco Coalition of Minority Bars and South Asian Bar Association for his outstanding service to the legal community. He received a two-year fellowship through the Ford Foundation to work with the Center for Justice & Accountability and is a 2006 Echoing Green Global Fellow.

SEHAR BATRA

Creative Sikhs

Sehar Batra is a Punjabi filmmaker and cinematographer from Delhi, India, now based in LA. Her body of work spans films, music videos, and documentaries.

Sehar enjoys shooting films of all genres, but finds herself particularly drawn to intimate dramas, slice-of-life narratives, and offbeat comedies, specifically aiming to explore the complexity of human nature, messy characters and relationships, and the unique experience of womanhood.

RIPPIN SINDHER

Creative Sikhs

Rippin Sindher is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker and one of the first Punjabi-Sikh women to qualify for the Oscars, with her live-action short FLIGHT 182, executive produced by Ridley Scott and Emmy® winner Archie Panjabi. Her award-winning films, including ZONE, Broken Drawer, Happy, and The Hideout, explore human connection and resilience, and her anti-hate film SEVA was recognized by Congress. In television, she was the inaugural directing fellow on Ryan Murphy's Ratched for Netflix and a directing fellow on S.W.A.T.

JASKARAN SINGH

Creative Sikhs

Born in Brampton and raised in New Jersey, Jaskaran Singh is a writer, director, and producer whose films explore the space between identity and inclusion while bringing South Asian voices to the forefront. His shorts include A TURBAN & A BEARD, a docu-drama on Sikh hate crimes in America in the two decades since 9/11; ME|HER, a romantic dramedy about two friends reconciling their feelings after ten years; and COPELESS, a psychological drama about generational trauma, guilt, and grief.