By IANS
New York : Shonali Bose, the director of “Amu”, will be honoured at the 2007 Sikh Heritage Awards Gala here Sep 22. The gala kicks off the Fourth Spinning Wheel Film Festival.
Mayor Bloomberg’s proclamation recognising Sep 22-28 as Sikh Heritage Week will be presented during the gala.
Held by the Sikh Art and Film Foundation (SAFF), the gala has been planned as an evening of music, dance and auction of Sikh art at a Wall Street venue.
Mona Singh, of the Indian TV serial “Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin” fame, will host the show.
Guests of honour include Indian legislator Tarlochan Singh, US Congressman Joseph Crowley and Indian Ambassador to US Ronen Sen.
The awards honour contributions to the Sikh community.
Shonali Bose and Bedebrata Pain, co-creators of “Amu”, set against the background of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, will be conferred the award for displaying courage.
Jagdeep Singh, president and chief executive officer of Infinera Corporation, a firm in the Silicon Valley, will get an award for leadership.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli will be awarded for being a visionary.
“He made sustained efforts to bring Sikh awareness among the public post 9/11 and co-sponsored a legislation supporting religious freedom for Sikhs,” SAFF president Tejinder Bindra told IANS.
The Spinning Wheel film festival will showcase feature films, comedies and documentaries at the Asia Society Museum. They will be presented in four clusters highlighting Sikh history, family, Sikh diaspora and politics.
“What Do You Think You Are” traces the journey of the family of Gurinder Chadha, director of “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Bride and Prejudice”, from Kenya to India, Pakistan and London.
“Monty for England” is about the rise to fame of the spin bowler Monty Panesar.
“Widow Colony” takes a hard look at the lives of the widows of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
An estimated 500,000 Sikhs live in the US; 135,000 reside in the greater New York area alone.