Sikhlens, The World's Premier Sikh Film Festival, will host its 23rd Annual Sikh Arts and Film Festival (SAFF) scheduled for November 20-22, 2026 at the Frida Cinema in Southern California.

The festival includes three days of events with an opening night gala, art exhibits and the screening of dozens of films throughout the weekend. It provides an outlet for sharing Sikh heritage and Sikh culture with the rest of the world, showcasing Sikh talent, and instilling pride in the Sikh community.

This year, in addition to seeking films from Sikh filmmakers and films focused on Sikh history, identity, and heritage, Sikhlens is also looking for strong independent films on mainstream or social themes that our community should experience and celebrate. We welcome films from filmmakers of all backgrounds and encourage stories from underrepresented voices and global creators.

Although our program began in coordination with the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University over ten years ago, it has expanded beyond that to include other film schools and filmmakers throughout the world.

By submitting your film to our film festival, you are also entering the chance to be selected and screened at one or more of our many film festivals, known as Sikhlens-In-A-Box. These are smaller one day film festivals we hold throughout the world in locations such as Toronto, Chandigarh, Vancouver, Seattle, Chicago, Leicester, and more.

The deadline for submissions is September 1, 2026.

Rules & Terms

All submissions must be either in English or include English subtitles if in another language. Please confirm this requirement is met and clearly note it in your entry description.

Submitted films must be available for exhibition in MP4 or MOV format. Once accepted you will be asked to upload a Press Kit including a short bio, a photo of yourself, a brief description of the film, and either a film poster or still photo.

Legal Responsibility: By submitting to this festival, filmmakers acknowledge that they are solely responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances, and permits necessary to present their work. Filmmakers warrant that they have secured all rights required for public exhibition of their submitted work. Sikhlens assumes no responsibility and hereby disclaims all liability for any claims, damages, losses, or legal issues arising from or related to the content, rights, clearances, or exhibition of submitted films, including but not limited to copyright, trademark, defamation, privacy, or any other legal claims.

Notifications will be emailed. All correspondence will be done through email, only through the original submitter. The number(s), date(s), time(s), and locations of the screenings of films are subject to the discretion of Sikhlens.

SIKHLENS HAS GROWN INTO A GLOBAL MOVEMENT. IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED FOR SAFF, IT MAY ALSO BE SELECTED FOR SCREENING AT ONE OR MORE OF OUR SATELLITE FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS (SIKHLENS-IN-A-BOX) AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE USA, CANADA, INDIA, AND THE UK.

Clearance and Copyrights: All entries must obtain the appropriate copyright clearances (e.g., music, images, etc.). Failure to do so will result in the entry being disqualified from the competition. The entrant(s) must hold all legal rights for the submission, as well as any necessary clearances for public exhibition.