MISTAKEN IDENTITY: FIRST FILM-MADE FOR TV ON SIKH AMERICANS

1ST-EVER FILM-MADE-FOR-TV PROGRAM ON SIKH AMERICANS AFTER 9/11/2001

DVD AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CELEBRATING CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN AMERICA

TITLE: "MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Sikhs in America"

WLWD 2000 Inc. announced the US and worldwide release of the TV program: "MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Sikhs in America" which took nine months to complete, involving extensive travel and filming on locations across the country from NY/NJ/CT to Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, Cleveland, OH, to California (San Francisco, Yuba City, Palo Alto to Los Angeles, etc). Negotiations are underway with PBS, BBC, STAR-TV and SONY, etc. to broadcast the program during the month of November, when Sikhs celebrate the birthday of Guru Nanak - founder of Sikhism over 500 years ago.


The objective is to inform and educate mainstream Americans and non-Sikhs in the USA and worldwide -- Who are Sikhs, What is Sikhism and the economic contribution of Sikh Americans since 1889, when the first immigrants arrived in California - over 100 years ago.


The documentary TV program goes beyond the shock and common wrath that consumed us all in the immediate aftermath of September 11. In the face of such adversity, the cherished ideals (liberty and freedom of speech, etc.) that guard the cornerstones of American society became wounded by victimization of fellow Americans - demonizing those who simply looked like the terrorists who had perpetrated the heinous crimes.


It tells the visual story of Sikhs in America in a post September 11 America, through the eyes of 21-year old Amanda Gesine, host and investigative journalist, who coincidentally, discovers her Sikh American neighbors, for the first time. A college student at George Washington University in DC, she conceived the idea at a candlelight vigilance, as WLWD 2000's R & D pitched for a Asian American WTC story.


Talking with young Sikhs her own age, she learns about the sudden racial profiling, verbal abuse and physical assaults, simply because they wore turbans and beards. Together, they discussed that this was due to sheer ignorance and fear of fellow Americans. She concluded that it was the demonization of the turban and the beard that created the huge backlash against Sikh Americans. She learned that it was young America - men who rushed around waving baseball bats and throwing beer cans at Sikh taxi drivers and old turbaned Sikh men. Her role was crucial in reaching out for more understanding among her own younger generation.


With Amanda's initiation, the TV program spotlights and discusses the experiences of Sikhs in America - one ethnic group that makes up a small fragment of the American population. "MISTAKEN IDENTITY" charts her personal journey - demystifying the enigma of Sikh Americans and shares the hopes and desires of Americans from all ethnic backgrounds who seek to close ranks against bigotry and hatred and make a united stand against terrorism.


The important ethos of this TV program does not pertain to an exclusive American audience. In fact, it speaks to global TV viewers who appreciate the impact of East and West cultures (both in socio-economic terms and in life style/material terms) - the key demographic that TV advertisers and corporate sponsors seek to target.


Produced and directed by Vinanti Sarkar, President of WLWD 2000 Inc. (a boutique digital TV production company) headquartered in midtown New York. Philip Marshall, 4-time Emmy Award winning editor was hired to take over 36-40 hours of content footage with a strong script, targeting mainstream America and non-Sikhs.

WLWD 2000 Inc. received support from the Sikhs of Yuba City who understood the importance of the TV program, President, Dr. Narinder Singh Bajwa and members of the Punjabi American Heritage Society and the Yuba City Gurdwara. Executive Producer, Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang, M.D. believed the program as a "wake up call", with support from Teji "Tony" Singh, Parry Singh and K.P. Singh, Sikh Educational; Cultural Society of Indianapolis/Avtar Singh, Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis. The final edit was made possible by Vikram Chatwal, Producer and Executive Producers: Shining Sung (Taiwanese American), Shahid Hussain (Pakistani), with Ava Chien (Chinese American) sending the TV program for review to CCTV in mainland China.

MISTAKE IDENTITY: DISCOVER SIKH AMERICAN NEIGHBORS

Seol Times, South Korea (Review)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Have you heard or seen the digital film: "MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Discovering Sikh Neighbors" - A 9/11 Story? Have you seen the DVD film — winner of three first prize awards for documentary, directing and acting?

It is the first film produced for mainstream North America, UK and EU and part of a series of "getting to know the cultural and religious backgrounds of multicultural ethnic minority neighbors" in today's pluralistic society worldwide.

Since its official distribution release, filmmaker Vinanti Sarkar has been organizing joint fundraising screenings of MISTAKEN IDENTITY across the USA, Canada, UK and EU and India as part of a global media event, inviting partners to promote cultural and religious diversity in America.

The demand has been incredible !!! regular demand from university libraries, college and school screenings. She is now working on JAIN ENLIGHTENMENT — A Way of Life" to introduce Ahimsa (Non-Violence), compassion, forgiveness and peace.

When PBS requested that we give the one hour TV program for "free," we moved across the USA and Canada successfully selling DVDs at the institutional Library Distribution rate of $250.00. for the classroom and auditorium teaching ethnic media, multicultural communications, divinity and comparative religions, modern and Asian anthropology, South Asian studies, human rights, tolerance, racial equality, etc., and strongly recommended for the attention of the Librarian. Most partners held fundraisers for their departments as a celebration of cultural diversity !

We have had great demand for screenings of MISTAKEN IDENTITY as "A Celebration of Cultural Diversity" from mainstream British viewers, across the UK and EU. Especially, in places where there are large communities of British Sikhs.

It is a documentary film anchored by 22-year old Amanda Gesine, from Greenwich, CT, who discovers her Sikh neighbors after 9/11 for the first time. She never had a Sikh friend in school or college and strongly felt that racial profiling starts with ignorance and fear.

The film has had a strong impact on informing and educating the non-Sikh population in North America (US and Canada) where screenings demanded Q & A, making the event into a social and cultural ethnic study on South Asia and Sikhs.

We won three first prize awards at American Film Festivals and had the honor of being screened at the National Arts Club, Harvard University's Centre for World Religions and Wharton School at PENN University, to mention a few. It was successfully screened at the House of Commons in Ottawa, Canada to commemorate the 5th anniversary of 9/11.

We received a request for its India premiere to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 in New Delhi, India with a private screening in Parliament House and on the national TV DOORDARSHAN (estimated over 600 million daily viewers during prime time) on 11 September 2008.

Kathy Phillips, Student at California State University, Chico: "I was so glad to receive your film. I was preparing a presentation for one of my college courses for future school teachers entitled Equity in Education and my topic was on the Sikhs in Yuba City (I live nearby) and was surprised that there was very little video available regarding the Sikhs.

"I could only find two videos and they were lackluster and dated (1980s). Your film not only gave wonderful information regarding immigration and the Sikh religion, it also gave insight to the backlash of 9/11. My teacher was also impressed with the film and is ordering a copy for herself to use in future classes. This film is a valuable investment for me to use in the years to come as teacher for my Sikh and non-Sikh students"

Buy a copy of the DVD as your personal collection -- Visit our website:www.globalfilmlinks.com for more information where you can review 3 min of the film via streaming video. We are inviting organizations who believe in the celebration of cultural diversity to organize joint-fundraisers in their countries as part of our "global media event." We are available 24/7 at globalfilmlinks@earthlink.net or Phone : 212-759-4568 (New York, USA)

Filmmaker "Vinanti Sarkar" can be Google and Yahoo websites including MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Sikhs in America, but it does not emphasize her academic qualifications: two MA degrees in Communications and Instructional Technology from Columbia University in New York and an ABD (All But the Defense) for the doctoral thesis, having developed a unique film techniques in teaching large illiterate populations by adapting the scripts with their life-skills and producing dramatic TV programs.

Contact: Ms Vinanti Sarkar, Producer & Director MISTAKEN IDENTITY TV Series @ Global Cultural Diversity Films, (GCDF) Inc., 425 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-759-4568 Email: vsarkar1@earthlink.net Visit our website: www.globalfilmlinks.com

MISTAKEN IDENTITY: DISCOVER SIKH AMERICANS - A 9/11 STORY

WINNER OF THREE FIRST PRIZE AWARDS AT AMERICAN FILM FESITVALS

MISTAKEN IDENTITY: DISCOVER SIKH AMERICAN NEIGHBORS - A 9/11 STORY

Film Synopsis

“MISTAKEN IDENTITY: A 9/11 Story” focuses on actress/anchorwoman, 21-years old Amanda Gesine from Greenwich, CT, as she discovers her Sikh American neighbors after the Attack on America since September 11, 2001.

She never had a Sikh friend in her private schools or college. But was outraged when she read (six days after 9/11) how all ages of Sikh American men, women and children were being racially profiled, verbally abused and physically attacked, shot and killed, simply because they wore turbans and beards.

At midnight, she phoned Director Vinanti Sarkar and insisted that we produce a film as she was horrified how Americans were so naive, mistaking their Sikh Americans neighbors for terrorists, simply because they wore turbans and beards and resembled Bin La Din.

Working with the film crew, Amanda visited schools, colleges, family homes and business houses to discover for herself "Who are Sikhs ? What is Sikhism ? and What Sikh Americans have contributed to the American economy since they arrived in the USA in the 1880s.

From November 2001 to April 2002, she worked hard and within six months of its official distribution release, the film entered three Ameican Film Festivals in Alabama, Texas, LA-Hollywood and won three (3) first prize awards !!!

What makes "MISTAKEN IDENTITY A 911 Story" so different from other films on 9/11 ? It was the need for promoting and celebrating ethnic cultural diversity with the idealistic kind of sensitivity of Young America. 

But then one or two PBS producers requested the one hour made-for-TV colored film be broadcast for "free," Executive Producer/ Director Vinanti Sarkar knew that PBS paid their own Judeo-Christian producers $250,000 for a one hour program.  If the film was broadcast "for free" on national Public TV, someone (inhouse producer) could sell the one hour program for $1,000 to 440 PBS networks, and pocket over $440,000, excluding the sale of DVDs and other ancillaries (T-shirts, turbans, etc).

Instead, the film was purchased as an institutional product to major university, public and private libraries and individuals interested in "cultural diveristy" !  It is available for DVD sale at email: globalfilmlinks@earthlink.net or Tel: 1-212-759-4568.