Sher Films announced today that director Vinay Giridhar’s feature documentary debut Emergence: Out of the Shadows will be starting its international festival run this September. The Vancouver-produced documentary begins it’s tour with its world premiere at the prestigious Cinema Diverse festival in Palm Springs on September 19, 2021 before heading to Atlanta’s Out On Film festival which is an Academy Award Qualifying Festival, Chicago’s South Asian Film Festival, Tasveer South Asian Festival in Seattle, and back to Canada, with dates set at festivals in Vancouver, Toronto, and Winnipeg.
The Canadian Premiere is at the KDocsFF which is Metro Vancouver’s Premiere Social Justice Documentary Film Festival. KDocsFF will be holding a special screening for National Coming Out Day on October 11, 2021. With more announcements to come, the film will be showcased around the world including dates set, but yet to be announced in India, the UK and more.
Emergence: Out of the Shadows follows three queer South Asians and their journey of acceptance within their conservative Punjabi Sikh families. For Kayden, Jag, and Amar, awakening to and expressing their sexuality within their traditional South Asian communities was a lonely and terrifying experience; denial, shame and despair haunted their youths, even threatening their lives.
In this gripping social justice documentary, the disparate journeys of three people candidly converge around a shared sense of compassion and healing. Topics like tradition and taboo are confronted by the cast and their families in this important film that offers comfort, compassion, and inspiration to individuals and communities struggling with acceptance. Emergence: Out of the Shadows asserts a potent and transformative voice in support of marginalized queer youth and their families.
Emergence: Out of the Shadows was directed and edited by Vinay Giridhar (Love’s Age) who is originally from Kerala, India, produced by and stars Alex Sangha (My Name Was January) and features cast including Kayden Bhangu, Jag Nagra, Jaspal Sangha, Avtar Singh Nagra, Rajwant Kaur Nagra and Harv Nagra. Christine Michelle Lord was Director of Photography and additional cinematography was done by Bhavesh Chauhan. On top of its festival run the film will have community screenings, debut on OUTtv and is being distributed into the educational market by Moving Images Distribution.
Producer Alex Sangha and director Vinay Giridhar have been “entered” for the Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary, and Vinay is entered for Best Editing in Feature Length Documentary for the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards. Fingers crossed that they get a nomination.
The film began production in October 2019. Major funders include Vancity, OUTtv, Creative BC, BC Arts Council, City of Surrey, City of New Westminster, City of Delta, City of Vancouver – Cultural Services, Rogers Group of Funds, Province of BC, and the Vancouver Pride Society. Marketing and promotion assistance was provided by Telefilm Canada.
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