Saffron Kingdom: Film Screening & Discussion

Admission is free for Johns Hopkins University students, staff, faculty, and alumni only. You may register via this Eventbrite using your JHU email.

For members of the general public, please to register.

Join SAIS International Law (ILAW) and Daffodil Studios for the premier Washington screening of award-winning film ().

The film is a poignant exploration of identity, exile, and resilience set against the backdrop of Kashmir’s decades-long turmoil. The story spans from the 1990s insurgency in Srinagar to the political upheaval of 2019, following Masrat, a woman forced to flee her homeland after her husband’s abduction. Seeking refuge in Atlanta with her young son, Rizwan, she faces the challenge of rebuilding her life while dealing with the trauma of loss and displacement.

Through their journey, Saffron Kingdom examines the intergenerational impact of conflict, the weight of memory, and the fight to preserve identity in exile. Blending personal storytelling with historical resonance, the film offers an intimate meditation on justice, belonging, and the scars of an unresolved past.

A panel discussion will follow, featuring remarks by film director Arfat Sheikh, SAIS Adjunct Lecturer Nina Gardner, Vice President, Policy and Programming at the Muslim Public Affairs Council Haris Tarin, and experts regarding UN mediation of the Kashmir dispute, current regional challenges, and use of art and media as a powerful tool of cultural resistance.

Press Coverage:

• "
• TRT World: "A Kashmiri Filmmaker’s Quest"
• The Kashmiriyat – A Kashmiri Filmmaker’s Journey Through Exile, Memory and Belonging

• Asian Sunday: "Indie Filmmaker Takes on Bollywood"
• Kashmir Times: "I Set Out to Reclaim Agency"
• Georgia Entertainment: "Saffron Kingdom Set to Release"
• Saporta Report: "Saffron Kingdom Tells Kashmir’s Narrative"
• "
• RNada: "Saffron Kingdom – A Story of Resilience"
• 285 South – A Movie About Kashmir, Filmed in Metro Atlanta

Podcasts:

• Interview
• on Ozone Podcast

Social Media:

• Instagram: @saffronkingdomfilm
• X: @saffronkingdom1

Awards:

• Winner: Best Feature Film at Chicago Filmmakers Award
• Winner: Best Feature Film at LA Film and Documentary Awards
• Winner: Best Feature Film at Melbourne Independent Film Festival
• Winner: Best Feature Film at Wake Forest Film Festival
• Winner: Best Writer for a Feature Film at Florida South Asian Film Festival
• Winner: Best Feature Film at Anatolian International Film Awards
• Winner: Best Feature Film at Santa Barbara International Movie Awards
• Best First-Time Filmmaker at Austin International Art Festival
• Honorable Mention: Directors Talents Movie Awards
• Honorable Mention: Best Feature Film at ARRF Barcelona International Film Festival
• Nominated: London Director Awards
• Semi-Finalist: Santa Monica Film Awards
• Semi-Finalist: Berlin Indie Awards

Official Festival Selections:

• Rome International Film Festival
• ARRF Berlin
• Buenos Aires International Film Festival (BUEIFF)
• Julien Dubuque International Film Festival

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