Press & Media Coverage

Saffron Kingdom is a poignant Kashmiri American independent film highlighting one family's fight to find peace after fleeing violence and oppression in their homeland. Inspired by true events, the internationally celebrated and award-winning Saffron Kingdom explores the Kashmir conflict through a family's journey from Srinagar in the 1990s to Atlanta, Georgia in 2019. The film was recently acquired by Watermelon Pictures, the recently launched, Oscar-nominated production and distribution company committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented filmmakers.

The story follows Masrat, a woman who witnesses insurgency violence as a child and later flees to America after her husband is abducted. Masrat struggles to find a new identity after moving to Atlanta, and her relationship with her son Rizwan is strained while he lives with intergenerational trauma and loss.

For decades, Kashmiri Muslims have faced violence, human rights abuses, and political disenfranchisement, and their stories have been largely kept quiet due to fear of reprisal. Saffron Kingdom is a politically urgent film, and debut director Arfat Sheikh centers humanity and honesty in this intensely dramatic story of love, loss, and resilience.

Sheikh has been announced as the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award at the 20th annual Teaneck International Film Festival. Saffron Kingdom exposes issues many would like kept in the dark and reflects on identity, justice, and the struggle to reclaim one's narrative amidst turmoil.

Many in the Kashmiri diaspora remain afraid to attend screenings due to fears of surveillance, and few actors or credited participants are Kashmiri, as involvement could jeopardize their return home. Through the courage of its cast and crew, Saffron Kingdom brings untold stories to light and honors those who speak out.