Kashmir-born ‘Saffron Kingdom’ director released in the U.S. after 14 days: family

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Kashmir-born filmmaker and movie ‘Saffron Kingdom' director Sheikh Arfat, 42, was released on Thursday (October 8, 2026) after 14 days of detention in the U.S., the family said on Friday (October 9, 2026). Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the filmmaker on September 24 pending an immigration application.

“Mr. Arfat was released on October 8 by the ICE,” a family member told The Hindu .

According to a U.S.-based advocacy group, Mr. Arfat’s bond was granted on the morning of October 6, but he was kept at the Caroline Detention Centre in Bowling Green, Virginia.

“Mr. Arfat continued to be held after the bond was granted for an additional 48 hours. The team was informed that the delay in his release was due to factors such as a ‘malfunctioning payment portal’ for the bond payment,” it said.

Mr. Arfat will face a hearing again on October 27. He is the son of Kashmir’s popular singer Ghulam Nabi Sheikh. The filmmaker shifted to the U.S. legally a few years ago on a student visa to pursue graduate studies in film at Georgia State University.

“Sheikh has a pending immigration application and is here legally, authorised to live and work in the US,” said the advocacy group.

A U.S.-based friend, who was accompanying Mr. Arfat when he was detained, said Mr. Arfat was en route from San Francisco to Washington, DC, for the ‘Art as Resistance’ event at Busboys and Poets on September 24.

“As I got off the plane in Dulles, I walked by Arfat, without realising that he had been pulled aside on the jetway. Mr. Arfat called out to me, and I turned around. He was surrounded by numerous men. Arfat dedicated his life to speaking truth and defending human rights. He is one of the kindest and most courageous people I know. Arfat created the movie ‘Saffron Kingdom’ as a form of collective memory and truth-telling to tell the story of his people,” recalled the friend.

Mr. Arfat won several awards after multiple screenings of his movie, Saffron Kingdom, in several parts of the United States and Europe. “His work explores identity, resilience, and justice through deeply personal and politically resonant narratives,” said the advocacy group.

At present, Mr. Arfat lives in Alexandria, Virginia. His film earned him awards such as Best Feature Film at the Chicago Filmmakers Awards, LA Film and Documentary Awards, Melbourne Independent Film Festival, Wake Forest Film Festival, Anatolian International Film Awards etc.

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