Toronto, May 17 (IANS): US-based Indian filmmaker Tirlok Malik is delighted after his Punjabi film "Khushiyaan" was selected for a screening at the first Punjabi International Film Festival (PIFF), starting May 18. The four-day festival will be held in Ontario province with events planned for the cities of Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga.

"The film is about the journey of a family and when you will watch it, you may be surprised to find yourself there," Malik, who has been a pioneer of Indian American cinema, said in a statement. In 1990, the filmmaker was nominated for the New York Emmy award for his directorial venture "Lonely in America".

"Khushiyaan" portrays the complex emotions of children who have to leave their parents back in India and what happens when they get busy with the American life. Shot both in Punjab and New York, "Khushiyaan", a thought-provoking film, is a mix of drama, comedy, and music.

Singer-actor Jasbir Jassi is making his acting debut with the film, which also features Kulbushan Kharbanda, Rama Vij, Tisca Chopra and comedian Gurpreet Guggi.