Mumbai Queer Film Festival

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
Location Mumbai, India
Language International
Website www.mumbaiqueerfest.com

The KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (also known as Mumbai International Queer Film Festival and Mumbai International Queer Film Festival) is an annual LGBT event that has been held in Mumbai, India since the year 2010. The film festival screens gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer films from India and around the world.

Background

The year 2009 was a historic one for the LGBT movement in India. On 2 July 2009, a Delhi High Court court ruling decriminalised homosexual intercourse between consenting adults and judged Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to be conflicting with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. This brought a respite to the Indian LGBT community that has been repressed and marginalized. This also led to open celebrations by LGBT persons including Pride Parades in many of the metros.[1] This was followed by the relaunch of India's first gay magazine – Bombay Dost.[2] The Indian Election Commission decided to recognize transgender as a separate category. All these activities brought media focus and visibility to the LGBT community in India.[3][4][5]

KASHISH Mumbai Queer Film Festival takes this movement forward through the medium of films. It makes LGBT persons, their desires and aspirations visible through films and brings about an international perspective to LGBT works. The objective is to mainstream the LGBT community and project them as 'normal' human beings who have the capacity to love and live with dignity. The festival offers cinema as a means to understand what being queer means today, and how it impacts both the queer community and the society at large.[6]

The Festival

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, 2010 [7] was held between 22 and 25 April 2010, spread across two venues in Mumbai – one in the city and one in the suburbs. Features, short films, documentaries and experimental films were screened that highlighted gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters and stories. The films explore the diverse realities, complexities, joys and sorrows that make up the Indian queer experience. They also celebrate, reclaim, and explain LGBTQ identities while engaging and entertaining audiences. The film festival brings together the audience, the films and their makers to create social change.

In its debut year Founder Festival Director Sridhar Rangayan said he hoped that the film festival would encourage greater visibility of queer cinema and bring it into the mainstream discourse. He has said that the Festival showcases the films to both queer and mainstream audiences, in order to make them aware about queer thought, desires and expressions.[8]

Awards

Best Narrative Feature Film

Best Documentary Feature Film

Best Documentary Short Film

Best International Narrative Short Film

Best Indian Narrative Short Film

Kashish Coffee Break Audience Award

Riyad Wadia Award For Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker

Special Jury Award

Special Jury Mention

Best Performance in a Lead Role

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mumbai’s gay pride comes to fore".
  2. ↑ "Celina Jaitley at re-launch of pro-gay mag Bombay Dost". Bollywood Reloaded. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
  3. ↑ UN body slams India on rights of gays, The Times of India, 24 April 2008
  4. ↑ "Fear and loathing in gay India". BBC News. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  5. ↑ Why should homosexuality be a crime?, The Times of India, 18 September 2003
  6. ↑ Added by Nicholas Snow View Events. "Kashish – Mumbai Queer Film Festival, 2010". NotesFromHollywood.com. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "Kashish winners spread joy and glitter at Liberty". Asian Age.
  10. ↑ "Ravi Jadhav’s “Mitraa” winner at Kashish Mumbai Int’l Queer Fest 2014". www.dearcinema.com.
  11. ↑ "KASHISH Mumbai Intl. Queer Film Festival announces awards". www.dearcinema.com.
  12. ↑ "imdb news". www.dearcinema.com.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Kashish Awards and Jury 2010". Kashish-Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  14. ↑ "India Blooms". www.indiablooms.com.

External links

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