KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival’s 12th edition will focus on Asian stories
The Hindu
The festival, which will be held online from August 19, will showcase LGBTQ+ films from Asia
In its first edition in 2010, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival had some prominent guests, including Manisha Koirala, Rahul Bose, Zeenat Aman, and Shyam Benegal. But its size was fairly modest — just 110 films and a total cash prize of Rs 85,000. Its audience, too, was limited as the LGBTQ+ community in India wasn’t as big as it is today. Since then, the festival has grown in popularity and stature. The 12th edition, which will take place online from August 19 to September 5, for instance, has received over 800 submissions and will exhibit over 220 films.The fest offers Rs 2,00,000 to emerging Indian filmmakers to make an LGBTQ+ themed short film. Filmmakers from Canada, Sweden, Belgium and other countries will also participate. Festival director Sridhar Rangayan says the kind of films exhibited has changed too. “The audience’s taste has evolved. Earlier, they wanted romcoms predominantly. But now they want to see cinema that reflects different cultures,” he says, “Earlier, the films were more about people with anxious questions of their identities. Now, filmmakers, especially Indian directors, have gone beyond that to explore nuanced stories about romances, family acceptance and workplace acceptance. The stories have more hope and happiness.”More Related News