The KASHISH Pride Film Festival (earlier known as KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival,[1][2] also known as Mumbai International Queer Film Festival and Mumbai Queer Film Festival) is an annual LGBTQ event that has been held in Mumbai, India, since 2010. The film festival screens gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer films from India and around the world. It is voted as one of the top five LGBT film festivals in the world.[3]
2009 was a historic year for the LGBTQ movement in India. On 2 July 2009, the 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.[4]
This was followed by the relaunch of India's first gay magazine, Bombay Dost.[5] The Indian Election Commission decided to recognize transgender as a separate category. All these activities brought media focus and visibility to the LGBTQ community in India.[6][7][8]
KASHISH Pride Film Festival took this movement forward through the medium of films. It made LGBTQ persons, their desires and aspirations visible through films and brought about an international perspective to LGBTQ works. The objective of the festival continues to mainstream the LGBTQ 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.[9]
It was the first Indian LGBTQ film festival to be held in a mainstream theater. It was also the first LGBTQ film festival to obtain a clearance from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India).
KASHISH Pride Film Festival, 2010[10] was held between 22 and 25 April 2010, spread across two venues in Mumbai – one in the city and one in the suburbs. The first edition was organized by Solaris Pictures and The Humsafar Trust in association with Bombay Dost. Features, short films, documentaries and experimental films were screened that highlighted gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters and stories. The films explored the diverse realities, complexities, joys and sorrows that make up the global queer experience. They also celebrated, reclaimed, and explained LGBTQ identities while engaging and entertaining audiences. The film festival brought 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 of queer thought, desires and expressions.[11]
The festival boasts of support from Indian film personalities. Shyam Benegal is the Festival Patron. Celina Jaitly was the Festival Ambassador till 2020.
The advisory board of the festival is composed of eminent personalities like Aruna Raje Patil, Dolly Thakore, Meghna Ghai Puri, Onir, Renuka Shahane, Roy Wadia and Viveck Vaswani. In the past years Nandini Sardesai, Shernaz Patel and Jenni Olson (USA) also served on the advisory board.
KASHISH since 2010 to 2016 has been organized by Solaris Pictures and co-organized by The Humsafar Trust.
Since 2017, KASHISH is organized by KASHISH Arts Foundation, in association with Solaris Pictures.
The 1st edition of the festival was held in April 2010 at PVR Cinemas & Alliance Française de Bombay, and screened 110 films from 25 countries. Its theme was 'See A Different World'.
The 2nd edition of the festival was held in May 2011 at Cinemax Versova & Alliance Française de Bombay, and screened 124 films from 23 countries. Its theme was 'Bigger, Bolder & Queerer'.
The 3rd edition of the festival was held in May 2012 at Cinemax Versova & Alliance Française de Bombay, and screened 120 films from 30 countries. Its theme was 'For Everyone'.
The 4th edition of the festival was held in May 2013 at Cinemax Versova & Alliance Française de Bombay, and screened 132 films from 40 countries. Its theme was 'Towards Change'.
The 5th edition of the festival was held in May 2014 at Liberty Cinema & Alliance Française de Bombay, and screened 154 films from 31 countries. Its theme was 'Dare To Dream'.
The 6th edition of the festival was held in May 2015 at Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française de Bombay & Max Mueller Bhavan, and screened 180 films from 44 countries. Its theme was 'Reaching Out, Touching Hearts'.
The 7th edition of the festival was held in May 2016 at Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française de Bombay & Max Mueller Bhavan, and screened 182 films from 53 countries. Its theme was '7 Shades of Love'.
The 8th edition of festival was held in May 2017 at Liberty Cinema & Alliance Française de Bombay, and screened 147 films from 45 countries. Its theme was 'Diverse, One'.
The 9th edition of festival was held in May 2018 at Liberty Carnival Cinemas & Metro INOX, and screened 140 films from 45 countries. Its theme was 'Together, With Pride'.
The 10th edition of festival was held in June 2019 at Liberty Carnival Cinemas & Metro INOX, and screened 160 films from 43 countries. Its theme was 'Over The Rainbow'.[3]
The 11th edition of festival was held online in July 2020 and screened 157 films from 42 countries. Its theme was 'Moving Forward, Together'.
The 12th edition of festival was held online in August/September, 2021 and screened 221 films from 53 countries. Its theme was 'Unlock With Pride'.
The 13th edition of festival was held as a physical festival from June 1–5, 2022 at Liberty Cinema and Alliance Française de Bombay, and as an online festival from June 3–12, 2022; and screened 184 films from 53 countries. Its theme was 'Flights for Freedom'.
The 14th edition of festival was held as a physical festival from June 7–11, 2023 at Liberty Cinema and Alliance Française de Bombay, and as an online festival from June 15–26, 2023; and screened 110 films from 41 countries. Its theme was 'Be Fluid, Be You!'.
The 15th edition of festival was held as a physical festival from May 15–19, 2024 at Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française de Bombay and Cinepolis Andheri; and screened 133 films from 46 countries. Its theme was 'Unfurl Your Pride'.
KASHISH Pride Film Festival has, in its attempt to mainstream queer visibility, engages a jury panel to judge the award categories. The jury has consisted of actors, directors, critics, theater and media personalities and festival curators from India and abroad.[12][13]
Wendell Rodricks, celebrity fashion designer, has been the judge every year from 2012 to 2020 of the KASHISH Poster Design Contest that invites designers from around the world to create the look of the festival, which will be used in posters, billboards and other promotional materials. Since 2020, after passing away of Wendell Rodricks, his husband Jerome Marrel was the judge.
Riyad Wadia Award For Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker[edit]
Instituted in memory of late filmmaker Riyad Vinci Wadia, who made India’s first gay film BOMgAY, the Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker is an attempt by KASHISH to recognize and nurture emerging Indian voices.
2017: Rajesh James for Naked Wheels and Vishal Srivastava for Selfhood (Wajood)[21]
2016: Vikrant Dhote and Srikant Ananthakrishnan for Any Other Day
2015: Vaibhav Hatkar for Ek Maaya Ashi Hi (A Love Such As This)
2014: Sharon Flynn for I'dentity
2013: Manava Naik for Dopehri and Rohan Kanawade for Lonely Walls (Ektya Bhinti)
2012: Pradipta Ray for The Night Is Young (Raat Baaki)
2011: Shumona Banerjee for The Flower Bud (Kusum)
Ismat Chughtai Award For Best Indian Woman Filmmaker[edit]
Instituted in memory of eminent Indian Urdu novelist, short story writer, liberal humanist and filmmaker Ismat Chughtai, the Ismat Chughtai Award For Best Indian Woman Filmmaker is an attempt by KASHISH to acknowledge and encourage Indian women filmmakers to tell path-breaking narratives infused with progressive, positive viewpoints.[29]
2024: Naireeta Dasgupta for Night Queen | India[14]
2023: Akanksha Sharma for Road Blocked Ahead | India[15]
