Indian LGBTQ+ short films shine at KASHISH 2021 in its closing weekend

The 12th edition of KAHSISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, South Asia’s biggest LGBTQIA+ film festival, continues its virtual journey into its third weekend, titled Pride Weekend. The festival is screening 221 films from 53 countries, out of which 24 are Indian LGBTQIA+ films. “We are thrilled to be screening so many films from India, as KASHISH has become a...

KASHISH 2021: Swingin’ celebrates coming of age in the glow of Taiwan legalising same-sex marriage

SWINGIN' Dir: Shang-Sing Guo 23 min | 2020 | Taiwan | Chinese Screening on September 5 - Program 1 in the Short Film Package - SMILES AND SUNSHINE Swingin' is the first dramedy/music film of its kind since Taiwan became the first and the only country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. So when sixth-grader boy Qiu is bullied in school for having gay...

KASHISH 2021: Halwa breaks stereotypes empowering older women

HALWA Dirs: Gayatri Bajpai, Nirav Bhakta 15 min |2019 | USA | Hindi, English Screening on Friday, September 3, Program 4 in the Short Film Package, Halwa is a vital short film that strives to break the cliches around older Indian women. The story concerns an elderly, docile housewife, Sujata Chopra, stuck in a lonely marriage overseas with a controlling husband. On the eve of...

Same-Sex Marriage Rights a hot topic at KASHISH 2021

KASHISH 2021 panels discuss histories, religion & marriage equality for LGBTQIA+ community The 12th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, South Asia’s biggest LGBTQIA+ film festival, is underway from August 19th to September 5th 2021 screening 221 films from 53 countries over 3 weekends. During the weekdays the festival is programming several interesting panel discussions and filmmaker Q&As. On...

Bengali film Brihonnola garners great response at KASHISH 2021

BRIHONNOLA Dir: Dibyadoot Roy Chowdhury 117 min | 2018 | India | Bengali, Hindi | Narrative Feature Screened on Friday Aug 20th at KASHISH 2021 Inspired by true events, a Bengali feature based on people of different sexual orientation "Brihonnola, one body; two souls,” was one of the three Indian feature films screened at KASHISH this year. The film received good response for its hard-hitting...

KASHISH 2021: Powerful award-winning film Admitted will open eyes to transgender issues

KASHISH 2021 will showcase a striking, uplifting, and pathbreaking journey of Mx Dhananjay Chauhan, through the screening of the documentary feature "Admitted" on September 4. The first Transgender Student of Punjab University, Chandigarh, the Award-Winning docudrama discusses key issues of on Transgender Education Rights in India, through the activist Dhananjay's biographical journey of over five decades. Directed by Ojaswwee Sharma,...

KASHISH 2021: Youth focused LGBTQIA+ films to open and close KASHISH 2021

German film No Hard Feelings to be the opening film, Australian film Unsound to close the festival The 12th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, South Asia’s biggest LGBTQIA+ film festival, will open on August 19 virtually with the Teddy Award winner No Hard Feelings about Iranian refugees in Germany, and will close on September 5 with the Australian film Unsound about a young deaf trans man’s...

Sukhdeep Singh’s documentary Sab Rab De Bande on LGBTQ Sikhs reaches London

A novel documentary that brings forth the LGBTQ Sikh community's challenges and the different ways in which they reconcile their faith, gender, and sexual identities, Sab Rab De Bande, will be showcasing in the ongoing South Asian Heritage month in the UK this year. Making his debut as a filmmaker with this extraordinary documentary, Director Sukhdeep Singh, through interviews with LGBTQ Sikhs captures...

KASHISH 2021 offers film grant to LGBTQ+ filmmakers

The call for submissions is currently open at: https://www.instamojo.com/KASHISH_MIQFF/kashish-qdrishti-film-grant-2021/ and the deadline to register is July 18, 2021. In its sixth year now, the pathbreaking KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant, which has already facilitated production of 5 LGBTQIA+ short films, is now turning its focus specifically on the LGBTQIA+ filmmaking community. The KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant 2021 is putting out an open call...

ONE WORLD International Queer Film Festival to showcase the best of American queer films online

The inaugural edition of ONE WORLD International Queer Film Festival (Virtual) that showcases the best of American queer cinema, will be held from June 18 - 20, 2021. The festival is organized by India's oldest LGBTQ+ organization, The Humsafar Trust, in collaboration with KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival and is supported by the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai. You...