Look Out for Asia’s Biggest Queer Film Festival: Kashish 2015

Everything you need to know about the Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, which starts on May 27th

Though homosexuality is still illegal, India continues to host Asia’s biggest LGBT Film Festival. So mark your dates as the 6th Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival kick-starts on 27th May.

The theme of Kashish 2015, ‘Reaching Out, Touching Hearts’, reflects the urgent need for all of us to reach across barriers and boundaries, reach out to everyone - parents, families, friends, colleagues and peers. An equal society without stigma and discrimination is a shared responsibility.The Indian LGBT movement is at a crucial time in its history, where it is fighting an unjust law - section 377 of the Indian Penal Code - that criminalizes the community. It is important to broad-base this struggle and build alliances across race, class, caste, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation to challenge prejudice, change attitudes and create a society that allows each person to live with love and dignity.
– Sridhar Rangayan, Festival Director

Cinema has always been a source to bring a change in the society and the jury at Kashish are looking for a film that will bring that change and free people’s mind. Kashish 2015 boasts of an eminent jury panel, from filmmakers like Anubhav Sinha, Chitra Palekar to actors like Aamir Bashir, Meghna Malik and columnist Malvika Sangghvi.

Kashish not only brings wonderfully different films to the film lovers of Mumbai, but also creates awareness in the mainstream society about the various concerns of the queer community. The Supreme Court judgment has encouraged myths and prejudices around the community.  It is important to know issues of the community in depth.
– Chitra Palekar, Filmmaker

Gay rights are human rights. Discrimination is equal to injustice. Kashish Mumbai International Film Festival has become a reference cultural point for the community.
– Malvika Sangghvi, Columnist

With the LGBT community under siege by a colonial law, it is nothing short of heroic that Kashish has persisted and persevered and is growing each year as a festival. I am honoured and privileged to be a part of it as a member of the jury. LGBT are being denied basic human rights and I can relate to the oppression being Kashimiri myself.
– Aamir Bashir, Actor

Among the 180 films that are featuring at the film festival, two films to watch out for is the American Love is Strange which is also the opening film of Kashish 2015 and going with the theme is - believe it or not - Rakhi Sawant’s first Marathi production Jayjaykar is a film which promises reach out and touch your heart.

Ira Sachs, director of Love is Strange is thrilled about being a part of Kashish

It’s a great honour that Kashish 2015 is showing my film as the Opening Night Film. Its is a film very much about community, whether it is queer community, filmmakers or film festivals, who wouldn’t be able to make these films without audiences like you. It is important that we can share these personal experiences through cinema, it is how we support each other.
– Ira Sachs, Filmmaker

So get your tickets and line up for Asia’s biggest queer film festival!