33 INDIAN LGBTQ FILMS TO SCREEN AT KASHISH 2018

South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ film festival will screen 140 films from 45 countries

India is the ‘Country In Focus’ at KASHISH 2018. Thirty three Indian LGBTQ films – comprising 6 narrative feature films, 23 narrative short films and 6 documentary short films – will be screened at the festival.

“Out of the total of 140 films being shown at KASHISH, the Indian focus comprises almost 25% of the programming. Many of them are World Premieres or Indian Premieres. Indian LGBTQ films are pushing cinematic boundaries, not only in the content and story, but also in their narrative forms, as well as technical finesse. From films on bullying in colleges, to angst of coming out to oneself, to family, at workplace, to finding love and seeking parental acceptance, the films span the gamut of human emotions. What is heartening is that filmmakers are approaching the topic with diverse perspectives and more sensitive understanding,” says festival director Sridhar Rangayan.

Saagar Gupta, director of programming says, ‘Every year KASHISH has a country focus where we highlight the wonderful films being done by filmmakers from a country to highlight the LGBTQ lives and issues of that country. This year with the number of fantastic films being made in India, we felt it would be most appropriate to name India as Country in Focus.”

The inaugural film of the ‘Country in Focus’ package is Khejdi, starring popular TV actor Ashish Sharma and directed by Rohit Dwivedi.

Noblemen directed by Vandana Kataria about bullying and homophobia in schools starring Kunal Kapoor will have its Asian Premiere at the festival. It will be play as Narrative Centerpiece film. “Noblemen’ touches upon bullying, a social evil that exists not only in our schools and colleges, but also in our homes, our workplaces, and in society at large. Set in an all boys boarding school it mirrors society’s current totalitarian drift,” says Vandana Kataria.

Evening Shadows, a film by Sridhar Rangayan, about a son coming out to his mother in a small town in India will be the Closing Film of the festival.

Two Indian narrative features both from South India – Irattajeevitham by Suresh Narayanan and My Son is Gay (112 min, Tamil), by Lokesh Kumar – feature in the competition section for Best Narrative Feature, the highest award at KASHISH 2018. Khejdi, by Rohit Dwivedi starring popular television actor Ashish Sharma will have its world premiere at KASHISH. Onir’s feature film Shab (109min, Hindi) starring Raveena Tandon and Ashish Bisht in lead roles, which released last year, will screen in a prominent slot.