PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Dare To Dream: From an unjust law to a path-breaking judgment

May 28, 2015; 4.00 – 5.00 pm

It’s been a year since two Supreme Court judgments shook up the LGBT rights movement – one criminalized same sex relationships by bringing back section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, while the other sought greater acceptance and mainstreaming of transgender persons. One judgment turned the clock on the equal rights movement back by several decades, while the other is ensuring that the society will no longer be able to marginalise transgender persons. The LGBT community today grapples with fighting an unjust law while at the same time working towards securing the rights promised by the NALSA judgment for its Hijra brethren. Is it time to broadbase the fight to read down section 377 by reaching out to the political class? Is reservation in Universities and recognition as transgender in passports enough to gain acceptance in the society? KASHISH 2015 will host a panel discussion with some of the leading activists and lawyer/s in India to highlight the challenges posed, and the way forward for both the judgments in India.

Panelists: Activist Ashok Row Kavi, transgender activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, UNDP Program Manager Ernest Noronha, lawyer Vijay Hiremath and transman Siddhant More.
Moderated by Pallav Patankar, director programs, The Humsafar Trust.

The Way Ahead for Co-productions

May 29, 2015; 1.30 – 2.30 pm

For years, big budget Indian films have dominated international co-production ventures. A new wave of independent films are however challenging this tradition, sweeping critical acclaim as well as awards. With India signing a spate of co production agreements, does it have space for indie films, including films that deal with LGBT themes.

Co-productions in films not only offer access to funds, resources and new markets, but also encourages a cross pollination of technology, skills, ideas and cultures. Is there a possibility of co-production financing coming into play to enable short and indie films to be made and reach across borders. Will a new generation of film makers make films that are transnational and take up issues of equal rights?

This panel discussion is sponsored by Whistling Woods International, one of India’s leading film schools and the Canadian government, which has recently signed a co-production deal with India.

Panelists: Chaitanya Chinchlikar, VP (Strategy & Finance) Mukta Arts Ltd, author and filmmaker Somnath Sen, actor and writer Kapil Sharma, Vikramjit Roy, General Manager (Production and Marketing) NFDC and Mark Scullion, Senior Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Canada.
Moderated by filmmaker Ashish Sawhny.

Dialogue with Emerging Filmmakers

May 31, 2015; 6.15 – 7.15 pm

Since its debut in 2010, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film festival has provided a platform for emerging filmmakers who make films on queer themes with great resource crunch and against much odds. The festival provides a springboard to them to showcase their films on an international scale. For many filmmakers it is the only avenue to showcase their work to a larger mainstream audience in India. At this moderated Filmmaker Interface, a panel of young, emerging filmmakers speak about their joy, anxiety, passion and glory of taking those initial steps into filmdom.

Moderated by journalist Dhamini Ratnam.