The 17^th edition of KASHISH Pride Film Festival is scheduled to kick off the June Pride Month in Mumbai with a five day celebration of films, talks, art and performances at three venues in Mumbai between June 3^rd to June 7^th. The festival will screen 153 films from 43 countries, out of which 77 films & 6 scripts are competing for Rs.7,00,000 award money in 13 categories.

The jury comprises of stalwarts from the Indian film industry with multiple national award winning directors & actors and media personality alongwith members from the LGBTQ+ community.

“Over the past 17 years of KASHISH, every year the bar is raised higher and the stakes are getting bigger. With around 600 submissions this year, it was an extremely difficult task to curate our final programming line-up, and to pick the nominees in the competition categories was the toughest job – we had to pick the best from the best!”, said Sridhar Rangayan,  founder festival director of the festival. “And to jury these amazing films, we had to bring in the best in the industry and we are really proud and thankful to all the jury members in the 8 jury panels for bringing in their expertise and commitment to the jurying process. The festival is flying higher than ever before!”, he added.

The KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant which offers Rs.4,50,00 to one winner and 2 runners-up is being juried by filmmakers Nikkhil Advani (Kal Ho Na Ho, Salaam-e-Ishq, Freedom at Midnight) & Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (Nil Battey Sannata, Bareilly Ki Barfi , Panga), screenwriter Ishita Moitra (Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Bad Newz, Four More Shots Please!) and producer Neeraj Churi (Sabar Bonda, Ek Jagah Apni).

National Award winning director Nikkhil Advani said, “Thrilled to be included as part of the jury of the 17th KASHISH Pride Film Festival. Walking in the footsteps of past jurors like Kiran Rao, Hansal Mehta, Gauri Shinde, Neeraj Ghaywan to name a few,  film-makers I admire so much and who have set such high standards in their ability to tell incredible stories, is a true privilege. I really look forward to hearing, reading and working with a community of storytellers, all committed to break existing barriers and tell important stories.”

“KASHISH Pride Film Festival has consistently created a space for stories that are honest, courageous, and deeply human. As a filmmaker, for me building empathy and start important conversations on societal truth and empowering minds is hugely important to have storytelling beyond boundaries and KASHISH has been doing that beautifully for years. I’m honoured to be part of the jury and look forward to discovering voices and stories that challenge perspectives, celebrate individuality, and stay with us long beyond the credits roll”, said Filmfare Award winning director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

“I believe the job of cinema is to do much more than just provide entertainment. And hence, I am both privileged and thrilled to be part of KASHISH as a jury member, because KASHISH creates a space for LGBTQ+ community to feel seen, heard, and understood, often in a world that asks them to shrink themselves. I am looking forward to stories told with honesty, celebrating both vulnerability and joy. I see resilience and resistance as two sides of the same coin and look forward to stories that bring that to the fore. And like the theme of this year’s festival, may the stories, Reflect, Resonate and Rejoice”, said screenwriter Ishita Moitra.

“At Lotus Visual Productions, we are proud to support the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant and this year’s powerful theme, ‘Reflect, Resonate, Rejoice.’ Queer cinema has the ability to reflect lived realities often unseen on screen, resonate across cultures and communities, and create spaces for joy, connection, and visibility. Supporting emerging LGBTQIA+ filmmakers is deeply aligned with our commitment to championing authentic and globally resonant South Asian stories. We believe initiatives like this are vital in nurturing bold new voices and strengthening a more inclusive future for independent cinema”, said Neeraj Churi, producer of the Sundance winner Sabar Bonda.

The Narrative Jury comprises of actors Parvathy Thiruvothu (Take Off, Ullozhukku, Qarib Qarib Single) & Rajshri Deshpande (Sacred Games, Trail by Fire, Bapya) and filmmaker Shonali Bose (Amu, Margarita with a Straw, The Sky Is Pink)

National Award winning actor Parvathy Thiruvothu said, “I have been an ally and supporter of LGBTQ+ communities for as long as I have understood what it means to truly listen. My belief is simple: queer lives are not subtexts, sidebars or symbols. They are full, tender, complicated, joyful lives that deserve to be seen on screen with the same dignity, scrutiny and love we offer any story. Cinema, at its best, does that work. It humanises. It widens the room. It refuses erasure. KASHISH has been doing that work for over a decade, bringing queer stories into mainstream theatres, into public conversation, into the cultural mainstream of this country. None of this would exist without the vision, persistence and quiet courage of Sridhar Rangayan, festival director and co-founder, and the extraordinary team at KASHISH Arts Foundation, who have built and protected this space year after year, often against great odds. My heartfelt gratitude to them for the invitation, and for the work itself.”

“It’s truly an honour to be part of the KASHISH jury. I have been associated with and loved KASHISH since its inception in 2010, and watched with pride as it has played an important role in creating visibility, community, and cinematic space for LGBTQIA+ stories in India and beyond. I’m excited to discover films that are bold, emotionally truthful, formally inventive, and deeply human — stories that not only reflect queer lives, but expand the way we see and understand one another”, said National Award winning filmmaker Shonali Bose.

“I am honoured to be part of the jury at KASHISH Pride Film Festival, a festival that has always felt like home to me. Portraying a queer character in The Fame Game and later a trans man in my Marathi film Baapya transformed me and deepened my understanding of stories too often unheard. Receiving the Rainbow Voice Award affirmed that queer lives, struggles, resilience and pride deserve to be seen and celebrated. KASHISH keeps that spirit alive every year by creating a space of love, healing and connection through cinema, and it is truly one of the greatest honours of my life to help champion the storytellers carrying this torch forward”, said actor Rajshri Deshpande.

Then jury for the Documentary section are filmmakers Shaunak Sen (All The Breathes, Cities of Sleep, Airborne) & Jaydeep Sarkar (Nayantara’s Necklace, Feels Like Ishq, Rainbow Rishta) and producer Monisha Tyagarajan (Clowning with Shakespeare, Bhangaar, The Hunt for Veerappan).

Oscar nominee & Sundance winning filmmaker Shaunak Sen said, “I am honoured and excited to be on the KASHISH film festival jury. I have loved many of the films that have played at the festival in recent years, and deeply admire the sheer international breadth of films that are programmed this year.”

“KASHISH has always held a warm and unapologetic space for queer voices with care and dignity. For me, the festival embodies the transformative power of cinema in nurturing community, hope, courage, and co-existence. I’m honoured to be part of it, especially at a time when meaningful stories continue fighting for visibility within mainstream culture”, said producer, director Monisha Thyagarajan.

“KASHISH is far more than a film festival.  It is a movement, a sanctuary, and a celebration of voices that deserve to be heard. Now in its 17th year, it continues to reflect, resonate, and rejoice in the full spectrum of queer life, and to be part of that legacy fills me with deep pride. I am especially thrilled to share this responsibility alongside two remarkable storytellers- Monisha Thyagarajan and Shaunak Sen. I look forward to watching extraordinary stories that filmmakers from around the world have trusted us with”, said filmmaker Jaydeep Sarkar.

The Jury members for the student shorts award are actor Maanvi Gagroo (Four More Shots Please! , TVF Tripling, Made in Heaven), academician Rahul Puri (Whistling Woods) and director Shazia Iqbal (Bebak, Dhadak 2)

“Over the years, I’ve heard great things about KASHISH Pride film festival and I am chuffed my first attendance at the festival will be as a jury member. I look forward to celebrating the festival along with Sridhar and Saagar and the entire team, who deserve so much accolades for championing queer rights through cinema. As an ally, I want to do my bit, more now than ever, when systemic suppression on queer community is becoming a norm. And the reason why the festival is such an important platform to voice and express unapologetically”, said filmmaker Shazia Iqbal.

“I’ve always been a fan of film festivals in general. And KASHISH has been on my radar for a really long time, being one of the top 15 film festivals in the world! I’ve also been an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and KASHISH is such a big part of showing up and supporting the culture. I can’t wait to watch all the wonderful films that await!”, said actress Maanvi Gagroo.

“I am thrilled to be part of the KASHISH 2026 Student Shorts Jury this year. KASHISH is such an important festival bringing much needed visibility to the LGBTQIA+ community particularly in these difficult days. Whistling Woods has always stood as a supporter of the community and the festival and we hope that initiatives like this will bring forth more voices and wonderful films from the community which can bring real change across the wider society”, said Rahul Puri, long-standing Head of Academics at Whistling Woods International.

The three-member jury for Genderation Shorts Award are Anjali Patil (actor – Newton, Kaala), Shals Mahajan (author- Timmi in Tangles, Reva and Prisha) and Sharif Rangnekar (author, singer-songwriter)

“Being on the jury for the iconic KASHISH Film Festival is in itself a privilege. I am looking forward to the diversity of narratives that focus on young queer and trans people. They are our future and what their stories are will be a reminder of what their future could be and how they engage with their worlds’, said Sharif Rangnekar.

The jury member Anjali Patil said, “I must congratulate you on the vision behind this new section; the curation and intent sound incredibly rich and sensitive. It is a privilege to join such a thoughtfully assembled panel, and I am excited to experience the films and the conversations this initiative will spark”.

Shals Mahajan said, “I am delighted and honoured to be part of the jury for the section titled Genderation for the fabulous film festival KASHISH this year. The films in this section are stunning in the diversity of experiences, emotions, and forms they bring. These films focus on childhood and adolescence from very different locations. These stories are carefully told and capture the intensity, pain, confusion, joys, and the thousand other things that make growing up so precious and yet so difficult”.

The other jury members for special categories are Roy Wadia, director of Wadia Movietone, for the Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker; Ashish Sawhny, filmmaker and grandson of Ismat Chughati, for the Ismat Chughtai Award, for the Best Woman Filmmaker of South Asian Origin; and Akshay Tyagi, head of DEI at Keshav Suri Foundation, for the Aditya Nanda Award for Best Film on Queer Mental Health.

“Amid the growing pushback on LGBTQ+ rights not only in India but globally, KASHISH is a beacon more than ever for our communities – shining a light on our issues, offering optimism and sustenance. Wadia Movietone is proud to remain a steadfast partner to KASHISH, with our annual award for best new filmmaker in the name of the late, great Riyad Wadia – LGBTIQ+ rights activist and cinematic pioneer”, said Roy Wadia, Director, Wadia Movietone

“I am honored to continue presenting the Ismat Chughtai Award for Best Woman/Transwoman Filmmaker of South Asian Origin. My Nani (Ismat Chughtai) stood for all forms of gender inclusivity & diversity, so this award is very resonant for us. It has been a joy to see the growth in both numbers & the overall quality of films each year. Thank you, KASHISH”, said Ashish Sawhny, filmmaker.

“Being part of the Jury for the Aditya Nanda Award at the KASHISH Pride Film Festival is especially meaningful because conversations around queer mental health need far greater visibility, empathy, and action. At the Keshav Suri Foundation, we strongly believe that inclusion is not just about representation, but also about creating safe spaces where individuals feel accepted, heard, and supported. Storytelling through cinema has the power to break stigma, encourage dialogue, and inspire healing. Supporting platforms like KASHISH aligns deeply with our commitment towards dignity, mental wellbeing, and equal opportunity for the LGBTQIA+ community”, said Askhay Tyagi.