Reaching within and beyond

The 2015 edition of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival touches vital issues through diverse films.

May 27, 2015 08:33 pm | Updated 08:33 pm IST

A still from Jayjaykar.

A still from Jayjaykar.

The sixth edition of South Asia’s largest and India’s only mainstream LGBT film festival –– Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (KMIQFF), which is currently underway in the city, is proof of the event’s growing popularity. The fact that in 2010 the screening took place in a 123 seat PVR while this time it is at art deco Liberty with 1,200 seats speaks for itself. Besides Liberty, the five-day fest, which commenced on Wednesday, witnesses screening of 180 films from 44 countries at Alliance Francaise de Bombay and the Max Mueller Bhavan.

“Audience participation has grown from strength to strength including that of the mainstream segment. The latter has a huge appetite to watch good cinema which is different from the usual Bollywood and Hollywood films,” comments Sridhar Rangayan, founder and director of the festival organised by the Solaris Pictures along with the Humsafar Trust.

Sridhar describes KMIQFF as a prime event for LGBT in the mainstream space “where they can participate without any fear, guilt, shame or anxiety and be among people from all walks of life – ordinary folks, media persons, professionals, creative people.” More importantly, it provides young people safety and comfort without being labelled.

The festival also helps the mainstream, who either have no or negligible information and knowledge about LGBT, to know about them. Thereby, providing a window to know that LGBT are normal people like others and share similar hopes, emotions and aspirations besides suffering identical pain and suffering.

“We want to emphasise that they are not aliens and should not be treated differently because of their gender identity and sexual orientation which in turn is dictated by society, law and religion,” points out Sridhar. “The festival is an affirmation of their life and dreams.” Organising a festival of this nature and scale every year is not without difficulties. The main difficulty is lack of funds and finances with no grants coming from the Government. Even private sponsorships are not forthcoming as the corporates and companies are sceptical about how it will be viewed by the society per se. Given that KMIQFF figures in the Mumbai cultural calendar, Sridhar feels that support should be forthcoming from the State Government and the city’s municipal bodies. Though several actors and film personalities committed to the cause participate in the event, the lack of star punch does not drive home the point.

In 2010 there were 110 films from 25 countries. These numbers have increased over the years. The fest director points out, “What is noteworthy is the increase in the number of films submitted. This year it was 700, a five-fold increase thereby proving the event’s worldwide reach allowing showcasing of great and good films and an opportunity to premiere new ones.” What is creditable is that many directors and filmmakers make it to the event on their own as the organisers are unable to bear the expenses.

The participant countries this year include the U.S., UK, Germany, Ireland, Finland, France, Iran, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tunisia and Nepal besides first time entries from Georgia, Monte Negro, El Salvador, Lebanon and Syria. The “Country in focus” is Australia which has a package of 22 films including classics and path breaking contemporary ones including Wish for Tomorrow , Monster Pies and the 1994 classic The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the desert .

Keeping the competitive spirit intact, the fest has films competing in seven categories, namely, Best Narrative Feature Film, Best Indian Narrative Short Film, Best Performance in a Lead Role, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Documentary Short Film, Best International Narrative Short Film and Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker, which carries a cash award of Rs.15,000 sponsored by Wadia Movietone. The first category will receive Rs.30,000 cash prize while the next two Rs.20,000 each from Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares. Judging the films will be a jury comprising noted filmmakers Anubhav Sinha and Chitra Palekar, actors Amir Bashir and Meghna Malik and columnist Malavika Sangghvi.

The theme this year is “Reaching Out, Touching Hearts” which deals with greater engagement and acceptance of diversity about ethnicity, age, gender, sex and sexual orientation by society, families, friends and the loved ones. The basic idea is impress upon others that LGBT are capable of giving love and affection, of bonding and emotional ties provided the society, family, religion and law are conducive. “We want participation on the part of parents, family and friends. Most importantly we want them to become non-judgmental,” says Sridhar. Films like Boy Meets Girl , directed by Eric Schaeffer and starring an actual trans woman actor, Michelle Hendley, Jayjaykar directed by Shantanu Ganesh Rode, Head On by Ana Kokkinos, Desiree Akhavan’s Appropriate Behaviour and Karma directed Vana Hem from Cambodia resonate the theme. The inaugural film was Ira Sachs directed Love Is Strange (2014) while The Way He Looks directed by Daniel Ribeiro in Portuguese (2014) will bring the curtains down.

The Indian Panorama comprises 20 films in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Punjabi and Bengali. Four Indian feature length films scheduled are Anup Singh’s Qissa , Known Strangers (Dipankar Dutta) and Breaking Free by Sridhar Rangayan and Jayjaykar .

Two new elements have been introduced in this edition. A month-long group art exhibition “The 377191 Wall” featuring 238 artists and 270 works focusing on the freedom to express and the freedom to choose is been held in association with Gallery Beyond.

Also there is book reading by author Sandip Roy of his debut novel “Don’t Let Her Know”.

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