KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2014 is back with 154 films from 31 countries

• National Award winning actor, filmmakers will comprise the KASHISH Jury and will judge films for competition at South Asia's and India's biggest LGBT film fest.

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival – South Asia’s and India’s biggest LGBT film festival – returns for its fifth year with a large collection of 154 films from 31 countries. India’s only mainstream lesbian, gay and transgender film festival and one of the first to receive clearance from the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will take place between May 21 - May 25, 2014, at the iconic Liberty Cinema, New Marine Lines and Alliance Française de Bombay.

 The festival’s theme this year is “Dare To Dream” and recognizes the progressive movements for equality and dignity for gay, lesbian and transgender persons across the world, including India. KASHISH 2014 will highlight, reflect upon and celebrate the people, communities and movements that ‘Dare To Dream’.

Key Highlights for this year will be:
* 154 films from 31 countries.

* 11 World, 17 International and 39 Asian premieres.

* New venue is India's finest art deco theatre - the iconic Liberty Cinema with over 1,000 seating capacity.

               

* Crowd funding to raise part of the funds to put up the festival – the first film festival in India to do so.

 

* This year, the ‘Country Focus’ will be on Canada with more short and feature films including Winter Kept Us Warm (1965).

* `Filmmaker in Focus’ is Canadian actor Charlie David.

 

* Special focus on Transgender lives

 

* Films on HIV.

* Queer films from Turkey, Srilanka, Uganda, Bangladesh will be screened at KASHISH 2014.

* The ``competition section’’ will showcase films which will be judged by an eminent jury panel.

* Acclaimed Bollywood actor Anupam Kher and his acting school Actor Prepares sponsors cash awards for two winning categories - Best Narrative Feature film wins a cash award of Rs 30,000 and Best Indian Short films wins a cash prize of Rs 20,000.

* Best Actor in a Lead Role award instituted this year by Bollywood actor Anupam Kher and his acting school Actor Prepares.

 

* Riyad Wadia Emerging Indian Filmmaker, instituted by Wadia Movietone in memory of the India’s first gay filmmaker Riyad Wadia, carries a cash prize of Rs 15,000.

* Other awards are Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Shorts and Best International Narrative Shorts

* Opening Film Out In The Dark from Israel and Palestine.

* Closing Film is John Apple Jack from Canada

* Tribute to late filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh and screening of the movie Memories in March.

* Indian Showcase: 28 films from India - some in regional languages including films in Marathi and Bengali.

* The Best Indian queer short film at KASHISH gets to compete for the Iris Prize in UK which carries a cash prize of 25,000 pounds.

 

Online registrations at www.mumbaiqueerfest.com

                                         

Offline registrations at Liberty Cinema, New Marine Lines and Humsafar office in Vakola and Khar.
Festival Website: http://www.mumbaiqueerfest.com/ | Festival Blog:http://kashishmiqff.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Kashish.MIQFF | Twitter: https://twitter.com/KashishMIQFF