KASHISH 2022 - Festival Report

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KASHISH 2022 FESTIVAL REPORT Kashish.MIQFF

KashishMIQFF

KashishFilmFest

KASHISH 2022 13th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival

Check out complete KASHISH 2022 Festival Catalog HERE

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KASHISH 2022

Overview 

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KASHISH 2022, the 13th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, South Asia’s biggest LGBTQIA+ film festival, was held as a hybrid edition, with physical screenings at Liberty Cinema & Alliance Française de Bombay from June 1-5th 2022 and online screenings from June 3 – 12th 2022 on our website.

We are happy to state that the KASHISH 2022 event was a success with a good attendance, and engagement from people across the world. There was a drop in registrations, which can be attributed to people recovering from the pandemic, and the threat of new variants in the air.

The LGBTQIA+ diversity in the programming of films, the panel discussions and opening & closing ceremonies were appreciated by everyone.

The return to the physical festival (after 2 years) created a huge buzz, that too kickstarting the June Pride Month with KASHISH, was a good strategy in terms of press and social media.

The online festival was an extension of the physical festival, with most of the films from the physical festival playing online too, with additional films being screened online too.

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KASHISH 2022

Highlights

4 ½ Days of Physical Festival

10 Days of Online Festival

6Panel Discussions 5Filmmaker Q&As

184Films from

53Countries 1460 Registrations for Physical Festival

30 Indian LGBTQIA+ films

48 Female Filmmakers

32 Queer/ Nonbinary Filmmakers

6760 Audience Attendance at Physical Festival

594 Total Film Streams at Online Festival

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KASHISH 2022

Highlights Trans/ Queer 9.8% New Audience 28.7%

Returning Audience 71.3%

Around

581 K Impressions across FB, Insta & Twitter

NonLGBTQ audience 24.8%

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64 K People reached out across 3 platforms

LGBTQ audience 75.2%

Female 25.4%

Male 64.8%

2K

Mentions on Twitter

45 K Reach on Insta to nonfollowers

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Social Media

Full Social Media Report – READ || DOWNLOAD

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KASHISH 2022

Key Highlights  

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184 films, from 53 countries. Check out complete Festival Catalog HERE A hybrid film festival with a physical festival held from June 1-5th at Liberty Cinema and Alliance Française de Bombay and online festival from June 3-12th at http://online.mumbaiqueerfest.com The festival theme was “Flights For Freedom” 30 Indian LGBTQ+ films were screened at the festival comprising narrative & documentary features and short films. India was the country with highest number of films at the festival.

42 films competed for top awards at the festival in 9 categories for total prize of Rs 2.25 lakhs.

There was fantastic celebrity presence with Rajkummar Rao & Chum Durang (from film Badhaai Do), Swara Bhasker & Divya Dutta (from film Sheer Qorma), Pratik Gandhi & Ranveer Brar (from the film Baai) gracing the festival. The presence of stars like Pooja Bhatt, Anup Soni & Juhi Babbar & Tanuja Chandra added to the glamour, Also performers like Shalmali, Sandip Soparrkar & Bhavna Pani and Navin Noronha rocked the shows. Well known hosts like Renil Abraham, Paras Tomar, Rohini Ramnathan & Niki Ray were the MCs for the opening & closing 7 ceremonies.

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KASHISH 2022

Key Highlights  

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Actors Swara Bhasker & Divya Dutta (Sheer Qorma), Rajashree Despande (Fame Game), Negha Sabapathy (Antharam), as well as Faraz Ansari & Merijke dSouza (director & producer of Sheer Qorma) were felicitated with the Rainbow Voices Award.

Celebrity make-up artist Cory Wallia was honored with the Rainbow Warrior Award, and the Rainbow Champion Award was given to Tweet Foundation, an NGO working for the welfare of the transgender community.

Jury members comprised of acclaimed filmmakers Leena Yadav & Hardik Mehta and theater personality Sameera Iyengar (Narrative Jury); filmmakers Priti Chandriani & Anjali Panjabi and DOP Ramanuj Dutta (Docu jury); film academician Anupam Barve, film critic Prathyush Parasurama and London based author Raga D'Silva (Student Shorts jury); and Nargis Wadia & Roy Wadia (Riyad Wadia Award jury)

40 Filmmakers, cast & crew members from India and abroad traveled to come to KASHISH and present their films.

KASHISH offered scholarships to 8 Indian filmmakers to attend & participate in the festival.

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KASHISH 2022

Key Highlights 

KASHISH 2022 celebrated the diversity of the LGBTQ+ spectrum by its engaging line-up of films as well as showcasing the richness of Indian regional languages by screening films in Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Marathi, Malayalam and Tamil as well as Urdu, Hindi and also Sanskrit.

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KASHISH 2022 presented several panel discussions – ‘Rainbow Ageing’, about elderly LGBTQ community; ‘D&I : The New Normal’, about the policies by corporate companies regarding diversity and inclusion, supported by Morgan Stanley; ‘Understanding POSH and its implications’, to understand policies around sexual harassment at workplace, supported by KelpHR; and Filmmakers’ Interface, a conversation with some of the young filmmakers whose films are being screened at the festival, supported by Whistling Woods International.

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KASHISH 2022 presented an interactive session with Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents, support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Canada.

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The screening of the Indian Narrative Centerpiece film Sheer Qorma was followed by a panel discussion with the lead actors Divya Dutta, Swara Bhaskar, director Faraz Ansari and 9 producer Marijke D’Souza. The panel was moderated by author Raga Olga D’Silva.

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KASHISH 2022

Key Highlights 

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Several companies, consulates, and organizations came together to support KASHISH including Morgan Stanley, Axis Bank, IBM, General Mills, Consulate General of Sweden, Consulate General of Canada, The Humsafar Trust, KelpHR, Whistling Woods International, Quebec Government in Mumbai, Impulse Mumbai, Accord Equips, Lotus Visual Productions, Wadia Movietone, Anticlock Films, K.F.Patil Charitable Trust, Jerome Marrel, Abhay Kulkarni and Renuka Shahane.

Community Partners were Gay India Network (UK), The Qknit Foundation, Yaariyan and Keshav Suri Foundation. Pride Circle and Hotel Lalit were Gifting Partners.

A crowdfunding donation campaign was also been launched, wherein 55 contributors donated.

KASHISH Arts Foundation, the organizer of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, is a registered charitable trust and from this year onwards is offering 80G tax benefits to all its donors.

Donations can be made at https://pages.razorpay.com/KASHISH 10

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KASHISH OTT PLATFORM

KASHISH launches its own OTT Platform

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival has launched its own OTT platform, powered by Shift 72, with 30 Indian LGBTQ+ films (more to be added soon).

It is a Pay-Per-View OTT Platform. https://online.mumbaiqueerfest.com/ You can watch trailers of each film and rent the film at a minimal cost. The film can be played within 48 hours of renting the film.

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KASHISH 2022 in Pics

Celebrities

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Celebrities

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Performances

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Hosts & Panel Discussions

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KASHISH 2022 in Pics

Felicitations

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Filmmaker Focus

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KASHISH 2022 in Pics

Style Quotient

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KASHISH 2022 in Pics

Audiences

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KASHISH 2022

Jury Panels

Read Jury Bios HERE

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Panel Discussions

Check out the videos of the panel discussions at : http://www.youtube.com/use r/KASHISHfilmfest

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Partners

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Sponsors Speak “We are proud to sponsor the KASHISH Film Festival for the fourth consecutive year, in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion in South Asia and India. A lot of progress has been made but there is still so much to do. Morgan Stanley is committed to creating a corporate culture that is inclusive and where employees can bring their full selves to work.”

Rajat Mathur, Head of Human Resources, Morgan Stanley

"At Axis we believe in mainstreaming the idea that the power of our individual identities fosters an environment for self-growth and company productivity. KASHISH, on similar lines, breaks heuristic patterns and upholds the idea that when we speak about LGBTQIA+ lives it is about people with interests, desires and ambition and not just a cause.“ Rajkamal Vempati, President and Head - Human Resources, Axis Bank

“General Mills is proud to be associated with KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival again this year. This event is a unique medium in creating awareness, acceptance and promoting allyship for the LGBTQ+ community across the society and amongst our employees. It puts the spotlight on the life and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community and inspires us to embrace diversity & create a more equitable and inclusive place for all. It’s a pleasure to see the event hosting physical as well as online screenings this year” Atulaya Goswami, Director HR, GIC & India Site Operations, General Mills

Morgan Stanley Angel Partner

Axis Bank Venture Partner

General Mills Venture Partner

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KASHISH 2022

Sponsors Speak “Once again we are proud to be the partners and look forward to this years’ edition of the KASHISH International Queer Film Festival. We pay tribute to human diversity and the right of every person to be proud of who they are, to define their own identity and to love the person of their choice. To stand up for human rights of LGBTIQ people is key in our drive for democracy.”

Anna Lekvall, Consul General of Sweden in Mumbai

“The very first step towards inclusion is to include everything inside oneself, good or bad, ugly or beautiful, small or big. Only then, instead of suppressing, can we start to find constructive ways of expressing ourselves. This requires continual self-awareness. To be inclusive of the other comes as a natural next step after we are inclusive of ourselves. At IBM, we are proud to have come a long way in this journey and shall continue to foster an environment where every IBMer is valued, has a voice & is able to thrive because of their differences, not despite them” Prachi Rastogi, Diversity & Inclusion Leader, IBM Asia Pacific “Canada is proud to support the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival for the ninth consecutive year. KASHISH is an important forum to build awareness and promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. This year we are excited to have 22 Canadian films from Nova Scotia, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal showcasing the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community across Canada. Along with a special interaction & discussion with Rainbow parents group on 4th June, Saturday. We hope to see everyone enjoy these stories of diversity & inclusion from Canada, I am looking forward to discovering award winning films likes Sheer Qorma and Wildhood at South Asia’s biggest queer film festival. Come join us as we celebrate cinema, stories of freedom and inclusion from across the globe.”

Diedrah Kelly, Consul General of Canada in Mumbai

Sweden Venture Partner

IBM Venture Partner

Canada Supporting Partner

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Sponsors Speak "It is very heartening to see several Indian films lined up this year at the KASHISH film festival. The turning of the tide, using cinema as a medium to tell more LGBTQ+ stories just brings hope to many untold conversations that need a strong alternate voice and existence. As co-founders and friends of the festival, we are happy to be back as a Supporting Partner this year“ Suhail Abbasi, Co-Founder & Chairperson, The Humsafar Trust

“We are grateful for the efforts of queer stalwarts such as Marsha P Johnson & Sylvia Rivera & many others who brought us where we are at today, so that we at KelpHR get to talk about radical acceptance of queer people at workplaces. As we are a part of making this transition smooth, we extend our support to festivals like KASHISH who bring the vibrance of our queer community to the cinematic universe and create awareness through artistic mediums. We stand in solidarity with KASHISH to embrace the goal of loving, living and accepting” Smita Shetty Kapoor, CEO & Co-founder, KelpHR

“Embracing equity, diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of CPP Investments’ culture. Not only is it the right thing to do,” he continued, “as an investment organization, we also believe that diverse perspectives in an inclusive culture drive better decision-making and outcomes. We are proud to support the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.”

Hari Krishna, Managing Director and Head of Real Estate India, CPP Investments

The Humsafar Trust Supporting Partner

KelpHR Supporting Partner

CPP Investments Supporting Partner

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Sponsors Speak “Whistling Woods International has always been a supporter of creativity and talent. Over the past years, our association with KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival has strengthened, and I am delighted to further our partnership this year. I have always been a firm believer in creating an impact on the audience's minds through creative arts. By sponsoring the Student Short Award, we endeavour to provide a platform for queer expression, while giving an impetus to budding young minds. As KASHISH goes back on-ground after the pandemic, we hope talented individuals will take inspiration from this year’s theme and forge towards new horizons with their active participation.”

Meghna Ghai Puri, President, Whistling Woods International

“Québec is committed to LGBTQ rights and fights to recognize, confront and denounce all violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people. That's why the Québec Government Office in Mumbai is proud to partner with the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival for the 4th consecutive year, with the screening of the short film package 'Queerment Québec' in association with the Montreal Queer film festival 'Image + nation culture queer '. We need to work together to advance LGBTQ rights. Hence, international mobilization is important!”, Francis Paradis, Consul & Director, Québec Government Office in Mumbai

“KASHISH has emerged as the face and strength of the LGBTQ community. As a festival, it has opened avenues and changed the perception for the community. My association with KASHISH goes back many years. Each year The KASHISH team keep raising the bar! Accord Equips has been supporting indie cinema, independent filmmakers and photographers and is glad to see the emergence of such good content at KASHISH. Independent and experimental cinema are important pillars for the media and entertainment space. Little do we realize that they are responsible for the supply of fresh talent and ideas, a much needed resource for a growing industry” Tejash Shah, MD Accord Equips

WhistlingWoodsInternational Supporting& AwardPartner

Québec Supporting Partner

Accord Equips Industry Partner

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Sponsors Speak “Congratulations to KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival for this hybrid edition that will give filmmakers a chance to have their creations appreciated on big screens. We are excited to team up with you through our sponsorship of the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant for another year. Film festivals such as yours help us celebrate and safeguard our freedoms; they go much deeper beyond mere tokenism, providing a strong voice and an opportunity for nuanced discussions on the South Asian and global LGBT community.”

Neeraj, Founder, Lotus Visual Productions

“Acting is beyond the barriers of language and words are often not required for performances to speak to our hearts. As an actress and filmmaker it gives me immense pleasure to support the Best Performance in a Lead Role Award at KASHISH, which recognizes strong queer performances, both in the features and shorts category.”

Renuka Shahane, Actor

“Anticlock films is very proud to be award partners with KASHISH queer international film festival 2022.

KASHISH is an important space where queer lives and queer stories are celebrated and I feel that all of us should shower this place with love. I am sad that this year I can't be a part of the film festival because I am shooting my next film, "Pine Cone" which is a queer love story and I hope that next year KASHISH will feature this film and y'all will get to see this film.”

Onir, Director, Anticlock Films

Lotus Visual Award Partner

Renuka Shahane Award Partner

Anticlock Films Award Partner

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Sponsors Speak “Shri K.F.Patil CharitableTrust stands for Unity in Diversity. When nature celebrates the many-splendoured expressions of itself, why can’t human beings do the same and be inclusive of all people? The LGBTQ community has been marginalized for a long time and we thank KASHISH for creating this platform to inform, educate and enlighten people. We are happy to partner with KASHISH in this endeavor. Our awards for the documentaries are to empower the space, to have a world that works for everybody and this is just a small step in that direction.”

Arunaraje Patil, Chairperson, K.F. Patil Charitable Trust “Kudos to KASHISH for bringing us yet another stellar festival and for making the event accessible to so many. Wadia Movietone admires this tenacious spirit of KASHISH, matching the fearless personality of my brother, the late filmmaker Riyad Wadia, in whose memory we are proud to continue supporting this important event for the 11th year in a row. Witnessing the high quality of candidates in this category year after year clearly demonstrates how Riyad’s brief trajectory has left an enduring legacy that’s opened doors for so much talent and originality to follow.”

Roy Wadia, Director, Wadia Movietone “Short films are the perfect vehicle for young and experienced filmmakers to showcase their talent and find their voice. We want to help short filmmakers find their audience, and we are happy to partner with KASHISH, which for more than a decade has brought the best local and international LGBT films to the cinemas of Mumbai building up an amazing community. With the award for Best International Narrative Short supported by GagaOoLala, we hope to give wings to dreams of the young filmmakers”, Jay Lin, Founder, GagaOoLala.”

Jay Lin, Founder, GagaOoLala

“Best Screenplay Award has been instituted in the memory of my father, Shri Arvind Waman Kulkarni who was a renowned poet and author. We truly hope that this award will encourage the scriptwriters to put their best foot forward. May the best screenplay win. All the very best to all of you and thanks to KASHISH.” Abhay Kulkarni, son of Shri. Arvind Waman Kulkarni

K.F. Patil Charitable Trust Award Partner

Wadia Movietone Award Partner

GagaOoLala Award Partner

Abhay Kulkarni Award Partner

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Wendell Rodricks Poster Design Contest “I selected this design as it represents Wendell’s love and ideology in two ways: firstly, the minimalism of his fashion line which is reflected in this design gives us a clear message without being crowded; and secondly the fact that Wendell was always interested in origami.”

Jerome Marrel, Businessman and husband of (late) Wendell Rodricks

“I’m profoundly happy to know that I have won the poster designing contest for KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. I'm a great movie enthusiast. I closely follow every film festival and exhibition happening around the globe. As a human being, I believe all humans are equal and should be treated equally no matter where they are in the spectrum of gender, caste or creed. I take this opportunity to appreciate KASHISH and all the people who work behind the festival for creating a platform for the queer community to express their passion for cinema. I extend my best wishes for KASHISH 2022 and all the years coming”.

Sreejith Mohan, Graphic Designer, Kochi

Jermore Marrel Award Partner

Award Recipient

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Award Winners

Read about KASHISH 2022 Winners in VARIETY

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Press

Full Press Clips Docket READ || DOWNLOAD 30

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KASHISH 2022

Press

Full Press Clips Docket READ || DOWNLOAD

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KASHISH 2022

Press

Full Press Clips Docket READ || DOWNLOAD

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KASHISH THROUGH THE YEAR

KASHISH INITITAIVES Best of KASHISH for Corporates KASHISH has been conducting online/offline screening and discussion programs with corporate houses, to create awareness and sensitize their employees to LGBTQ+ issues as part of their D&I initiative. Typically it is a 1 ½ hour session with 1 hour of screening and ½ hour of discussion. We have already done such events for Morgan Stanley, General Mills, IBM, Goldman Sachs, Nomura, Accenture, Ford, etc.

We can customize the event to the company's needs and objectives.

You can write to us at partners.kashish@gmail.com to enquire about the program

KASHISH Forward KASHISH Forward is India’s first Campus LGBTQ+ Film Festival where we take a set of campus-friendly LGBTQ+ films to screen at colleges and universities. We have already done 50 such screenings across India in not only Metro cities, but also Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

You can write to us at partners.kashish@gmail.com to enquire about the program 33

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