The 12th edition of the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival begins today with a virtual opening ceremony, which will be streamed live on its YouTube and Facebook channels.
Hailed as South Asia’s biggest queer film festival, it will continue till September 5 and will screen 221 films from 53 countries, representing the true diversity of the LGBTQIA+ experiences across, sex, gender, ethnicity, region and social privileges.
But if you are wondering which movies should be on your must-watch list, then here are festival director Sridhar Rangayan's picks:
1. No Hard Feelings (Germany)
No Hard Feelings, the opening film at Kashish 2021, is a Berlinale Teddy Award winner that tells a heartwarming story of three first & second generation Irani immigrants in Germany, peppered with a cute gay love story. Available only to audiences in India
It will be screened on August 19
2. Another Self (Iran)
Coming from a country like Iran, this evocative film Another Self tells the story of a transgender person's journey standing up against her family and society.
It will be screened on August 22
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3. Advent of Mary (Brazil)
Advent of Mary is a beautiful story from Brazil of a young trans girl’s struggles to come to terms with her sexuality, amidst a conservative family and the Catholic church. The young girl is played by a real-life transgender girl. Viva Inclusion! This film is in competition too for the best feature as well as the best performance in a lead role.
It will be screened on August 27
4. The Lawyer (Lithuania)
A beautifully sensitive film from Lithuania, The Lawyer (Advokatas) is about a lawyer’s romance with a Syrian refugee who he meets through a sex-cam chat. The film also stars a real-life transman as one of the important characters. This film is playing as a Narrative Centerpiece. Available only to audiences in India
It will be screened on August 28
5. Love Spells & All That (Turkey)
Lovely locations in Turkey, beautiful cinematography and brilliant performances enhance the enchanting quality of this film Love, Spells & All That about two women who were in love and meet after several years.
It will be screened on September 4
6. Unsound (Australia)
Unsound, from Australia, is the perfect Closing Film since it is youth-focused, about the next generation and has a real-life hearing impaired person playing the lead role of a deaf transman in love with a singer. Available only to audiences in India
It will be screened on September 5
7. A Worm in the Heart (Russia)
In the film A Worm From The Heart, the filmmakers, a gay couple from the UK, travel to Russia to speak to the LGBTQIA+ activists there to find out the challenges the community faces. A very brave film, which is an eye-opener. The documentary is in competition.
It will be screened on August 20
8. Canela (Argentina)
A heartwarming documentary from Brazil, Canela is about a middle-aged transgender woman planning to go through her gender reassignment surgery, and how she navigates her relationships with her colleagues, friends and more importantly her wife, two sons & the family. The film is in competition.
It will be screened on August 22
9. Prince of Dreams (Sweden)
Prince of Dreams is a languid observational documentary, filmed over 10 years, beginning when Erik, a transman, was only 17, tracing his struggles through his gender dysphoria and his love for Martyna, which makes him set out on a journey to question what makes a person a real man. This film is in competition.
It will be screened on August 26
10. Rebel Dykes (UK)
Rebel Dyke is a funky out-&-proud documentary that is a heady mash-up of animation, archive footage and interviews with LBT+ artists, performers, musicians and activists in London. Waves the flag high up for lesbian, bisexual, trans & queer visibility. This film is in competition.
It will be screened on August 27
11. Always Amber (Sweden)
Absolutely contemporary, Always Amber speaks and shows the youth of today who are not afraid to own up to their gender and sexuality. Amber, a gender non-conforming person and their best friend Sebastian, two queer youth in Sweden, share everything from dreams and parties to new friendships. The documentary is available only to audiences in India
It will be screened on August 27
12. Admitted (India)
Admitted is an eye-opener of a documentary from India about the most amazing transgender activist Dhananjay Chauhan. It is a life sketch of this powerhouse of a transwoman who was the first transgender student of Panjab University.
It will be screened on September 4
Stating that it was very difficult for him to pick 12 feature-length films out of 39 playing at the festival, Sridhar says, “From Iran, India, Lithuania, Russia & Turkey to Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Sweden & UK, these films highlights the challenges and triumphs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transwomen, transmen, queer & non-binary persons, against legal and social inequalities. Each one of them brings a new perspective of the LGBTQIA+ narrative and are difficult to access on mainstream platforms.”
While the films will be screened on the weekends, it will also be hosting panel discussions and filmmaker Q&As on weekdays.
Register on mumbaiqueerfest.com