Category: Best Documentary Short
Title: XXWhy
We would like to thank the eminent jury members of Kashih Film Festival and its well meaningful organisers who were bold enough to give the best short documentary award to a novice film maker like me.
In a fluid world of shifting boundaries and contested terrains of identity politics , XXWhy dreams a world sans constructed boundaries of class, caste, sex and gender.
We would like to dedicate this award to Sree Nandu- the protagonist of XXWhy, and his indomitable spirit which personifies his astonishing journey through the turbulent spaces of Kerala. .Three cheers to my friend Sree Nandu and all the cheers to more Sreenandus to exercise their rights, voice and visibility for democratisig the public domain .
The award is truly encouraging and its confidence is the capital to begin my next work.
Manjula Bharathy and the crew of XXWhy
Category: Documentary Short - Special Jury Award
Title: Flying Inside My Body
It feels great to see that Flying Inside My Body is still travelling the festival circuit after completing 2 years and picking up awards. To top it, winning at the Kashish Mumbai Queer Film Festival feels great, given that it's India's biggest LGBT festival, matched with a large number of international entries competing! Spaces for discussions on gender and sexuality are fast shrinking, so festivals like KMQFF present filmmakers an ideal platform to reach out to large audiences and initiate a such critical dialogues. I hope that the festival continues to grow in the coming years and is able to reach out to audiences across spectrums...
Sushmit Ghosh and the directorial team of Flying Inside My Body
Category: Documentary Short - Special Jury Award for Student Film
Title: Speak Up! It Is Not Your Fault
As students we were filled with apprehensions as our film- ‘Speak Up! It’s not your fault’, got screened for the first time for a film festival and that too of immense grandeur. The film includes the sweat, passion and single mindedness of 10 young aspiring students, guidance of professors and participants in the film. Our joy knew no boundaries when the film won the ’Special Jury Award for student film’ at the Kashish – ‘Mumbai International Queer Film Festival’. We were overwhelmed by the appreciation we received from the audiences, Jury and the fellow film- makers. We thank Kashish from the deepest of our hearts to provide us and our film the platform. Also, I wish more successful film festivals in the coming years for Kashish, where we can contribute as volunteers and film makers. Cheers for KASHISH !!!
Deepika Lal, Student Filmmaker, Speak Up! It’s not your fault
Category: Best Documentary Feature
Title: Prodigal Sons
I am absolutely thrilled that PRODIGAL SONS has won the award for Best Documentary Feature at your wonderful festival. It is quite an honor. On behalf of my family (especially my brother Marc) and all of the people who made this film happen (especially my partner Claire), it is a pleasure to accept your kind and generous recognition.
One of the greatest rewards of showing our film has been to see -- despite the specifics of my family or our culture -- how the film connects with audiences around the world. We all have so much more in common than we have separating us, and I am thankful that by sharing the story of my family we can touch hearts on the other side of the globe.
I really wish I could be there in person to show my gratitude, but please accept my most heartfelt thanks for the award for Best Documentary Feature. It will be treasured!
With warmest wishes from New York City,
Kimberly Reed, Director/Producer, Prodigal Sons
Category: Documentary Feature -Special Jury Award
Title: Holding Hands
We are honoured and delighted to receive a special jury award for Holding Hands. We hope this film will encourage people to speak out if they witness violence or are a victim of violence. In Australia, we were alarmed to discover that 85% of gay men and lesbians have experienced homophobic abuse; we wanted to reveal how one act of hatred can radically affect a survivor’s life, so that people can truly understand the devastating effects of hate crimes. We do hope that one day this film will be seen as a remnant of times gone by, and our community will be free to live their lives openly, without fear of homophobic violence. Thank you to Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival for honouring our film with this award.
Tonnette Stanford and Katherine Wilkinson, Co-Directors, Holding Hands
Category: Best International Short
Title: Steam
It's been a pleasure and honor to be included in the first Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival let alone win the top prize. It's been my goal as a filmmaker to create films that make people think and feel and to reach as broad an audience as possible. I am glad that message was heard all the way to India. I thank you very much for this award and I wish you best of luck and many prosperous years with the festival and I hope one day to come visit. Thank you!
Eldar Rapaport, Director, Steam
Category: International Short - Special Jury Award
Title: Dirty Magazines
Hello Mumbai, Thank you so much I just found out that I won this Jury Award. Thank you it’s so exciting. I wish I could be there to accept it. Thank you so much for honoring my work and everyone’s work in this way. I made a film to hopefully to make people laugh no matter what country they are from and it apparently has achieved that. Actually I was just commissioned to write a Bollywood film so hopefully I can see you again with my Hollywood-Bollywood crew. Hope all is going great in your part of the world and really thank you a very-very deeply for this recognition that means a lot. Thank you!
Jay J. Levy, Writer/Director/ Producer, Dirty Magazines (transcript from the video message)
Category: International Short- Special Jury Award
Title: I Am Gay
I could not in my wildest dreams ever think that my film would travel all the way to India. I am extremely proud and pleased that the jury and the audience appreciated my film. The first thing I will do tomorrow is to visit an Indian restaurant here in Sweden and celebrate with spicy food and Indian beer. Thank you very much!
Nicolas Kolovos, Director, I Am Gay
Category: Best Indian Short
Title: Lost & Found
I'd like to thank the organizers of Kashish MIQFF 2010 for creating this wonderful space for LGBT cinema that people in our country have little access to, the selection committee for having given me a chance to share my films with the audiences and the jury for making this so special for me. This is so encouraging and I hope to make many more films and be a part of future Kashish film festivals
Shrenik Jain, Director/Producer, Lost & Found
