This weekend in Mumbai, award winning films from the largest queer film festival in India - KASHISH – Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2010 will be screened again due to popular demand. Shorts films 'Steam' (USA) , 'Dirty Magazines' (USA), 'I am Gay' (Sweden) and the rom-com feature 'Oh Happy Day' (UK) will comprise the four film package to be screened as part of Bombay Dost's Sunday High screening series on September 5th. Four more award winning films will be screened on Sept 19th.
Kashish 2010 - Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2010 turned out to be a milestone event in LGBT movement in India. It was the first ever queer film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theatre PVR Cinemas. It was also the first queer film festival in India to apply for and obtain an exemption from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The four days of the film festival drew an unprecedented audience turnout of over 1200 people who came to watch 110 films from 25 countries. The festival was supported by a host of Bollywood celebrities like Rahul Bose, Manisha Koirala, Zeenat Aman, Sanjay Suri, Purab Kohli, Celina Jaitley, etc. There was coverage in more than 200 news sites, ezines and blogs with exclusive spreads in several mainstream newspapers in India as well as leading international newspapers.
The panel discussions and interaction with filmmakers and resource persons highlighted several issues related to LGBT community. This not only mainstreamed queer visibility, but also presumably empowered the LGBT persons.
Kashish 2010 - Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2010 was organized by Solaris Pictures and Bombay Dost in association with The Humsafar Trust. It was supported by UNDP, UNAIDS and Movies That Matter.
September 5th
1. STEAM
(2009) 15.30 min / Short / USA / Dir: Eldar Rapaport
Two guys who are stuck in a steam room with no exits try to figure out the situation and each other.
Winner - Best International Short - Jury Citation: A compelling thriller, it encompasses a whole socio-political world with deft, cinematic brilliance.
2. DIRTY MAGAZINES
(2008) 39 min / Short / USA / Dir: Jay J. Levy
In the 1980s, a mother-son relationship takes a wild left turn after she finds adult gay magazines under her son’s bed on his birthday.
Winner -Special Jury Award - Jury Citation: An over-the-edge view of a real situation, that makes its point with sensitivity
3. I AM GAY (Jag Ar Bog)
(2008) 14.30 min / Short / SWEDEN / Dir: Nicolos Kolovos
A humorous glimpse into a young man’s dilemma about how to reveal his secret to his Greek-Swedish family which is quite orthodox. He finally designs his own unique way!
Special Jury Award - Jury Citation: A humorous look at the agonies of coming out in a traditional family
4. OH HAPPY DAY
(2007) 100 min / Feature / UK / Dir: Ian Poitier
In advertising, being true to oneself is a hard pill to swallow… Oh Happy Day is a comedic romp through London's white collar boardrooms n bedrooms. Jonathan and David meet at a formal black-tie dinner and end up spending the night together at Jonathan’s London flat. The budding relationship faces its first challenge the very next morning when Jonathan discovers that David is his “new client” at the marketing firm where he works.
Audience Favourite (based on survey feedback)
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Date: September 5, 2010
Time: 5pm to 8pm.
Venue: The Humsafar Trust's Drop-in Centre, 4th floor, Municipal Transit Building (Vakola Municipal Market Building), Near Raheja Point and Vakola Masjid, Santacruz (East), Mumbai.
Getting there: It's approximately minimum fare by auto-rickshaw from Santacruz station (East). You could also take routes 311 or 313. The same routes also operate from Kurla (West) station..
Programme Courtesy: KASHISH – Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
Space courtesy: The Humsafar Trust.
