KASHISH 2013 – International Poster Contest


KASHISH Poster contest is back!
It's time to show your creative skills!!

Design the official poster for KASHISH 2013, India’s biggest international queer film festival, and win exciting rewards at an international platform



Last year KASHISH started an exciting initiative which became a worldwide competition – the Poster Design Contest for KASHISH. Celebrity fashion designer Wendell Rodricks picked the winner – S.Ayyappa, a young student from Andhra Pradesh whose colorful butterfly theme became the official poster and his design was splashed on six huge billboards across Mumbai as well as other promotional materials. He received his award from none other than Oscar winning sound designer Resul Pookutty (of Slumdog Millionaire fame)

Here’s your chance to be the poster boy or poster girl of KASHISH 2013!
Design the KASHISH 2013 Poster and win an award with benefits.

KASHISH 2013 will be held from May 22-26, 2013 in Mumbai. Now, you can be a part of the festival by designing its official POSTER, wherever you are in the world. The design will also feature on billboards, print and online advertisements, catalogue cover, banners, cinema slides and delegate cards.

Submission deadline – January 31, 2013. Entries will be judged by an eminent panel of artists and designers and the winner will be picked by a Celebrity judge!  Winner will be announced during the Mumbai Pride Week.


Theme: Towards Change
The Indian LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) landscape is undergoing a sea change since 2009 after reading down of Sec 377 by the Delhi High Court – with more openness from the society towards same-sex loving people. More youngsters are coming out to their families, coming out to friends and colleagues; they are living lives without masks. Pride parades are being held in all the big cities; there are cultural events like film festivals, book readings, panel discussions, photography competitions, etc; several organizations are being formed and But the Supreme Court verdict is being awaited, and the question on everyone’s lips is - has the change percolated to the smaller towns?
KASHISH 2013 will reflect this spirit of jubilation and will also question its overall impact within the LGBT communities and in the mainstream society with its theme – ‘Towards Change’.
Poster Contest Rules
What to Enter
  • A Poster design that encompasses a sense of ‘queer / LGBT’ and ‘cinema’ in its broadest or subtle understanding. LGBT = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender.  
  • A Poster design that incorporates the KASHISH 2013 theme ‘Towards Change’.

How to Enter

  • Poster Design must include the following:
- KASHISH logo available at:
- Tagline: India’s Biggest Queer Film Festival
- Theme line: Towards Change
- Date: May 22-26, 2013 (tentative)
- Space for logos of organizers and partners (to be inserted later)

  • Poster size: A2 size (420 x 594 mm or 16.5 x 23.4 inches VERTICAL / PORTRAIT)
  • Poster design must be sent in JPEG format. Upon selection it should be available as a Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator file or as an uncompressed PDF file.
  • All images used in the poster MUST be free of copyright infringements.

Design Competition FAQs

  • What is the deadline?
The deadline for submission of entries will be January 31st 2013 at 12:00 PM (IST)

  • Who can submit and How many entries can I submit?
This is an International Competition. Anyone, anywhere in the world can participate. Participants are allowed to submit TWO (2) entries. Anyone found to have submitted more than that will be disqualified.

  • What about images to be used?
It could be graphic design or a photograph that is easily re-producable across design platforms. The participant should hold full responsibility of owning the copyright to the images and designs submitted to the contest. The entry will be disqualified if it has any copyrighted image or element.

  • Where do I submit or send my design?
Fill in the submission form and mail a high resolution jpeg (max 5mb) to info.kashishmiqff@gmail.com

  • How does the judging take place?
The entries will be shortlisted by a team of professional artists and designers and the winner will be picked by a Celebrity judge! The decision of poster selection will be based on relevance, authenticity and innovation.

  • Can I re-use my poster design from this contest for other projects
All submissions cannot be submitted or used fully or partially elsewhere till the results are announced. The winning design becomes the property of KASHISH and cannot be reused anywhere in full or in parts.

  • Will I get any credit if my design is selected?
The designer will be credited in the press, website and catalog.

  • Is there any other reward if my design is selected?
The reward includes a KASHISH award plaque, a copy of the poster, a KASHISH T-shirt and a Festival Guest Pass that allows entry to all festival events during KASHISH 2013.

For more information about last year’s festival, please check www.mumbaiqueerfest.com