Mumbai architect wins KASHISH 2017 poster contest, Wendell Rodricks picks winner

Poster portrays the theme of 8th edition of South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ film fest – ‘Diverse, One’

India’s top fashion designer Wendell Rodricks has picked the poster design submitted by Mumbai-based architect Benny Mathew as the winner of the KASHISH International Poster Contest 2017. The poster – that reflects the festival theme – ‘Diverse, One’ – will be the look of the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2017. The 8th edition of South Asia’s biggest and India’s only mainstream LGBTQ film festival will be held in Mumbai from May 24-May 28, 2017. The festival venues are the city’s iconic art deco theatre Liberty Cinema and Alliance Francaise in South Mumbai.

"What is great about this poster is the face yet the facelessness. People see the LGBTQ community as a shadow of faces for the most part. But we do have a face and an increasingly prominent place in society. In our diverse contributions, we are one with society and the world. The poster wins because it has a plural narrative in both the visual form and written word. Above all the poster is striking, arresting and international in appeal. Congratulations to the winner,” said Wendell Rodricks. The poster will be the look of KASHISH 2017 and also wins for its designer Benny Matthew a cash prize of Rs 20,000 instituted by Wendell Rodricks.

Sridhar Rangayan, Festival Director of KASHISH MIQFF said that the poster was stunning. “Once again, Wendell Rodricks has picked a stunning winner. The design truly represents the diversity of the community with the various words of gender and sexual identities coming together to form one face. We are truly excited to unveil this poster that will be the face of KASHISH 2017,” said Sridhar Rangayan.

The winner of the poster contest Benny Mathew is a practicing architect and Head- Design & Concepts Head, with a Mumbai-based architectural firm. “I love design. Besides architecture, graphic design is something that I am passionate about and this poster contest just allowed me to explore my creativity. I was overwhelmed when I got to know that my design was selected out of numerous entries worldwide and especially when it was selected by Wendell Rodricks himself,” said Benny Mathew.

For the past five years KASHISH International Poster Design Contest has become a worldwide contest, receiving entries from several countries from both artists and professionals. KASHISH invited designers across the world to design the official festival poster and overall look for its 8th edition with the theme ‘Diverse, One’. The theme of KASHISH 2017 explores the diversity of the LGBTQ community. The diverse shades of the rainbow remind us that as people we are all different and we are all unique.

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 

Founded in 2010, KASHISH MIQFF is held over 5 days at two venues. The festival this year will be held at Liberty Cinema and Alliance Francaise in South Mumbai. It is the first Indian LGBT festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India. Voted as one of the Top 5 LGBT Film Festival in the world, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is South Asia's biggest queer film festival and the only LGBT film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theater. The film festival this year will be held between May 24-May 28, 2017, at two venues in South Mumbai – the city’s iconic art deco theatre Liberty Cinema and Alliance Francaise.

THEME of KASHISH 2017 : ‘Diverse, One’ 

The theme of KASHISH 2017 explores the diversity of the LGBTQ community. The diverse shades of the rainbow remind us that as people we are all different and we are all unique. In the fight for an equal society, basic human rights and against laws that criminalize and discriminate, it is our shared values that bring us together. We are strongest when we come together, when we embrace one another’s uniqueness and celebrate our differences. We are Diverse, We are One.