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Queer Nazariya International LGBTI Film Festival, Mumbai 2010
http://queernazariya.weebly.com/
International LGBTI Film Festival, Mumbai
in collaboration with Majlis
02 - 04 April 2010
On 2 July 2009, the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, decriminalising consensual sexual acts between adults of the same sex. It was sweet victory after decades of struggle.
With the judgement being challenged in the Supreme Court by a handful of people, and the unprecedented media attention now being given to queer issues, this is the perfect time to have a festival of queer films in Bombay.
Through screenings of exciting films from around the world, Queer Nazariya wants to reach out to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people; to create an affirmative space and a meeting place for all those queer folk out there who do not fit in with society’s norms of sexuality or gender.
Queer Nazariya is not an exclusive festival, however, but is open to everyone who has an open heart and an open mind. Come watch the films, talk with us, have a samosa and chai, and you’ll know (if you don’t already) that LGBTI people are like anyone else: we have the same emotions and desires and needs; we hold up every kind of job as productive members of society; we are rooted in the same soil and nourished by the same culture; we have the same rights that any other citizen does - to live, to love, to be able to find employment and homes without fear of violence or discrimination.
Films from different countries will help us understand specific political and cultural realities; at the same time they will serve to affirm what is universal across geographical boundaries.
Along with the screenings, we will have discussions around a few key issues, showcase some queer art and memorabilia, and keep the celebration going through parties, song and dance!
Please visit our website http://queernazariya.weebly.com/ for more details. Look forward to seeing you at the festival! Smriti Nevatia and Sophie Parisse, Curators
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Kashish - Mumbai Queer Film Festival 2010
Pride parades in all metros, the historic Delhi High Court’s verdict on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, relaunch of India’s first gay magazine Bombay Dost, the Indian Election Commission’s decision to recognize transgender as a separate category… the pink flag is rising over India, queer (or LGBT – lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender) visibility is increasing.
Mainstream Indian cinema too has recognized this to an extent, with queer characters in several recent films (still mostly negative though). But there are still many undiscovered, unseen films with queer themes that have neither reached the movie hall nor had a platform to reach wider audiences. These are the small budget, independent films, short films, documentaries and projects by media students.
Kashish - Mumbai Queer Film Festival, 2010 is an attempt by Solaris Pictures and Bombay Dost to unearth these films and showcase them, celebrating the creativity of the filmmakers (whether heterosexual or queer) and the increasing visibility of the queer community. The festival will offer cinema as a medium to understand what being queer means today and how it impacts both the queer community and the society at large.
“Our vision is to not only encourage original Indian queer cinema but also showcase it to queer and mainstream audiences both, in order to make them aware about Indian queer thought, desire and expression,” says Sridhar Rangayan, festival director. “We want to reach out to as many Indian filmmakers and audiences as we can.”
Bombay Dost has been screening queer themed films, both indigenous and those made abroad, for nearly six years. Known as ‘Sunday High’, these events are held twice a month, yet there is a felt need to have a film festival such as Kashish to bring together the audience, the films and their makers.
Kashish will be held between April 22 and April 25, 2010, and will be spread across two venues in Mumbai – one in the city and one in the suburbs. Features, short films, documentaries and experimental films will be screened, highlighting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters and stories. The films will explore the diverse realities, complexities, joys and sorrows that make up the Indian queer experience as well as celebrate, reclaim, and explain LGBTQ identities while engaging and entertaining audiences.
Eminent personalities from films, art, fashion and media and queer activists will be part of Kashish selection committee and jury for its competitive sections, which will carry awards.
The festival will push the envelope even further by including films made outside India but those which relate to the Indian experience – films from the Indian Diaspora. Several prominent desi filmmakers from the US and the UK will exhibit their films at Kashish. In addition, two internationally acclaimed curators will showcase recent cutting-edge queer films from North America and South-East Asia in a special package.
A series of discussions about on Indian queer culture and its portrayal on film, and a photo-exhibition will also be a part of Kashish.
Kashish is being organized by Solaris Pictures and Bombay Dost.
About Solaris Pictures: Solaris Pictures is the only Indian film production company that has consistently been making films on queer themes that engage the audience and initiate dialogues on issues dealing with health and sexuality, human rights, and the gay and transgender communities. Its award-winning films like ‘Gulabi Aaina’, ‘Yours Emotionally’ and ‘68 Pages’, all dealing with gay and transgender stories, has pushed the boundaries in queer portrayals in Indian films. Solaris is also distributor for Indian queer films for international markets. (www.solarispictures.com)
About Bombay Dost: Bombay Dost, India’s first registered LGBT magazine, is a standard bearer for the growing confidence and artistic alacrity displayed by India’s homosexuals. The magazine eschews any notion of ‘them and us’, and mirrors the inclusiveness that we would expect in a more egalitarian society. Bombay Dost was launched in 1990 and after a seven-year hiatus was re-launched as a bi-annual (half-yearly) in April 2009 with support from the UNDP. The magazine boldly showcases LGBT cultural expression and is proud to co-organize Kashish. Bombay Dost also organizes fortnightly film screenings and other events like book readings and community discussions under the name ‘Bombay Dost Sunday High’. These events are free, publicly listed and open to all. (www.bombaydost.co.in)
About the sponsors: Kashish is supported by ‘Movies That Matter’ (an initiative of Amnesty International in the Netherlands), which promotes international human rights film screenings, offers advice and assistance, and stimulates the exchange of knowledge and experience. It offers a platform for feature films and documentaries made by filmmakers (www.moviesthatmatterfestival.nl/mtm/)
For more details, please contact
Sridhar Rangayan (Solaris Pictures), Festival Director
Email: kashishmqff@gmail.com
Vivek Anand (Bombay Dost), Festival Director
Email: avivekr@gmail.com
Pallav Patankar (Bombay Dost), Press liaison
Email: pallavpatankar@gmail.com