Wednesday, May 23, 2018

inaugurate KASHISH 2018

India's top corporate honchos Nadir Godrej, Radhika Piramal

inaugurate KASHISH 2018

South Asia's biggest LGBTQ film festival to screen 140 films from 45 countries

For immediate release
May 23, 2018
Nadir Godrej, Managing Director of Godrej Industries and Radhika Piramal, Vice Chairperson and
Executive Director of VIP Industries inaugurated the 9th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer
Film Festival on May 23, 2018. South Asia's biggest LGBTQ film festival will be held between May 23-27,
2018 at two of South Mumbai's iconic venues - Liberty Carnival Cinemas and Metro INOX. 140 films from
45 countries will be screened at the festival including 33 Indian LGBTQ films. 47 films will compete for
cash prizes to the tune of Rs. 2.65 lakhs.
"We are so very proud to partner the 9th KASHISH MIQFF. Being a poet myself, I can tell you that any
creative form – poetry, writing, or film – is the best way to bring about social change – stories can touch
hearts and open our minds in ways that no amount of numbers can! We at Godrej believe that we are all
equal. We support the LGBTQ community because it is the right thing to do and also because we believe
that the diverse talent that exists in LGBTQ India is the key to our future innovation and success," said
Nadir Godrej, Managing Director, Godrej Industries.
“We are proud to continue our association with KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival for
the 3rd year. KASHISH is a wonderful initiative that encourages aspiring filmmakers to come forward and
spread awareness about the LGBT community, sensitively and artistically. Our country needs more and
more such platforms that encourage these unique talents in bringing about a social change and we at
Skybags are happy to be the catalyst in this wave of change," said Radhika Piramal, Vice Chairperson, VIP
Industries.

Sridhar Rangayan, Festival Director, said that the festival today is Mumbai's pride. "The very fact that we
are able to bring another edition of KASHISH is exhilarating! Not only Mumbai's but South Asias biggest
LGBTQ film festival is a community event but also an annual cultural extravaganza that is the city's pride.
We have moved beyond asking for acceptance, to now seeking equal rights for everyone to live with
dignity. So many companies and individuals joining hands underline everyone's belief in reinstating
these rights, said Sridhar Rangayan, festival director
Several Indian companies have come together this year to support KASHISH – Skybags, Godrej,
Wishberry, The Lalit group of hotels and Delta apps are all homegrown companies who are proponents
of equal rights. The other partners are IBM, Consulate General of Canada and Bureau du Quebec a
Mumbai. The festival will hand out cash prizes of Rs. 2.65 lakhs in eight film categories and for the best
poster design. The awards are sponsored by Anupam Kher's Actor Prepares, Whistling Woods, Lotus
Visual, K F Patil Charitable Trust, Wadia Movietone, India's top fashion designer Wendell Rodricks and
KASHISH Arts Foundation
The opening ceremony was followed by the screening of the French film Beats Per Minute.

About KASHISH 2018
KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival - South Asia's biggest LGBTQ film fest - returns for its
ninth edition from May 23-27, 2018. The film festival will be held at two iconic venues in South Mumbai
- Liberty Carnival Cinemas and Metro INOX. Around 140 films from 45 countries will be screened at the
festival, including 33 Indian LGBTQ films. 47 films will compete for top awards at the festival in eight
categories and cash prizes of Rs 2.65,000 will be given to the winners. The festival theme this year -
'Together, With Pride'.

About KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
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 theatre. Founded in 2010, KASHISH is held over 5 days at three venues. It is the first Indian
LGBT festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India.
KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is presented by KASHISH Arts Foundation and
organized by Solaris Pictures. Besides the annual film festival its other initiatives are KASHISH Forward –
India’s first travelling campus LGBTQ film festival, KASHISH Global – that facilitates screening of Indian
LGBTQ films across the world, Best of KASHISH film screenings and KASHISH Chalchitra Utsav – a festival
of LGBTQ films in regional languages.

KASHISH 2018 FESTIVAL THEME
The 9th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival will celebrate pride and the
infinite diversities of families, communities, gender, sex, ethnicity and body types. The fight for equal
rights and societal acceptance is also a fight against discrimination of any sort, and equal rights can be
only achieved when all of us – LGBTIQ and Allies – come together with pride to celebrate being
ourselves.
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