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Films with Transgender focus win big at KASHISH 2023 Filmmakers from the LGBTQ+ community, specially the Trans* community, feature in awardee list The 14th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival which ended recently gave away cash awards worth Rs.6.50 lacs in 11 categories to winners across the globe; to filmmakers from Brazil, India, Iran, France, Portugal, UK and USA. The highest award at the festival, the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant 20223, went to Abu Sohel Khondekar, a trans filmmaker from Kolkata for their project Mehroon. “Elektra Abundance, a character from the TV series Pose, frequently misunderstood and disliked for her relentless pursuit of her goals as a Trans Woman, once shared that she dares to reach for great things, even if they seem beyond her reach, so that other Trans individuals know if she could achieve what seems inconceivable to them now, then they could too. This quote resonates with me and has propelled me to this stage today. To all those struggling like me, I want you to know that you too can see dreams and believe that one day those dreams will come true”, said Abu Sohel Khondekar who will receive Rs.2.5lac grant, sponsored by Lotus Visual Productions, to make the film. While the French film Lie With Me by Olivier Peyon swept two awards – Best Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay, the Brazilian actress Kika Sena won the Best Performance for her role in the film Paloma. “I can’t tell you how happy I'm for winning these awards. I was in Mumbai and Hyderabad more than 10 years ago for shooting a documentary on mathematics. So getting this prize feels like I'm back in your country. But more importantly, I'm happy about the award - because this film is about the pressure of society against homosexuals and transsexuals. Whether in France or in India, it is always a fight”, said Olivier Peyon, director and screenwriter of Lie With Me. “We made this film in a country that leads the world ranking of murdering transgender and transvestite populations. With this in mind, Paloma swims against the tide of her own destiny, fighting bravely against the oppressions she suffers. I feel grateful for having helped to tell this story that has touched and won over many people in different cultures. Long live Brazilian cinema! Long live Paloma! Long live trans people and long life for them!”, said Kika Sena, lead transgender actor of Paloma. The three Indian awards – Best Indian Narrative Short, Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker and Ismat Chughtai Award for Best Indian Woman Filmmaker were won by filmmakers Jayesh Apte, Preeti Kanungo & Sourav Yadav and Akansksha Sharma respectively. “I am humbled and grateful to receive