As Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film
Festival came to a close on 26th, it was time to hand out the awards to the
winners. As Indian makers are not too much filming in this LGBT sections, the
Best Narrative Feature Film at the 4th Kashish Film
Festival went to Morgan directed by Michael Akers from the USA. The award,
which has a cash prize of Rs 30,000 sponsored by actor Anupam Kher, was handed
out at the closing ceremony of the festival on Sunday evening. “We thank the
festival for its amazing work in helping to bring film’s such as ours to the
audiences who desperately need it,’’ said Akers.
The Best Indian Short Narrative film award
was won by Urmi directed by Jehangir Jani. The award was given by filmmaker
Kalpana Lajmi. Jehangir Jani's 10-minute short film, Urmi, highlights the
plight of a transgender in the city and urges society to be more inclusive.
Another
film “Hide and Seek” (Chuppan Chupai) on the transgender community that came
from Pakistan won the Best Documentary Feature award. The film directed by
Sadat Munir and Saad Khan is one of the first films that focus on the lives of
the gay and transgender community in Pakistan. While the duo is skeptical about
getting public screenings of this film in Pakistan, albeit they are happy that it
not only got screened in India, especially Mumbai, but also got an award. “Here
in Mumbai and India, the picture of LGBTIQ acceptance is not the same as
elsewhere in South Asia,” said Saadat Munir.
The Best Documentary Short Film award went to
the Cambodian film “Two Girls against the Rain” directed by Sopheak Sao. The
Best International Short Narrative Film Award went to Polaroid Girl directed by
April Maxey from the USA.
Actor Crystal Arnette won the first Kashish
Best Actor award, instituted by Kher and his acting school Actor Prepares.
The Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging
Indian Filmmaker was shared by two young directors Manva Naik for her film “Dopehri”
and Rohan Kanawade for “The Lonely Walls” (EktyaBhinti).
The awards were judged by an international
jury panel comprising filmmaker Aruna Raje Patil, Bollywood actor and model
Simone Singh, theatre director Quasar Thakore Padamsee, author and poet Jerry
Pinto and Iris Prize director Berwyn Rowlands.
Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film
Festival, since its inception in 2010, has provided a platform for screening
LGBT films from India and around the world in a mainstream space.
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