Anupam Kher ups cash prize for awards at KASHISH 2015

Cash prizes worth Rs 70,000 by Actor Prepares at South Asia’s biggest and India's only mainstream LGBTQ film festival, Best Actor award to carry cash prize this year

With the objective of recognizing excellence in cinema, National award winning actor Anupam Kher and his acting school `Actor Prepares' will sponsor the top prizes at the sixth edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival this year. Anupam Kher announced that this year a cash prize of Rs 20,000 will be awarded to the winner in the Best Performance in a Leading Role category, in addition to Rs 30,000 to the Best Narrative Feature Film Award and Rs 20,000 to the Best Indian Short Film respectively at South Asia's biggest and India’s only mainstream lesbian, gay and transgender film festival. This is the third year in a row that the actor’s institute is sponsoring cash prizes for the winners.

"Actor Prepares is proud to support KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Over the last six years, KASHISH has become one of the prestigious cultural events in Mumbai. Indie film makers struggle to find resources and finances, but despite these obvious handicaps have been making good films. Actor Prepares by sponsoring cash awards for the filmmakers and the actors hope to encourage the next generation of filmmakers, who are making films on a community that is marginalized. At Actor Prepares our mission is to identify and groom new talent and encouraging the emerging filmmakers takes this forward by furthering the cause of good cinema,’’ said Anupam Kher.

Festival director Sridhar Rangayan welcomed the internationally acclaimed actor’s continued support to the festival, especially the new cash prize for the winner of the best actor award. “We are truly overwhelmed by Mr. Anupam Kher’s support to the festival and the cause of films that push boundaries. As an actor he has not been afraid to take up challenging roles in films and he has underlined his commitment to support actors who dare to take up roles that go against the stereotypes”, said Rangayan adding, “Mr. Anupam Kher’s thrust towards excellence in cinema is indeed gratifying.”

KASHISH 2015 will be held between May 27 - May 31, 2015, at the iconic Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française de Bombay (AFB) and Max Mueller Bhavan. KASHISH this year promises to be bigger and grander, with a lineup of around 180 films from 44 countries. An eminent jury comprising actors and directors will judge the winners in the festival’s seven competition categories – Best Narrative Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Documentary Short Film, Best International Narrative Short Film, Best Indian Narrative Short Film, Best Performance in a Lead Role and Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker which carries a cash award of Rs.15,000 sponsored by Wadia Movietone.

The 6th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival will be held from 27th to 31st 2015 at Liberty Cinema, May 28th to 30th 2015 at Alliance Française de Bombay and May 29th to 30th 2015 at Max Mueller Bhavan. The theme for this year’s festival is `Reaching Out, Touching Hearts’. Online Delegate registrations have opened on the festival website www.mumbaiqueerfest.com

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.

Founded in 2010, KASHISH is held over 5 days at two venues. The festival this year will be held at Liberty Cinema, Alliance Française and Max Mueller Bhavan in South Mumbai. It is the first Indian LGBTQ festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India.KASHISH is organized by Solaris Pictures. Co-organizer is The Humsafar Trust.