Ian McKellen and Sonam Kapoor Inaugurate 7th KASHISH Film Fest in Mumbai

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Entertainment | June 1, 2016 | News

Sonam Kapoor

British actor Sir Ian McKellen and Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor on May 25, 2016 inaugurated the 7th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival at Liberty Cinema. The actors lit a ceremonial lamp to signal the start of India's mainstream LGBT film fest that concluded on May 25-29, 2016. Actor Kunal Kapoor unveiled the festival catalogue. 182 films from 53 countries, including 27 Indian films, were screened at the festival that happened at 3 venues in South Mumbai - Liberty Cinema, Alliance Francaise de Bombay and Max Mueller Bhavan. 

"On my first visit to Mumbai, I am very pleased to attend the opening night of the KASHISH 2016 Festival," said McKellen. "For too many years, gay characters appeared in films only as comic relief, as often as not meeting a sticky end, as if that’s all they deserved. Increasingly, in India too, the film industry has matured, treating gay people with the same seriousness as straight characters.  I look forward at KASHISH to discovering more about Bollywood’s film-makers who reject fantasy for the truth about gay people," added McKellen. 

The KASHISH 2016 international jury comprised of National Award winning actor Rajeshwari Sachdev, popular television actor Manav Gohil, filmmaker Parvathi Balagopalan, theatre director Kaizaad Kotwal and Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival, Festival Director Andrea Kuhn. Acclaimed actor Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares sponsored cash prizes for the three top competition categories at the festival.

The festival had Wishberry.in as its title sponsor and Godrej Industries as a Supporting Partner. Presented by KASHISH Arts Foundation, the festival was organized by Solaris Pictures and co-organized by the Humsafar Trust.