Full Breakdown
17th Kashish Pride Film Festival Opens in Mumbai with International Spotlight
6/3/2026, 1:27:10 AM
Festival Launch and Core Programming
The 17th Kashish Pride Film Festival began on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Mumbai and will close on Sunday, June 7. The opening film is *Jimpa*, a drama directed by Sophie Hyde starring John Lithgow (as Jim), Olivia Colman (as Hannah) and Aud Mason-Hyde (as Frances). The closing night will feature *Maspalomas*, directed by Aitor Arregi and José Mari Goenaga, which earned nine Goya Award nominations and won Best Narrative Feature at the Sonoma International Film Festival. The festival screens 153 films from 43 countries across three Mumbai venues and presents awards in 13 categories, each with cash prizes.
Background and Evolution
Founded in 2010, Kashish has grown into South Asia’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival. Over its 17 years, the event has consistently expanded its programming scope. This year, the festival received roughly 600 submissions, a record that the organizers described as “an extremely difficult task to curate our final programming line-up.”
Key Films and Highlights
*Jimpa* explores three generations of a gay family: a senior gay man confronting aging, his nonbinary grandchild navigating disillusionment, and the daughter mediating between them. *Maspalomas* follows a gay senior who re-enters the closet after moving into a nursing home; José Ramón Soroiz won Best Actor for his portrayal of the protagonist, Vicente.
Jury Composition and Expertise
The festival’s juries bring together a mix of Indian and international film professionals:
- Documentary Jury: Oscar-nominated filmmaker Shaunak Sen.
- Narrative Jury: Sundance-winning director Shonali Bose and National-Award-winning actress Parvathy Thiruvothu.
- QDrishti Film Grant Jury: Bollywood director Nikkhil Advani.
Additional jurors include actresses Rajshri Deshpande and Maanvi Gagroo; filmmakers Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Shazia Iqbal; screenwriter Ishita Moitra; producer Monisha Tyagarjan; academic Rahul Puri; and DEI specialist Akshay Tyagi. LGBTQ+ community representation is provided by Neeraj Churi, Jaydeep Sarkar, Ashish Sawhny, and Roy Wadia (regional communications chief at WHO/Europe).
Data & Statistics
- 153 films, 43 countries.
- ~600 submissions, 13 award categories with cash prizes.
- *Maspalomas*: 9 Goya nominations; Best Narrative Feature at Sonoma International Film Festival.
Official Statements & Responses (summarized)
Festival founder Sridhar Rangayan noted that each year the festival raises its standards and that the volume of submissions made selection especially challenging. Shaunak Sen expressed honor at joining the jury and admiration for the festival’s international breadth. Nikkhil Advani highlighted the privilege of following a lineage of respected jurors and the collective aim to break barriers. Shonali Bose emphasized Kashish’s role in creating visibility and a cinematic space for LGBTQIA+ stories since its inception. Parvathy Thiruvothu affirmed that queer lives deserve full, dignified representation on screen.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Over the past 17 years of KASHISH, every year the bar is raised higher, and the stakes are getting bigger,” — Sridhar Rangayan, Founder & Director
- “I am honored and excited to be on the KASHISH film festival jury,” — Shaunak Sen, Filmmaker
- “They are full, tender, complicated, joyful lives that deserve to be seen on screen with the same dignity, scrutiny and love we offer any story.” — Parvathy Thiruvothu, Actress
Significance and Impact
Kashish continues to provide a high-visibility platform for LGBTQ+ narratives across generations and borders, fostering community cohesion and expanding the cinematic representation of queer experiences in India and beyond.
What’s Next
The festival will conclude with an awards ceremony on June 7, after which the winning films will receive cash prizes and increased distribution opportunities, reinforcing Kashish’s role as a catalyst for queer storytelling.
