Whistling Woods to sponsor the Best Student Short at KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
New Delhi: The 8th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival this year will feature the largest prize money for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer films in South Asia. Around 43 of the 147 films that will be screened at the festival will compete in the eight competition categories for a total cash award of a whooping Rs 2.20 lakhs. The prize money will be sponsored by Whistling Woods International, Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares, Shri K.F. Patil Charitable Trust, Wadia Movietone and Lotus Visual.
South Asia’s largest LGBTQ film festival, KASHISH 2017 will be held between May 24-28, 2017 at two venues in South Mumbai – the city’s iconic art deco theatre Liberty Cinema and Alliance Francaise.
A newly introduced award this year is for the ‘Best Student Short film’ with a cash award of Rs 15,000 sponsored by Whistling Woods International, Asia’s premium film school. LGBTQ short films made by the students of film and media schools will also compete for this award.
Commenting on the alliance with South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ film festival, Meghna Ghai Puri, President, Whistling Woods International said, “We are proud to continue the association with KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, a wonderful initiative that encourages aspiring filmmakers to come forward and spread awareness about the LGBT community, sensitively and artistically. Love is universal and it is fantastic to have a festival that celebrates love from the point of view of the individuals belonging to the LGBT community. We need more platforms like these, that not only promotes cinema but also unearth unique talents every year. This year, we have taken our association further by sponsoring the Best Student Film Award. It adds another layer to our objective of partnering with KASHISH, which is to encourage young students to express themselves through the power of cinema. Like every year, we look forward to a positive response, and would like to convey our best wishes to the students.”
The two competition categories this year will also have other cash awards: K.F.Patil Unity in Diversity Award for Best Documentary Feature (Rs.15, 000) and K.F.Patil Unity in Diversity Award for Best Documentary Short (Rs.10, 000). These cash awards are sponsored by K.F.Patil Charitable Trust.