EXCLUSIVE: Movies « Maspalomas» starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, and the Goya Award-winning Maspalomas will headline the Kashish Pride Film Festival, South Asia's largest LGBTQ+ film festival, which begins soon in Mumbai, India.
In the drama «Jimpa» , In Jimpa, directed by Sophie Hyde, Lithgow plays the title character, an elderly gay man living in Amsterdam who is visited by his daughter, Hannah (Olivia Colman), and his non-binary granddaughter, Frances (Aude Mason-Hyde). «Jimpa celebrates LGBTQ+ culture across three generations,» the synopsis notes: «Grandpa Jim faces the challenges of growing older as a gay man in a generation that never expected to grow old; teenager Frances struggles with the disappointment of seeing their idols fail to live up to their ideals; and mother Hannah navigates the differing views of her father and her daughter. Surrounding these three is a vibrant family—the family they were born into and the family they continue to create.».
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«Maspalomas»
There's a festival on Wednesday Jimpa opens with the film "Kashish" and will close on Sunday (June 7) with a screening film "Maspalomas"« Directed by Aitor Arregui and José Mari Goenagi, this drama about an elderly gay man who comes out after moving to a nursing home received nine Goya Award nominations—Spain's equivalent of the Oscars—including Best Director. José Ramón Sorois won Best Actor for his role as the lead character, Vicente. «Maspalomas» also won the award for Best Feature Film at the recent Sonoma International Film Festival in Northern California.
The Kashish Film Festival, featuring film screenings, discussions, art exhibitions, and performances across three venues in Mumbai, will showcase 153 films from 43 countries. The festival will award prizes in 13 categories, as well as cash prizes for the winners.
Graphics from the Kashish Pride Film Festival
«"Over the 17 years of the KASHISH festival's existence, the bar has been raised ever higher, and the stakes have become ever higher," said Sridhar Rangayan, the festival's founder and director. "This year, we received nearly 600 applications, so compiling the final program was an extremely challenging task, and choosing the nominees in the competitive categories—the hardest part was selecting the best of the best!"»
Kashish announced the formation of a prestigious jury to judge films in competition categories, including Oscar-nominated director Shaunak Sen ( «"Everything that breathes »"), who will be part of the documentary film jury.
Film director Shaunak Sen
«"I am honored and delighted to be a member of the KASHISH Film Festival jury," Sen said in a statement. "I have thoroughly enjoyed many of the films screened at the festival in recent years, and I am deeply impressed by the vast international diversity of films presented this year.".
Renowned Bollywood director Nikhil Advani ( films "Kal Ho Na Ho"« , «Salaam-e-Ishq» , «Freedom at Midnight ») has joined the jury for the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant. Advani commented, «I am delighted to be named to the jury for the 17th KASHISH Pride Film Festival. Following in the footsteps of jury members like Kiran Rao, Hansal Mehta, Gauri Shinde, Neeraj Ghaywan, and many others—filmmakers I admire so much and who have set such high standards in their ability to tell incredible stories—is a true privilege. I look forward to hearing, reading, and working with a community of storytellers who strive to break barriers and tell important stories.».
Directed by Sundance Film Festival winner Shonali Bose ( Amu films« , «Margarita with a Straw» , «The sky is pink» ), and National Award-winning actress Parvathy Thiruvothu ( films "Takeoff"« , «"Ullozhukku"» , «"Carib Caribbean Single"» ), are part of the jury for the Narrative Film category. Bose said, «I am honored to be part of the KASHISH jury. I have been associated with and loved the festival since its inception in 2010, and have proudly watched it play a vital role in creating visibility, community, and cinematic space for LGBTQIA+ stories in India and beyond. I am excited to discover films that are bold, emotionally honest, formally inventive, and deeply human—stories that not only reflect the lives of queer people but also expand our understanding of each other.».
Jury member Parvati Thiruvothu said, "I've been an ally and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community ever since I discovered what it meant to truly listen. My belief is simple: queer lives aren't subtext, minor details, or symbols. They are full, tender, complex, joyful lives that deserve to be told on screen with the same dignity, attention, and love we give to any story.".
Other prominent personalities on the jury include actresses Rajshree Deshpande and Maanvi Gagroo, directors Ashwini Iyer Tiwari and Shazia Iqbal, screenwriter Ishita Moitra, producer Monisha Thyagarjan, academician Rahul Puri and DEI specialist Akshay Tyagi.
LGBTQ+ representatives are represented on the juries of several festivals by Neeraj Churi, Jaideep Sarkar, Ashish Sawhney and Roy Wadia (Regional Head of Communications at WHO/Europe, former Executive Producer at CNN International and member of the legendary Wadia Movietone family).
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