Daniel Craig’s “Queer” and Elliot Page’s “Close To You” to bookend Mumbai’s iconic LGBTQ+ film festival KASHISH 2025. Shyam Benegal’s Mandi and Onir’s We Are Faheem & Karun are key films in the line-up of 152 films from 48 countries. The #Newsdesk reports.

KASHISH Pride Film Festival 2025 returns to Mumbai from June 4–8, marking its sixteenth edition with 152 powerful LGBTQ+ films from 48 countries. Opening with Luca Guadagnino’s Queer starring Daniel Craig and closing with Elliot Page’s Close To You, the festival showcases diverse voices and bold narratives. Key highlights include Indian centrepiece We Are Faheem & Karun by Onir and a tribute screening of Shyam Benegal’s iconic Mandi. With the theme Love = Peace, KASHISH continues to be South Asia’s largest and most inclusive LGBTQ+ film festival, expanding visibility, pride, and solidarity.  

Mumbai’s iconic LGBTQ+ film festival, the KASHISH Pride Film Festival, will celebrate its sixteenth edition in June, flagging off Pride Month from June 4th to June 8th, 2025. The festival will be kicked off at St. Andrews Auditorium in Bandra on June 4th and will then play at Cinepolis, Andheri West, and Alliance Française, Marine Lines, between June 5th to 8th.

Global Representation

The festival will screen 152 films from 48 countries, with entries from Iceland, Peru, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, and Palestine. The festival, known as South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ+ film festival, will screen a rich haul of films from South Asia, with entries from India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

Indian films top the list with 37 films this year, followed by the USA with 34 films and the UK with 19 films.

In a year that has seen dramatic shifting of policies and perspectives towards LGBTQ+ communities across the world, the festival stands steadfast in ensuring not only that the festival continues to be organized, but also that it remains diverse and inclusive, with representation of the complete LGBTQ+ spectrum.

Message from the Festival Director  

“KASHISH has always taken on challenges in its stride, and emerged stronger; and this year is no exception. With our move back to the suburbs and a line-up of amazing films that will appeal to the younger audiences in the suburbs, the festival hopes to infuse new energy and enthusiasm. We have a very strong line-up of films and we are confident that our audiences will love it,” said Sridhar Rangayan, founder and festival director. “Sixteen years ago, we laid the first bricks of Indian queer cinema. Today, we’re witnessing an entire movement rising — brave, brilliant, and uncompromising.”

The festival’s theme, “Love = Peace”, sounds almost prophetic in the current situation, and the festival continues to spread love and peace with both LGBTQ+ audiences and allies across Mumbai. Saagar Gupta, the artistic director, said, “As is said, peace isn’t just the absence of conflict — it’s the presence of love. Love for who we are, for each other, for the spaces we belong to, and for every identity that makes us whole.”

Featured Films

Among the stellar line-up of films, a few of the key titles are Queer, directed by the amazing Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name), featuring Daniel Craig; Close To You, directed by Dominic Savage, featuring Elliot Page as lead actor and producer; the Dutch film Out by Dennis Alink; and Odd Fish by Snævar Sölvason, set in a beautiful Icelandic township.

Onir’s multiple award-winning film We Are Faheem & Karun is the Indian Narrative Centrepiece film, while the Romanian film Three Kilometers to the End of the World by Emanuel Pârvu is the International Narrative Centrepiece film.

Tribute to a Legend

The festival pays special tribute to its patron Shyam Benegal by showcasing one of his iconic films, Mandi (1983), starring a host of celebrated actors like Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Neena Gupta, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Soni Razdan, and Amrish Puri.

With its dynamic and fiercely inclusive line-up of LGBTQ+ stories from around the world, the festival is a must-attend for every cinema lover. Registrations are open to attend the festival, with special discounts for students, senior citizens, and transgender persons.

The film program and other details can be found at:  https://mumbaiqueerfest.com 

About KASHISH Pride Film Festival

KASHISH Pride Film Festival is South Asia's biggest LGBTQ+ film festival and the first LGBTQ+ film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theatre. It is the first Indian LGBTQ+ festival to be held with approval from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India. Founded in 2010, KASHISH has grown to become an important medium for the exhibition, production, and distribution of LGBTQ+ films, and the most needed platform to nurture the Indian LGBTQ+ movement. KASHISH has been voted as one of the Top 5 LGBTQ+ Film Festivals in the World, and also one of the Top 5 Film Festivals in India.