The five-day festival will screen 124 films from 23 countries at Cinemax, Versova in north-west Mumbai and Alliance Francaise in south Mumbai’s Marine Lines.
Responding to the interest shown by the public to its debut here last year, the organizers have increased seating capacity for audiences from 1,200 to 2,500.
Organisers are also looking for partners to make the festival self sustainable and ensure participation by delegates is free.
The competition section will be judged by an international panel of judges that include Indonesian international film festival director John Badalu, filmmaker Sai Paranjpye, actors Shernaz Patel and Samir Soni, and film critic Khalid Mohamed.
The winner of the ‘Indian Emerging Filmmaker’ award will receive ‘Riyad Wadia’ award with cash prize of Rs 10,000. The best Indian queer short film will get a chance to compete for the UK Pound 25,000 Iris Prize from UK.
"The festival offers cinema as a means to understand what being queer means today, and how it impacts both the queer community and society at large," festival director Rangayan said here today.
The festival’s Ambassador and patron, noted filmmaker, Shyam Benegal said although the Indian community has historically been not only tolerant but accepting towards the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, recent rise of the middle class had changed the situation.
"The festival is one of the first steps of the community at large accepting LGBTs. They too have a right for a place under the sun under the Indian Constitution. There have been contentious issues on various grounds, but as a minorities they require equal rights. Changes in the Indian laws have helped the LGBT get legitimacy after the decriminalization of same sex intercourse," he said.
Other highlights of the festival will include ‘Country Focus-Israel’, which will contribute seven films, spotlights on the works of American filmmaker Q Allen Brocka and British filmmaker Rikki Beadie-Blair.
The festival will also include sections on HIV/AIDS under ‘Red Ribbon’ package.
Responding to the interest shown by the public to its debut here last year, the organizers have increased seating capacity for audiences from 1,200 to 2,500.
Organisers are also looking for partners to make the festival self sustainable and ensure participation by delegates is free.
The competition section will be judged by an international panel of judges that include Indonesian international film festival director John Badalu, filmmaker Sai Paranjpye, actors Shernaz Patel and Samir Soni, and film critic Khalid Mohamed.
The winner of the ‘Indian Emerging Filmmaker’ award will receive ‘Riyad Wadia’ award with cash prize of Rs 10,000. The best Indian queer short film will get a chance to compete for the UK Pound 25,000 Iris Prize from UK.
"The festival offers cinema as a means to understand what being queer means today, and how it impacts both the queer community and society at large," festival director Rangayan said here today.
The festival’s Ambassador and patron, noted filmmaker, Shyam Benegal said although the Indian community has historically been not only tolerant but accepting towards the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, recent rise of the middle class had changed the situation.
"The festival is one of the first steps of the community at large accepting LGBTs. They too have a right for a place under the sun under the Indian Constitution. There have been contentious issues on various grounds, but as a minorities they require equal rights. Changes in the Indian laws have helped the LGBT get legitimacy after the decriminalization of same sex intercourse," he said.
Other highlights of the festival will include ‘Country Focus-Israel’, which will contribute seven films, spotlights on the works of American filmmaker Q Allen Brocka and British filmmaker Rikki Beadie-Blair.
The festival will also include sections on HIV/AIDS under ‘Red Ribbon’ package.
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