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Submit Your Film Now! docmiami.org/Festival.html

Feature Documentary

Feature Documentaries with a total running time from 61 - 180 minutes. (All films in a language other than English require English subtitles)

Documentary Short

Short Documentaries with a total running time between 4 and 30 minutes. (All films in a language other than English require English subtitles)

MiniMovies

Very short documentaries and fiction forms plus all experimental genres allowed with a total running time of under 4 minutes (this is up to 3 minutes and 59 seconds, not a second more!) -- Go to the limit of documentary film making: free form -- free content --(All films in a language other than English require English subtitles)

Documentary Medium-Length and Essay Forms

Medium length documentaries and documentarian film essays with a total running time between 31 and 60 minutes. (All films in a language other than English require English subtitles)

Pride parades in all metros, the historic Delhi High Court’s verdict on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, relaunch of India’s first gay magazine Bombay Dost, the Indian Election Commission’s decision to recognize transgender as a separate category… the pink flag is rising over India, queer (or LGBT – lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender) visibility is increasing.

Mainstream Indian cinema too has recognized this to an extent, with queer characters in several recent films (still mostly negative though). But there are still many undiscovered, unseen films with queer themes that have neither reached the movie hall nor had a platform to reach wider audiences. These are the small budget, independent films, short films, documentaries and projects by media students.

Kashish - Mumbai Queer Film Festival, 2010 is an attempt by Solaris Pictures and Bombay Dost to unearth these films and showcase them, celebrating the creativity of the filmmakers (whether heterosexual or queer) and the increasing visibility of the queer community. The festival will offer cinema as a medium to understand what being queer means today and how it impacts both the queer community and the society at large.

“Our vision is to not only encourage original Indian queer cinema but also showcase it to queer and mainstream audiences both, in order to make them aware about Indian queer thought, desire and expression,” says Sridhar Rangayan, festival director. “We want to reach out to as many Indian filmmakers and audiences as we can.”

Kashish will be held between April 22 and April 25, 2010, and will be spread across two venues in Mumbai – one in the city and one in the suburbs. Features, short films, documentaries and experimental films will be screened, highlighting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters and stories. The films will explore the diverse realities, complexities, joys and sorrows that make up the Indian queer experience as well as celebrate, reclaim, and explain LGBTQ identities while engaging and entertaining audiences.

Eminent personalities from films, art, fashion and media and queer activists will be part of Kashish selection committee and jury for its competitive sections, which will carry awards.

The festival will push the envelope even further by including films made outside India but those which relate to the Indian experience – films from the Indian Diaspora. Several prominent desi filmmakers from the US and the UK will exhibit their films at Kashish. In addition, two internationally acclaimed curators will showcase recent cutting-edge queer films from North America and South-East Asia in a special package.

A series of discussions about on Indian queer culture and its portrayal on film, and a photo-exhibition will also be a part of Kashish.

Kashish is being organized by Solaris Pictures and Bombay Dost.

About Solaris Pictures: Solaris Pictures is the only Indian film production company that has consistently been making films on queer themes that engage the audience and initiate dialogues on issues dealing with health and sexuality, human rights, and the gay and transgender communities. Its award-winning films like ‘Gulabi Aaina’, ‘Yours Emotionally’ and ‘68 Pages’, all dealing with gay and transgender stories, has pushed the boundaries in queer portrayals in Indian films. Solaris is also distributor for Indian queer films for international markets. (http://www.solarispictures.com)

About Bombay Dost: Bombay Dost, India’s first registered LGBT magazine, is a standard bearer for the growing confidence and artistic alacrity displayed by India’s homosexuals. The magazine eschews any notion of ‘them and us’, and mirrors the inclusiveness that we would expect in a more egalitarian society. Bombay Dost was launched in 1990 and after a seven-year hiatus was re-launched as a bi-annual (half-yearly) in April 2009 with support from the UNDP. The magazine boldly showcases LGBT cultural expression and is proud to co-organize Kashish. Bombay Dost also organizes fortnightly film screenings and other events like book readings and community discussions under the name ‘Bombay Dost Sunday High’. These events are free, publicly listed and open to all. (http://www.bombaydost.co.in)

About the sponsors: Kashish is partly supported by ‘Movies That Matter’ (an initiative of Amnesty International in the Netherlands), which promotes international human rights film screenings, offers advice and assistance, and stimulates the exchange of knowledge and experience. It offers a platform for feature films and documentaries made by filmmakers taking a stand for human rights and a sustainable world. (http://www.moviesthatmatter.nl/mtm/)

For ENTRY FORMS and more details, please visit <a href="http://mqff2010.blogspot.com" Website or mail kashishmqff@gmail.com

The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU)

ÉCU 2009 offers European independent filmmakers the chance to screen their films to an audience hungry for high-quality independent films, exposes them to other independent filmmaker’s work and gives them a forum to exchange ideas with other filmmakers.

Apchat International Film Festival The first edition of the festival will take place from July 30th to August 1st 2010 in the village of Apchat in France. The main goal of the festival is cultural exchange between countries. Diversity regarding the origin of films is the number one criteria for selection. No more than one film is selected per country represented. However each year a country will be honored and a program made of several films originating from that country will be screened. The honored country for 2010 is France.

Contact : onecountryonefilm@yahoo.com or onecountryonefilm@hotmail.fr

TEMPS D'IMAGES CALL FOR ENTRY DEADLINE August 15, 2009

The transdisciplinary festival TEMPS D'IMAGES enables, produces and presents artistic works which were created through the mutual exchange of artists of different disciplines such as performer and filmmaker, visual artist and musician, writer and dancer. This year for the second time TEMPS D'IMAGES announces the competition of films to win the TEMPS D'IMAGES FILM AWARD for films on art.

TEMPS D'IMAGES calls for submission of films which can include various art forms and topics such as painting, performance art, music, theatre, sculpture, art and science, photography, video art, media art, art and crafts, art history, dance, architecture, cinema, art market, museums, animation, poetry, literature, design and biographies. For details see: www.tempsdimages-portugal.com/premio/navi_09.htm

The 2nd edition of ecoZine International Film, which will be held from 6th to 15th November 2009, has launched its call for entries with an August 30th deadline. Information and rules of the Festival entry can be found at www.ecozine.es

I Make Films - the filmmaker blogs

All FFW members are invited to share their blogs with other members and visitors. Just sign in and post your blog's URL. Student filmmakers this is your platform too. Film writers you are welcome!

Sign in first then visit:

www.filmfestivalworld.com/member/profile/id/IMakeFilms/