The 16th edition of Mumbai’s Kashish Pride Film Festival concluded its vibrant five-day run with a powerful awards ceremony celebrating global queer cinema. Among the top honors, Icelandic trans drama Odd Fish and Brazilian-Dutch co-production Baby emerged as standout winners, reflecting the diversity and emotional depth of this year’s cinematic offerings.
Directed by Snaevar Solvason, Odd Fish took home the Best Narrative Feature award. Lead actor Arna Magnea Danks, a trans woman, received the Best Performance in a Lead Role, with the film also earning a Special Jury Mention for its screenplay. “These are the first-ever award wins for the film, which has already traveled to many film festivals,” said Solvason. “I love India, and this award has brought sunshine into this rather cold countryside.”
Danks, who is also a teacher, poet, stunt director, and mother of three, expressed her gratitude: “It is not every day a trans woman like me gets an award. I thank my director, my co-star, and every person who helped create this artwork—unique not just to Iceland but to the world.”
Brazilian feature Baby won the Best Screenplay Award, credited to Gabriel Domingues and Marcelo Caetano. Lead actor Joao Pedro Marian received a Special Mention and shared an emotional message from Brazil: “My heart is beating here in Brazil, filled with joy, knowing my work touches people across continents.”
Caetano, who previously visited India in 2020, expressed hope to return for future projects: “I hope to do something in this beautiful country again.”
Other international winners included Serbian documentary Warm Film by Dragan Jovićević, which was named Best Documentary Feature. “This is the film’s first award outside Europe, and I feel privileged it comes from India, a country that deeply values cinema,” Jovićević noted.
Indian filmmakers also made a strong impression. Chandradeep Das’s The Jasmine That Blooms in Autumn won Best Indian Narrative Short, while Lipika Singh Darai’s B and S received the Best Documentary Short award. Saikat Mondal was honored with the Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker for Jalsa.
The Ismat Chughtai Award for Best Woman Filmmaker of Indian Origin was jointly awarded to Shoi for Project Priyo and Joey Kaushik for The Witch of Vihar Lake—two projects that emphasize the evolving strength of female voices in independent cinema.
Additional honors included:
- After All by Chongyan Liu: Aditya Nanda Award for Best Film on Queer Mental Health
- Two Travelling Aunties by Christine Seow: Best Student Short
- Violets by Borja Escribano: Best International Narrative Short
The Kashish QDrishti Film Grant, worth INR 2,50,000 (approximately $2,915), was awarded to Make-Up Room by Shubam Negi. Runners-up Us Girls by Rayyan Monkey and Operation: Gulzar by Varsha Panikar each received INR 75,000 ($875).
In addition to film screenings, the closing ceremony featured live performances by LGBTQ+ dance collective The House of Sway and the music band Bombay Noor. The evening also saw the trailer premiere of In-Transit, an upcoming documentary series from Prime Video and Tiger Baby Productions.
The jury comprised celebrated figures from Indian cinema, including Abhishek Chaubey, Guneet Monga Kapoor, Vikramaditya Motwane, Tanuja Chandra, and Shruti Seth, each lending their expertise across various categories.
Festival director Sridhar Rangayan reflected on the success of the event despite financial hurdles. “We’re delighted to have wrapped up with such élan. I’m especially thrilled that Icelandic trans actor Arna Magnea Danks won Best Actor and that non-binary Indian filmmaker Shoi received the Ismat Chughtai Award,” he said.
As the Kashish Pride Film Festival continues to spotlight powerful movie characters and themes of inclusion, diversity, and resilience, its global impact grows stronger each year, resonating with audiences far beyond India’s borders.
