By IANSlife

New Delhi, Jun 10 (IANSlife): Mumbai's very own film festival -KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival - has decided to go virtual. The 'KASHISH 2020 Virtual' film festival will go live on July 22nd and conclude on July 30th, making it the first ever big film festival in India to go online with a full line up of new films.

"These are challenging times and we at KASHISH love challenges and take it head on. Considering the safety and well-being of everyone, this year we have decided to hold the film festival online. We are committed to bring our LGBTQIA+ stories out there to the world, as a means of healing and empowerment. The world must see us out there, in all our splendid colours, and the show must go on!" said Sridhar Rangayan, Festival Director.

Actor Celina Jaitly, Festival Ambassador sent a message from Austria, "Films, movies, cinema-whatever terminology you want to use, the industry is magical and enormously influential in everyone's lives. In times like these it is even more important not to lose that magic. Cinema like literature is the reflection of society, and not only does it influence society but has a great impact on successive generations. Hence it has and will always be an amazing platform for raising awareness and mobilizing people to stand up for the rights of their LGBTQ brothers and sisters. I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of this glorious film festival's journey since its inception".

The Virtual plans will screen about 100 plus films online in a pre-scheduled set of programs, alongwith online panel discussions, filmmakers, performances and opening & closing ceremonies. Most of the films programs would be available for viewing across the world, except a few films that may be geo-blocked for viewing only in India.