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The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Beyond Pride Month: The rise of year-round queer spaces in India
Beyond the glitter and thump of Pride Month celebrations in June, a quieter shift is underway — one that privileges community over spectacle, and continuity over occasion. Across India, queer collectives are carving out spaces that extend well beyond mixers and parties. From screenwriting labs and running groups to performance venues and drop-in studios, these initiatives are shaping a more grounded, durable form of solidarity. What binds them is not only the promise of visibility but the deeper work of nurturing queer voices — through skill-building, peer-led workshops, or simply the chance to gather without expectation. These are not one-off events; they are sustained invitations to belong. Casual gathering as care In Mumbai, that ethos is most evident in the quiet energy of Gaysi Family's new studio space in Khar. 'One basic need I've understood even today is that people just want to meet more queer people,' says Sakshi Juneja, co-founder of the longstanding media and community platform, which was founded in 2008. 'Whether for friendship or intimacy, that's the driving force.' Since opening 13 months ago, the studio has become one of the city's few open-to-all queer drop-in zones — no entry fee, no dress code of cool. The programming is gentle and regular: film screenings, acting workshops, and short film showcases. 'Especially for younger lesbian, bisexual, trans, and non-binary folks, where money is tighter, it was important we create a space without that economic barrier,' says Sakshi. Anyone can propose a workshop or event, and the 35–40 seat studio offers itself up, no fanfare needed. 'We announce something every few Saturdays —screenings, art evenings, open mics — and it keeps us connected to the next generation of queers.' Stories with staying power Launched in 2023 by The Queer Muslim Project with support from the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, QueerFrames is one of the few dedicated creative incubators for queer storytellers across South Asia. The lab emerged from a 2022 convening in Nepal — co-hosted with the Goethe-Institut — that interrogated narrative access and artiste support in the region. 'We're not just training writers, we're building a long-term pipeline for queer storytelling,' says Rafiul Alom Rahman, founder of the project. 'The idea is to create structural change so that queer artistes aren't only visible during Pride Month, but have sustained access to resources, networks, and industry platforms.' The first cohort, focussed on short films, brought together 10 writer-directors from India for a residency in Mumbai. Since then, at least three projects have entered production; one received the Kashish Q Drishti grant. In 2024, the lab expanded to fiction features, closing with a five-day immersion at Berlin's European Film Market. Now in its third year, QueerFrames welcomes eight new participants from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (with applications open till July at in a hybrid programme that centres script development and regional solidarity. Recent recognition for alumni Zena Sagar and Ashutosh Shankar's Tara — selected for Frameline, San Francisco's LGBTQ+ film festival — suggests that this slower, behind-the-scenes work is starting to shift the landscape. Creating retreat Outside the urban grid, other initiatives are focussing less on production and more on presence. In McLeodganj, Albela House has evolved into a sanctuary in the hills — run by Dehradun native Akash Aggarwal and his partner Manish Thapa, now based in Bengaluru. The boutique stay does not operate as an explicitly queer venue, but its politics is clear. 'It's about creating access for queer people to take up space, to see themselves reflected in art, and to feel held,' says Manish. Since its inception, Albela has hosted intimate film screenings (Sheer Qorma by Faraz Arif Ansari), theatre readings, and drag performances. In 2023, the couple launched the Rainbow Mountain Festival — a three-day retreat of workshops in mental health, storytelling, movement and performance. Its second edition in April 2024 expanded to 18 sessions, all queer-led, with full-board meals and local transport included. Next, they are developing Casa Albela in Bengaluru: a space designed from the ground up to be structurally queer-affirming. 'One of the biggest issues queer organisers face is finding safe, affirming venues in cities,' says Manish. 'We wanted to build something that doesn't just tolerate queerness, but centres it.' The city as stage This idea that queer culture thrives not just through protest but in steady, unshowy participation is echoed in Kolkata, where third-generation restaurateur Anand Puri has turned Tavern Behind Trincas (TBT) into a quietly significant venue. Located behind the iconic Trincas restobar on Park Street, TBT did not begin as a queer project. But through programming shaped in collaboration with it has become one of the city's consistent queer-affirmative stages. In 2023, Karaoke Thursdays evolved into a weekly ritual. Inspired by the space's embrace of subculture, TBT has also started spotlighting regional Bengali music and the city's emerging hip-hop community. 'Give respect, get respect. That's the universal law here,' says Anand, whose year-round Pride flag is more visible than the restaurant's own name. Walking with memory Elsewhere, the work of cultural restoration takes on a more literal form. In Mumbai, Vikram Phukan's promenade-style production Postcards from Colaba (started in 2022), which is usually performed from October to March, guides audiences through the city's historic lanes, weaving in stories of queer desire, displacement, and coded visibility. Adapted to Goa in 2023, the project became more than a play; it evolved into a storytelling format — part theatre, part walking tour, part quiet insistence that queer histories belong in public space. Similar ideas animate the Delhi Queer Heritage Walk, a collective that has been organising guided walks since 2018. These are not just tours — they are exercises in reclaiming cities. From the intimate relationships in Mughal courts to the legal erasure under British rule, these walks surface what has been forgotten or deliberately concealed. They are small, public acts of resistance. Running with purpose And in Bengaluru, resistance looks like lacing up your shoes. Founded in 2021, Bangalore Front Runners (BFR) is India's first chapter of the global Front Runners network, a queer running collective active in cities around the world. What started with a dozen runners has grown into a Sunday morning ritual. Every Sunday, over 50 queer and allied runners meet at Cubbon Park. Seasoned runners complete 10–12K routes; newcomers join a 5K initiative. Post-run breakfasts are just as integral — part cool-down, part community care. 'We wanted something that went beyond the clubbing scene,' says founder Gourav Tarafdar. 'There was a real need for accessible, open queer sports spaces.' These initiatives are not easily pinned to a season. What they offer is a future where queer life is less about marking presence on a calendar, and more about cultivating belonging in everyday time.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Great Reset, the First Photorealistic AI Film Makes History at the Cannes Film Festival
The film produced entirely with artificial intelligence positions Spanish filmmaker Daniel H. Torrado as a pioneer in a new era of cinema. CANNES, France, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its screening at the European Film Market of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) last February, the apocalyptic sci-fi thriller 'The Great Reset' has been presented at the Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film. It is the first time that a feature film created with artificial intelligence (AI) has been presented at the world's leading professional film market, where it has aroused significant interest among distributors and specialised media. The work, written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Daniel H. Torrado, is both a narrative and technological milestone and positions the Spanish filmmaker as a pioneer in a new era of cinema. The innovative impact of 'The Great Reset' has been recognised by the prestigious specialist magazine The Hollywood Reporter, which dedicated in its special edition on the Cannes Film Festival an article entitled 'Spain tests the waters of artificial intelligence'. The article highlights the pioneering role of the film and especially Torrado's participation in the advances of artificial intelligence in the audiovisual field. It is a production of the companies Virtual World Pictures and Canary Film Factory. The project began in 2023 with the writing of the script. Over the last year, the AI workflow has been designed and optimised, including fine-tuning of the models, to ensure full control over the creativity of the material generated. Although the entire film was computer generated, and all sets and characters were created digitally, some scenes used actors as reference for acting and dubbing. AI was involved in all stages of production and post-production, from image and animation generation to sound design, but always with human supervision. "We are very proud to present The Great Reset at the Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film, a space where the most innovative ideas in contemporary cinema converge. It will undoubtedly be a key impulse to introduce the world to this story that explores not only the narrative potential of AI, but also its ability to transform the film industry," said Torrado. In the film, an artificial intelligence, created from the mind of an unscrupulous hacker, sets in motion an apocalyptic plan to destroy the world in order to save the only person he has ever loved: his daughter. Faced with the collapse of humanity and the echoes of a broken past, Emma embarks on a desperate race to save the world. Trailer: Media Contact:Jose Hernandez, Virtual World Pictures***@ 604 96 44 72 Photos: Press release distributed by PRLog View original content: SOURCE Virtual World Pictures
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Filmax Rolls Out Cesc Gay's ‘My Friend Eva,' Closing Italy, Germany (EXCLUSIVE)
Barcelona-based boutique studio Filmax has rolled out further pre-sales on 'My Friend Eva,' from 'Truman' director Cesc Gay, licensing key territories ahead of the film's Cannes screening, closing Italy (Teodora Films) and Germany and Austria (Neue Visionen). The film was also sold after Berlin's European Film Market to Israel (Lev Cinemas), Greece (Cinobo) and Bulgaria (Beta Films). Cinemania acquired the film rights for former Yugoslavia. More from Variety Hafsia Herzi Brings Live-Wire Spirit to Cannes Competition Title 'The Little Sister': 'I'd Always Dreamed of Doing Something Fast, a Bit Thrown Together.' 'The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo' Review: A Chilean Drama About HIV and Transgender Romance 'Sirat' Review: Oliver Laxe's Excruciatingly Tense, Escalatingly Insane Road Trip Through a Desert Purgatory The film turns on Eva (Nora Navas, 'Pain and Glory,' 'The Distinguished Citizen'), a married woman on a quest for passion whose life takes a dramatic turn after a serendipitous encounter in Rome. She remembers what it feels like to fall in love again. Juan Diego Botto ('The Suicide Squad') and Rodrigo de la Serna ('Money Heist') co-star. 'We're big fans of Cesc Gay's films and believe 'My Friend Eva's' lead character, this wonderful, interesting and relatable middle aged woman ,has the power to resonate with a large audience,' said Torsten Frehse, Neue Visionen CEO. 'My Friend Eva' is written by Gay and Edu Sola, winner of a screenplay Goya this year for 'A House on Fire.' It marks the latest from Imposible Films, Gay's near career-long producer. 'The film will have its eagerly-awaited release in Spain in September. Until then, we will continue to celebrate all the film's achievements on the international stage, as well as the news about another one of Cesc's films, 'The People Upstairs,' of which a star-studded American remake was recently announced,' said Diaz. 'Eva is my first female protagonist. I'd been wanting to write a leading lady for a long time, but hadn't dared to… until now! And I'm so glad I did, because I've found both writing and directing this film to be extremely stimulating and needless to say, we're all very happy with the result,' Gay noted. Produced by Marta Esteban at Barcelona-based Imposible Films, writer-director Gay has helmed 10 features since his debut 1998 'Hotel Room.' An ironist, with a sharp sense of societal pressures and the contradictions of human relationships and human foible, Gay is one of a relatively small number of Spanish directors whose films can open in cinema theaters outside Spain to substantial box office, as was the case with 'Truman' in Brazil, for example. He also directed TV series 'Félix,' selected for main competition at Canneseries. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
See - Sada Elbalad
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell's "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" Delayed
Yara Sameh The Sony Pictures release of the Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell-led romantic fantasy 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,' is heading to September 19 this year instead of May 9. Sources close to the production say that a September release was more appealing to the studio, as it's filled with more horror and male-centered titles, allowing the female event movie to stand out. 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' is described as 'an imaginative tale of two strangers and the extraordinary emotional journey that connects them.' Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Hamish Linklater also star. The movie is directed by Kogonada, who also helmed the TV series 'Pachinko' and the sci-fi drama 'After Yang.' 'The Menu' scribe Seth Reiss penned the script. 30West is financing 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,' with Sony Pictures releasing the film in theaters globally. It is produced by Imperative Entertainment's Bradley Thomas and Ryan Friedkin, Seth Reiss and Youree Henley. Executive producers are Kogonada, Ilene Feldman and Ori Eisen. After Sony Pictures acquire the movie in a bidding war in February 2024 at the European Film Market in Berlin, the studio's motion picture group chairman Tom Rothman described it as 'a project from heaven.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Release Date Delayed for Margot Robbie Romance Drama
has shifted its release date as Sony Pictures updates its theatrical schedule. Initially slated for spring, the film will now debut in the fall. The move positions it alongside Universal's Him and 20th Century Studios' Ella McCay. Meanwhile, the spring release calendar sees fewer major studio-wide openings, reshaping the box office landscape. Sony Pictures has rescheduled the release of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey from May 9, 2025, to September 19, 2025. Kogonada directs A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, featuring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Sony previously scheduled the film to compete against Thunderbolts* in its second weekend but has now moved its release to open alongside Universal's Him and 20th Century Studios' Ella McCay. The supporting cast features Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Hamish Linklater. The film is described as 'an imaginative tale of two strangers and the extraordinary emotional journey that connects them.' It is written by Seth Reiss, known for The Menu, and produced by Imperative Entertainment's Bradley Thomas and Ryan Friedkin, along with Reiss and Youree Henley. Sony Pictures acquired the film in February 2024 at the European Film Market in Berlin. The move leaves May 9 without a major studio-wide release. The only scheduled films for that date include IFC's Clown in a Cornfield, Vertical Entertainment's Fight or Flight, and Briarcliff Entertainment's Juliet and Romeo. Sources indicate Sony adjusted the release date to position the film in a marketplace where a female-led movie could stand out, as per Variety. Kogonada directed After Yang before reuniting with Farrell for this project. Robbie last appeared in Asteroid City and Barbie in 2023. Farrell featured in HBO's The Penguin and The Banshees of Inisherin. 30West financed A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, and Sony Pictures is handling global distribution. The post A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Release Date Delayed for Margot Robbie Romance Drama appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
