A curated Pride Film Festival featuring internationally acclaimed and regional films will roll out across theatres in India from May 29, bringing a mix of award-winning and independent queer narratives back to the big screen. The week-long festival will be held across 20 cities and 40 cinemas, with a line-up that includes Moonlight, Rocketman, and the Marathi film Baapya. The selection reflects a mix of global recognition and local storytelling, offering audiences varied perspectives on identity, sexuality and personal struggle. Moonlight, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, traces the coming-of-age journey of a young Black man grappling with masculinity and sexuality across three stages of his life. Rocketman, a musical biopic on musician Elton John, blends fantasy and realism to depict fame, addiction and self-acceptance. Adding a regional dimension, Baapya brings a Marathi-language exploration of identity and relationships, placing queer narratives within a more local, cultural context. The festival comes at a time when conversations around representation and inclusivity in Indian cinema continue to evolve. While mainstream Hindi cinema has gradually begun engaging with LGBTQ+ themes, curated screenings and festivals remain key spaces for audiences to access a wider spectrum of queer storytelling—especially films that may not have had large theatrical runs in India. Re-releases of globally recognised titles also point to a growing appetite for event-based theatrical programming, where audiences return to cinemas not just for new releases but for shared viewing experiences around significant themes or cultural moments. The screenings are expected to run for a week, with show timings and bookings opening closer to the start date.
