The Queer Muslim Project has unveiled its newest class of fellows for the QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab, a program dedicated to supporting emerging queer and trans filmmakers from South Asian backgrounds.
Eight filmmakers have been selected for the 2025 cohort from India and Canada: Ritwik Goswami, Simrat Harvind Kaur, Saniya Jaffar, Rit Prasanna, Reshmi Mohan, Talat Shakeel, Marushka Jessica Almeida, and Sania Khan. All are women, trans, or nonbinary creators developing feature films that place LGBTQ+ narratives at the center rather than the margins.
Now in its third year, QueerFrames was established in 2023 as part of The Queer Muslim Project’s broader mission. The platform has grown into South Asia’s largest digital network for queer voices, reaching more than 70,000 people globally. The lab has worked with 14 filmmakers since launching.
The program brings together prominent industry figures as mentors, including Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, whose film “Cactus Pears” (Sabar Bonda) won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance; Tricia Tuttle, director of the Berlin Film Festival; Indian filmmakers Vikramaditya Motwane (“Sacred Games”), Shonali Bose (“Margarita with a Straw”); and Nepalese filmmaker Min Bahadur Bham (“Shambhala”). Previous instructors Vishnu Sinha from Columbia University and Berlinale Talents alumna Paromita Dhar are returning.
Netflix and the French Institute in India are backing this year’s program, which kicks off with a retreat in Goa from Oct. 3-12, followed by six months of virtual workshops and continued development assistance.
“These filmmakers are rewriting what queer and trans South Asian cinema can look like,” said Rafiul Alom Rahman, who founded both The Queer Muslim Project and QueerFrames. “They are telling stories unapologetically rooted in culture and community, while pushing artistic and political boundaries.”
Kanawade added: “As someone whose filmmaking is deeply rooted in lived experience, I know how vital it is to have spaces like QueerFrames that affirm and empower queer and trans storytellers to achieve authentic representation. This Lab is not just about developing scripts – it’s about cultivating a culture where underrepresented stories can thrive with honesty, dignity, and power.”
Tuttle said: “QueerFrames is cultivating filmmakers whose stories are deeply rooted in South Asia yet speak to audiences everywhere. These are films that will challenge, move, and expand how we think about queer and trans lives on screen. I can’t wait to see them travel the world.”
The selected films span multiple genres and themes. Simrat Harvind Kaur’s “Beeji da kangha (Grandmother’s Comb)” follows a Sikh teenager questioning gender identity. Ritwik Goswami’s “Swarnapuchhri” combines environmental concerns with a queer romance in a coastal community threatened by industrial development. Saniya Jaffer’s “Kacchi Kallis” explores shifting teenage friendships during a vacation in Goa.