India’s Yellowstone International Film Festival Announces Documentary And LGBTQIA+ Slates

EXCLUSIVE: The upcoming Yellowstone International Film Festival in Mumbai, India has announced its documentary lineup, highlighted by the Asian premiere of Oscar contender American Doctor. Director Poh Si Teng’s film examines three U.S. physicians who volunteered their medical expertise to treat Palestinian children severely injured in Israel’s sustained attack on Gaza (it screens Thursday at DOC NYC after being named to that festival’s prestigious shortlist). Joining American Doctor at the Yellowstone festival will be fellow documentary feature Herland, directed by Kallol Mukherjee, also making its Asian premiere. “In a deeply conservative Indian village where women are forbidden from stepping outside without male permission, Bhagyashree and her growing sisterhood rise in defiance, claiming their right to work and confronting generations of patriarchal control,” reads a description. “As their resistance gathers force, the cost of being seen as equal begins to turn dangerous. How much are they willing to risk?” YIFF Documentary feature The Wolf, directed by Wancheng Gu and Prasad Shetty, “follows Yuan, a 60-year-old queer former village mayor in Shanghai, as she navigates love, family obligations, and shifting economic landscapes while seeking autonomy and reinvention later in life.” Watch on Deadline The Yellowstone International Film Festival runs from November 30 to December 4 in Mumbai, capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Among the short documentaries programmed in the festival is Born Secret, directed by Riley Fitchpatrick, in which the filmmaker “returns to his hometown that built the atomic bomb.” Scroll for the list of doc shorts in the lineup. YIFF YIFF also revealed its slate of LGBTQIA+-themed films. In addition to documentary The Wolf, features include Elephants in the Fog, winner of the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The film directed by Abinash Bikram Shah “follows Pirati, matriarch of a Kinnar (Trans) community in a Nepalese village, who dreams of escaping to a normal life. When one of her daughters disappears, she must investigate and choose between love and responsibility.” Tank Time (LGBTQIA Short) – A lonely, nonbinary teen finds courage, friendship, and a glimmer of magic in a stolen fish, a petty neighborhood feud, and an unexpected crush. Filmmaker – Jess Burgess; Country – United States; Runtime -16:39 The Witch of Vihar Lake (LGBTQIA Short) Mitthu, a timid young boy and his teenage sister Ishita live in a village close to Vihar Lake, where stories of a terrifying witch prevail. The village locals don’t dare go close to the forest or the haunted lake. Mystery and magic surround the siblings as they grapple with their parents’ ignorance and anger. We follow a bewitched Ishita and Mitthu in their coming-of-age journey as the threat of the witch looms over their lives. Filmmaker – Joey Kaushik; Country – India; Runtime – 10:47 The Sailor & The Chef – ( LGBTQIA+ Doc Short) Piyush & Sushil met entirely by chance 30 years ago at a theatre in Mumbai, India. Unbeknownst to each other, they were both gay & seeking partners in a time when the internet was nascent, and there was barely any out & proud queer community. Filmmaker- Ashish Sawhny; Country – India; Runtime -20:23 At this year’s festival, YIFF launches the inaugural KSF Queer Grant, in association with the Keshav Suri Foundation (KSF) and Lotus Visual Productions, committing $20,000 USD “towards the production of independent films by emerging LGBTQIA+ filmmakers in India. The initiative will select two filmmakers, each receiving $10,000 USD in production funding, alongside a nine-month program of industry mentorship and end-to-end creative and production support.” The grant has been established with a three-year commitment to ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of the initiative, YIFF notes. “Over the course of these three years, the collaborating organizations aim to support six filmmakers in producing six films, providing emerging queer storytellers with the resources and opportunities to bring their stories to life and share them with the world.” Tushar Tyagi, founder of Yellowstone International Film Festival YIFF Yellowstone International Film Festival founder Tushar Tyagi said, “Talent and compelling stories exist everywhere, but the opportunity to bring them to life is not always accessible to everyone. For many queer filmmakers in India, the challenge is not a lack of imagination or stories to tell, but access to the resources, industry networks and support needed to turn their creative vision into a film. Through this grant, we want to help bridge that gap by giving filmmakers the freedom and means to tell their stories with honesty and authenticity.” Tyagi continued, “Our ambition is to nurture a new generation of queer Indian voices, bring narratives rooted in lived experiences to the screen, and create opportunities for these stories to travel beyond borders. These stories deserve not only to be told, but to be seen, heard and celebrated by audiences around the world.” Keshav Suri, founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation YIFF Keshav Suri, founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation, commented, “Representation in cinema must go beyond having LGBTQIA+ characters on screen. It is equally important that people from the community have the resources and creative freedom to tell their own stories. There is no shortage of talent or compelling stories within the community, but access to funding and industry opportunities remains a challenge. Through this grant, we want to help bridge that gap and give more queer filmmakers the opportunity to bring their stories to life.” Neeraj Churi, founder of Lotus Visual Productions YIFF “For too long, queer filmmakers in India have faced challenges in securing funding and finding the right partners to bring their creative visions to life,” said Neeraj Churi, founder of Lotus Visual Productions and Sundance-winning producer of Cactus Pears. “And yet, some of the most exciting and original voices in Indian cinema are emerging from within the LGBTQIA+ community. We believe these filmmakers should have the opportunity to tell their own stories, on their own terms. The KSF Queer Grant is about creating that opportunity, combining financial support with mentorship and practical filmmaking guidance. Our hope is that this initiative will not only help make two films possible, but also open doors for a new generation of queer storytellers.” In addition to The Sailor & The Chef and Born Secret noted above, these are the short documentaries programmed in the 7th edition of the Yellowstone International Film Festival: In the Silence After – (Doc Short) A son returns home to care for his mother, filming the last year they will spend together. Filmmaker – Sebastian Delascasas; Country – Colombia, United States; Runtime -16:50 No Matter the Weather – (Doc Short) Renée, 83, broke her ankle. Fortunately, she can rely on her granddaughter Florence, who steps in as her caregiver. While this ordeal brings them closer than ever, it inevitably confronts them with the reality of Renée’s decline. Filmmaker – Florence Lafond; Country – Canada; Runtime -14:30 A Sunflower in Delhi – (Doc Short) In a tiny women’s only beauty parlour, generations of devoted customers, including the filmmaker’s family, reflect on letting their hair go grey. The film meanders between the intimate oasis of the Sunflower Chinese Beauty Parlour and the bustling city landscape outside. Filmmaker – Revantika Gupta; Country – India; Runtime -23:00