Kashmiri Queer Love Story Wins Big at Canadian Film Festival
Filmmaker Onir’s latest queer drama has picked up major recognition on the international festival circuit.
At the 27th ReelOut Queer Film Festival in Kingston, Ontario, Kashmiri debut actor Sava Javeid received the Kim Renders Memorial Award for Best Supporting Performance for her role in We Are Faheem & Karun.
The festival, founded in 1999, has grown into a prominent platform for 2SLGBTQ+ cinema, showcasing films from Canada and around the world. This year’s programme featured 65 narrative and documentary features and short films from 16 countries.
A Love Story Set in Kashmir
We Are Faheem & Karun is a same-sex love story set in the Kashmir Valley.
The film follows Karun, a young security guard from southern India posted to a remote village. There, he forms a bond with Faheem, a Kashmiri student. As their relationship deepens, the two must navigate religious tensions, geographic divides and the pressures of deeply entrenched institutions.
Javeid plays Faheem’s mother - a quietly supportive figure who accepts her son’s sexuality and tries to shield him from the forces around them.
Casting and Creative Choices
Onir discovered Javeid in Srinagar, where she runs a heritage homestay. Though not a professional actor, she had prior experience in school theatre and connected personally to the role as a mother.
The director has said that during filming he was struck by her natural presence on screen and expanded her role accordingly.
Festival Run and Release Plans
The film has already travelled to more than 30 international festivals and previously earned Onir a Best Director award at the UK Asian Film Festival.
We Are Faheem & Karun is currently slated for release in June 2026.
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