Filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria's critically acclaimed gay themed love story 'LOEV' will bring the curtains down on the eighth edition of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi's 'Signature Move' will kick-off the film festival, which will take place from May 24-28, and will screen films reflecting the lives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities.

"'LOEV' is a gentle sensitive romantic film that stays close to the love triangle and doesn't stray into typical Indian family melodrama or coming out angst. Shot and edited beautifully it is a very evocative film that touches your heart and makes you smile, laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters," festival director Sridhar Rangayan said in a statement.

'LOEV', which had its world premiere at Estonia's Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has travelled to several film festivals including Jeonju International Film Festival, Istanbul International Film Festival and Transilvania International Film Festival.

Besides Shabana, "Signature Move" also features Fawzia Mirza. Directed by Jennifer Reed, the film is about a Pakistani Muslim lesbian woman living in Chicago with her mother.

"We are delighted to be opening the film festival with a 'desi' film Signature Move' and closing the festival with an Indian film LOEV'. Both are marvellous in the way they handle romance, the first between two women who are racially diverse, and the other between three men who are diametrically opposite.

"The maturity of handling the subject matter in both the films is remarkable, truly heralding the coming-of-age of South Asian LGBTQ cinema," Rangayan added.