The Iris Prize turns 20: Cardiff's queer film festival

Cardiff has spent the last week wrapped up in queer cinema, and today brings the curtain down on a big one. The Iris Prize, one of the world's most respected LGBTQ+ short film festivals, has just finished its 20th edition, which ran from Monday 12 to Sunday 18 October. Two decades is a long stretch for any festival, and the Iris Prize has used the milestone to lean into its Welsh roots while keeping its international eyes wide open.

For context, the festival is a BAFTA and BIFA qualifier, so it is not just a local showcase; it is a genuine stepping stone for short filmmakers. The central Iris Prize comes with £40,000, backed by the Michael Bishop Foundation, and the winner is invited to make a new LGBTQ+ short film here in Wales. The Best British Award, sponsored by Film4 and Pinewood Studios, lands its shortlisted films on Film4 and Channel 4 for a year, which is a huge platform for anyone working in short film.

This year's programme was the biggest yet, with 672 entries — up 20% on 2025. Out of those, 35 shorts made the main competition, hailing from 22 countries and presented in 14 different languages and formats, alongside 15 films competing for the Best British Award, 16 feature films and five public Iris Talks. It opened on the 12th with five new shorts by Welsh filmmakers, including 'Love Is Not An Emotion' by Will Collins and 'Cranogwen a Fi' by Mari Izzard, and it closed today with the announcement of the 20th Iris Prize winner.

The feature film line-up was a real mix. There was 'Desert Hearts', Donna Deitch's 1986 US film set in 1959 about a professor and a free spirit; 'Sunday Boyfriends' from Mexico, directed by Gabriel Ordóñez, who also stars; 'I Am Going To Miss You' from Brazil, directed by Daniel Ribeiro, who had previously won the Iris Prize in 2011; 'Lesbian Lines', Cara Holmes' hybrid documentary about a community of lesbians building an underground network of helplines; 'Chatlines', a British film about two terminally ill men connecting through a video chat app; and the Welsh mystery-thriller 'Black Church Bay', directed by Rhys Marc Jones.

The week was built around themed days, each with its own focus. Education Day on the 13th, Community Day on the 14th — which introduced the first-ever Iris Prize Student Short Film Award, with actor and filmmaker Tom Cullen chairing the jury — Industry Day on the 15th, and Best British Day on the 16th, which included a celebratory lunch at the Clayton Hotel Cardiff with a performance by patron Heather Small and the awards at Stifyn Parri's Bar. The 17th was the Iris20 Celebration at BBC Cymru Wales, and today is the final announcement.

If you missed the in-person screenings, the festival lives on online across the UK until 31 October. A £10 pass gives you 15 programmes and 78 films, plus a vote for the Co-op Audience Award, with individual programmes available for £2. It is a handy way to catch up on a programme that, at 20 years in, continues to be one of the most significant dates on the UK's LGBTQ+ film calendar.