Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2026: Best of Iris

Best of Iris comes to Chapter on Sunday 18 October, a specially selected programme of award-winning LGBTQ+ short films that serves as the finale to the 2026 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival. It brings together the 2026 Iris Prize winner, the 2026 Best British Short winner, and other films recognised by the festival juries, all drawn from the finest LGBTQ+ short films made around the world.

There's a fair bit riding on these awards. The Iris Prize winner receives £40,000, supported by the Michael Bishop Foundation, to make a new LGBTQ+ short film in the UK. The Best British Short winner leads a celebration of home-grown filmmaking, with every 2026 Best British shortlisted film reaching audiences across the UK through Film4 and Channel 4. This particular screening gathers those winners and the other jury-recognised films into one session, so you get the top end of the festival in one go.

It's a fitting way to close the festival, too. This is the 20th edition of the Iris Prize, and the Best of Iris is presented as the finale. If you've been following the festival throughout its run, this is the one that pulls the highlights together. If you're just coming in for the end, it's a good place to start, as it puts the prize-winning work from around the world on one screen.

There are three screenings on the day: 1.30pm, 5.15pm and 7.20pm, so you can pick the time that suits you best. All of them are at Chapter in Cardiff.