Iris Prize - the ‘Oscars’ of the LGBTQ+ short film world opens for submissions

  Cardiff to host the world’s best LGBTQ+ short films once again in 2023

14 awards, including new for 2023, Iris Prize Best British Performance Beyond the Binary, sponsored by Out 

Organisers of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ short film festival have today (16 January 2023) announced that submissions are open for the 17^th edition of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival to be held in Cardiff, Tuesday 10 October to Sunday 15 October 2023.

The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival is looking for amazing short and feature films and has 14 awards to hand out including the internationally coveted £30,000 Iris Prize supported by the Michael Bishop Foundation.

Closer to home, the winner of the Iris Prize Best British Short sponsored by Film4 and Pinewood Studios will receive a package of services sponsored by Pinewood Studios and all of the nominated films are eligible for consideration for BAFTA and can automatically be entered by the filmmakers. All films in the Best British 2023 shortlist will be broadcast on Film4 and streamed on their online streaming service, All4, as part of Film4’s continuing support for the Festival.

The festival has also confirmed a new category for this year, Iris Prize Best British Performance Beyond the Binary, supported by Out & Proud.

William Rutter, Out & Proud said: “In 2022, Out & Proud was delighted to sponsor the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival for the first time. This year we have extended our support even further by sponsoring even more awards and so, in 2023, we enthusiastically look forward to supporting LGBTQ+ performers and film makers worldwide.

“Through our sponsorship we aim to help recognise and reward the phenomenal efforts that have gone in to producing films not just made by the LGBTQ+ community but also telling LGBTQ+ stories. The Out & Proud App is a real-time what's on guide and support directory for the LGBTQ+ community and for us working alongside Iris not only seems a natural partnership but a perfect one too.”

The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival will present 14 awards in the following categories:  

·        Iris Prize – the largest LGBTQ+ short film prize in the world supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation
   

·        Iris Prize Best British Short sponsored by Film4 and Pinewood Studios  

·        Iris Prize Best British Performance in a Female Role sponsored by Out & Proud   

·        Iris Prize Best British Performance in a Male Role sponsored by Out & Proud 

·        Iris Prize Best British Performance Beyond the Binary sponsored by Out & Proud 

·        Iris Prize Best Feature, sponsored by Bad Wolf 

·        Best Performance in a Female Role in a feature film, sponsored by DIVA Magazine 

·        Best Performance in a Male Role in a feature film, sponsored by Attitude Magazine 

·        Best Performance Beyond the Binary in a feature film, sponsored by Peccadillo Pictures
 

·        Youth Jury Award sponsored by Cardiff University
   

·        Community Award sponsored by Mark Williams in memory of Rose Taylor  

·        Education Award sponsored by Mark Williams in memory of Rose Taylor  

·        Micro Short Award sponsored by Mark Williams in memory of Rose Taylor
   

·        Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award

Berwyn Rowlands, Iris Prize Festival Director said: “This is an exciting time of the year for me personally, and the wider Team Iris, when we make the call for submissions, during one of the darkest and often most dismal months of the year.

“Every year we build on the success of the previous year, and this year we are pleased to announce that we will be awarding a new prize for Best British Performance Beyond the Binary. This award joins the two new performance awards introduced last year, thanks to the sponsorship of Out & Proud. Having another performance award will hopefully encourage more actors to join the host of directors, producers, and writers who attend the festival every October.”

Submissions are being processed via Filmfreeway and the link is here.

The main festival sponsors are: The Michael Bishop Foundation; Creative Wales, a Welsh Government agency that supports the creative sectors in Wales; the BFI awarding funds from The National Lottery; Ffilm Cymru Wales; Film4; University of South Wales; Cardiff University; Co-op Respect; Bad Wolf; S4C; Gorilla Group; Peccadillo Pictures; Pinewood Studios; Attitude Magazine; Diva Magazine; The Ministry Venues; FROOT and Aberystwyth University. The festival also works in partnership with BAFTA Cymru, Pride Cymru and Stonewall Cymru.