Organisers of the Iris Prize have announced details of the 15 short films competing for the Best British Award at the 2019 Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival. The winner who will be presented with a prize valued at £20,000 from sponsors Pinewood Studios Group, will be announced during the October film festival in Cardiff, Wales.
“This shortlist is possibly the most eclectic mix competing for the Iris Prize Best British award that I can remember,” said Berwyn Rowlands, festival director. “As with the best of modern British short film, these are tales spanning animation, documentary, comedy, science fiction and beyond. Luckily the shortlisted filmmakers have remembered that regardless of genre you must tell a story, and can this lot tell a story. But there is a sense of unease through some of the films this year, whether through honest depictions of coming out as transgender in modern Britain or a look back to the past which feels all too familiar. The stories cover a documentary attempting to rediscover our recent history, a vision of the future which will keep you awake at night and a dark comedy which will have you screaming in your cinema chair.”
The full list of competing films features at least two filmmakers returning to Cardiff. Joe Morris is nominated for a second time, following Junk in 2010. Jason Bradbury, who has already experienced life as an Iris jury member in 2015, returns to Cardiff this year with a film in competition.
The full list of nominated films:
• Becoming Cherrie (Dir. Nicky Larkin)
• Invisible Women (Dir. Alice Smith)
• We Are Dancers (Dir. Joe Morris)
• #TradWives (Dir. Anna Snowball)
• Fee (Dir. Guen Murroni)
• Starboy (Dir. Joelle Bentolila)
• Dead Birds (Dir. Johnny Kenton)
• My Brother Is A Mermaid (Dir. Alfie Dale)
• Marco (Dir. Saleem Haddad)
• Deep Clean (Dir. David Wilson)
• Dix Pix (Dir. Steven Fraser)
• Hey You (Dir. Jared Watmuff)
• Dubs (Dir. Anthony Greyley)
• My Sweet Prince (Dir. Jason Bradbury)
• My Loneliness is Killing Me (Dir. Tim Courtney)
You can read more about each film, the directors and view trailers HERE.
Early Bird Passes still available
The Early Bird Passes are VERY limited, so book now to guarantee your Iris 2019 experience for the cheapest possible price. Get tickets at www.irisprize.org/tickets
The main festival sponsors are: The Michael Bishop Foundation, Welsh Government, BFI, BBC Cymru Wales, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Pinewood Studios Group, Cardiff University, For Cardiff, Bad Wolf, Gorilla Group, Co-op Respect, University of South Wales and Cineworld. The festival also works in partnership with BAFTA Cymru, Pride Cymru and Stonewall Cymru.
The Iris Prize – Cardiff’s International LGBT Short Film Prize is supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation and at £30,000 continues to be the only LGBT+ short film prize in the world which allows the winner to make a new film. In 2017 and 2018 Iris was identified as one of the “top 50 film festivals worth the entry fee” by MovieMaker Magazine and promoted by BAFTA to A-list festival status, alongside Cannes and Sundance, by officially being recognised as a qualifying festival for the BAFTA awards.
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