Iris Prize International Short Film Competition shortlist revealed

The shortlist of international filmmakers competing for the coveted £30,000 Iris Prize International Short Film Competition has been unveiled today.

This year’s shortlist features films from 17 countries, including two from the UK, one from Ireland, and ten from the USA.

The 35 films that have made the cut for the prestigious international Iris Prize will be screened in person at the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival – a celebration of global stories and Cardiff charm.

“Blessed”

The Iris Prize has 25 partner festivals who nominated 18 of the shortlisted films, with the remainder chosen by a pre-selection jury.  The shortlisted films tell stories ranging from recounting tales of past loves; loving across the generations; acceptance; and crossing the line between friendship and love.     

Berwyn Rowlands, Iris Prize Film Festival Director, said: “This year, we are blessed with 35 gorgeous short films that tell a variety of stories we can directly relate to.

“At a time when we are seeing more and more LGBTQ+ stories available on mainstream platforms, the Iris Prize shortlist continues to be an important addition as we share authentic stories that the mainstream can sometimes be accused of ignoring.  

“Our shortlist comes from 17 countries with two from the UK and one from Ireland.  Personally, I’m pleased to see a film, from Wales, has made the cut to the international shortlist.

“Once again, we will be hosting the festival from Stadium Plaza our popular HQ and home to Vue Cinema, in the centre of Cardiff, in the shadow of the Principality Stadium.  We are looking forward to welcoming back the public, film fans, industry specialists and filmmakers, to the festival in October.”

Berwyn added: “The success of Iris relies on many things, and one of the most important is the generosity of our volunteers, that ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the festival’ and our wonderful and growing number of members who support and share the love of the Iris family. 

“Anyone is welcome to become a member of Iris, and one of the perks of membership is the chance to buy tickets a week early, from 2 September.

“Of course, Iris isn’t just about the short film competitions. We will be screening 13 feature films from across the world, films created by student filmmakers, and our community projects. 

“We will also be hosting industry talks.  Our full programme will be revealed on 9 September, so save the date and come and join us for a feast of global stories and Cardiff charm between 8 and 13 October.”

Shortlist

You can view all the shortlisted films with extra details about the directors here.

11:01 | Dir. Jimi Drosinos | UK | 29 mins

A former dancer returns to her hometown, encountering an unexpected heartwarming connection with a girl who has Down syndrome.

all the words but the one | Dir. Nava Mau | USA | 18 mins

A dinner with her partner’s new boss becomes precarious when Maya realizes she’s also dining with someone from her past.

Alok | Dir. Alex Hedison | USA | 19 mins

Filmmaker Alex Hedison delivers a compelling portrait of her friend, Alok Vaid-Menon, the internationally acclaimed, non-binary, author, poet, comedian, and public speaker.

Blood Like Water | Dir. Dima Hamdan | Palestine | 14 mins

Shadi embarks on a secret adventure, and accidentally drags his family into a trap where they only have two choices; either collaborate with the Israeli occupation or be shamed and humiliated by their own people.

Boys in the Water | Dir. Pawel Thomas Larue | France | 39 mins

End of summer on the Breton coast. Oscar invites his group of friends to spend a week’s vacation at his grandparent’s house. He hasn’t been back to his childhood home for years – not since he came out as a trans boy. On the beach, the gang meets Malo, a handsome local guy, also trans. The story is about their meeting, which will turn everything upside down.

Bunk | Dir. Piotr Jasiński | Czech Republic | 21 mins

After learning that his best friend Ales is gay, Tomas tries to find out whether their friendship still makes sense.

Bust | Dir. Angalis Field | USA | 11 mins

A trans girl cop with the NYPD goes undercover to make a drug bust.

Come Correct | Dir. Molly Coffee | USA | 15 mins

Recently divorced from her husband, a woman with an unhealthy relationship with perfection explores her newfound queerness by hiring a female sex worker to teach her how to eat fruit.

Die Bully Die | Dir. Nathan & Nick Lacey | Australia | 16 mins

Die Bully Die follows Max, who catches up with his high school bully, Adam, 17 years later, in a fancy restaurant where Max’s grudge against Adam begins to manifest in horrific ways.

Dildotectónica | Dir. Tomás Paula Marques | Portugal | 16 mins

Today, Rebeca attempts to create a collection of non-phallic ceramic dildos. During the Inquisition, Josefa finds a dildo that is used in their forbidden love relationship with Maria. Although in different timelines, the paths of Rebeca and Josefa end up crossing each other.

Don’t Forget Me | Dir. Alice Wang | Canada | 19 mins 

After discovering her recently deceased grandmother’s secret love letters, a Chinese-Canadian millennial and her girlfriend try to track down the recipient to deliver her grandmother’s last letter.

Former Best Friend | Dir. Feicien Feng | Hong Kong | 27 mins

Yi, who is about to get married, returns to his hometown to see his parents, meanwhile, he ran into his old friend Zhong. Their discreet past was revealed, and they are no longer the two teenagers they used to be.

G Flat | Dir. Peter Darney | UK | 18 mins

An 84-year-old stroke survivor sends for a sex worker leading to an unexpected climax.

Gigi | Dir. Cynthia Calvi | France | 14 mins

From the tormented little mermaid to the fulfilled woman she is today, Gigi tells us about her gender transition with humour and sensitivity.

Heroines | Dir. Astré Desrives | France | 29 mins

Jersey, 1940. Threatened by the German troops’ arrival, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, lesbian and Jewish artists, decided to resist. Armed with their imagination, they create the “nameless soldier” army.

Honeymoon | Dir. Alkis Papastathopoulos | Greece | 25 mins

After a traumatising event involving the cops, Fay is leaving Greece for good. Sandra accompanies her to the bus station, taking this time as a chance to say goodbye. As they are travelling by bus across the country, a transphobic attack by two co-passengers leaves them stranded on a highway in the middle of nowhere.

I Never Promised You A Jasmine Garden | Dir. Teyama Alkamli | Canada | 20 mins

Tara, a queer Palestinian woman in her late 20s, attempts to suppress her internal emotional turbulence during a phone call with her best friend Sarab.

iykyk | Dir. Bonita Rajpurohit | India | 18 mins

We follow Kusum, a trans girl on a series of dates with boys; As they find themselves trying to straddle the line of respecting her boundaries and expressing themselves and failing at it most of the time.

Jia | Dir. Vee Shi | Australia | 15 mins

A grieving Chinese mother travels to Australia and embarks on a road trip with Eric, to remember her late son. Ming’s conservative values are tested when she learns Eric was her son’s lover.

Kasbi | Dir. Farah Jabir | USA | 12 mins

A middle-aged Pakistani housewife, in search of herself, hires a young, self-assured sex worker to keep her company for the night.

Love, Jamie | Dir. Karla Murthy | USA | 20 mins

The story of Jamie Diaz, a trans artist incarcerated in Texas, and an enduring friendship that brought her art of liberation and pride to the world outside.

Mami | Dir. Alecio Araci | Sweden | 7 mins

The matriarch of the family is worried. One of her grandchildren doesn’t come to visit and she doesn’t understand why, but soon a phone call comes that changes everything.

mar(i)cona | Dir. Cande Lázaro | Spain | 13 mins

An intimate reflection on the relationship between territory and trans identity, rurality and queerness, norm and dissidence, mapping out a space of expression between audiovisual essay and personal cinema.

Marungka tjalatjunu (Dipped in black) | Dir. Matthew Thorne & Derik Lynch | Australia | 24 mins

Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) follows Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch’s road trip back to Country for spiritual healing, as memories from his childhood return. A journey from the oppression of white city life in Adelaide, back home to his remote Anangu Community (Aputula) to perform on sacred Inma ground.

MnM | Dir. Twiggy Pucci Garçon | USA | 15 mins

MnM is an exuberant portrait of chosen sisters Mermaid and Milan, two emerging runway divas in the drag ballroom community. Celebrating their joy, siblinghood, and unapologetic personas, the film explores the power and beauty of being nonbinary in a community that prizes gender ‘realness’.

Niloo | Dir. Mehdi Koushki | Iran | 10 mins

A film about a young girl who gives birth to a baby by her abusive father and is debating what action to take next.

Nyame Mma (Children of God) | Dir. Joewackle J Kusi | Ghana | 27 mins

Following his father’s sudden death, a young man returns home for the funeral, and closure with him as he journeys to the afterworld. The film explores how the lack of space for male grieving makes their loss very isolating.

Pill Nation | Dir. Bruno Tadeu | Brazil | 22 mins

Dante is an old gay activist who refuses to retire. Facing the inevitable end of his existence, he decides to fulfil his old plans of opening the first LGBTQIA+ retirement house in Brazil, ignoring the advice of his great friend, Francisca, who argues that they no longer need to care.

The Performance | Dir. Claire Zhou | Netherlands | 20 mins

Lin is preparing her solo performance for the Chinese New Year celebration at her church. When rumours start circulating about her son, she is faced with a difficult choice: will she hide or show her true self?

Rat! | Dir. Neal Suresh Mulani | USA | 17 mins

When a disgruntled music journalist accuses a global pop star of queerbaiting, the singer’s devoted fans seek retribution.

Ready for Ransom | Dir. Simon Dickel | Germany | 16 mins

A biographical film about a so-called “conversion-therapy”, a belated filmic obituary, a meditation on loss and love, and a reflection on the filmmaker’s friendship with the late protagonist.

SKIN | Dir. Leo Behrens | USA | 7 mins

SKIN is a poetic exploration of identity and self-discovery, using visual symbolism to depict a woman’s transformation into a man.

Some Kind of Paradise | Dir. Nicholas Finegan | USA | 22 mins

When a reclusive barman at an Arkansas line-dancing bar meets a Puerto-Rican film actor via Grindr, the intimacy they share leaves him questioning the isolated life he’s built for himself.

Terratoma | Dir. Liadán Roche | Ireland | 24 mins

Alice tries to make sense of a relationship that stole two years of her life through an invasive and deeply personal film project. After finding someone who looks just like her ex, she begins to weave him into this project without his knowledge.

Where We Stay | Dir. Florence Bouvy | Netherlands | 23 mins

Longtime friends Carry (31) and Daniel (28) have never acknowledged their underlying feelings for each other. Now that Carry is dying, time is running out.

Full details about Iris Prize can be found here.

This year, the 18^th edition of the festival runs from 8 – 13 October and the box office opens for general sales on 9 September, (members have priority booking from 2 September), with Full Festival Passes, Day Passes, and Weekend Pass already available.