Iris Prize Festival

18/06/2026

A fantastic night in Connecticut! 🎉
Our new partner festival showcased a brilliant programme of international award-winning shorts — and gave Iris a warm welcome.

📸 Pictured are Iris Prize Company Manager, Grant Vidgen with Out Film CT Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival Director, Shane Engstrom (and some giant popcorn) 🍿

17/06/2026

Great coverage in today’s Guardian Newspaper! Celebrating our 20th anniversary!

17/06/2026

Iris is coming home for 2026!
We are thrilled to announce that for our 20th Anniversary festival, we will be returning to Cineworld Cardiff which hosted the first ever Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Berwyn Rowlands, Iris Prize Festival Director, said: "It feels very nostalgic to be returning to Cineworld in this anniversary year. Together with Chapter in Canton, we will be back with the original Dream Team!"

📸 Photo: Christoph Scheermann, his short film Cake and Sand (Germany) was shortlisted for the Iris Prize, pictured outside Cineworld Cardiff in October 2010.

11/06/2026

Le***an Space Princess Posters are up in Cardiff!

We're thrilled to see Le***an Space Princess by Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs, which screened at Iris 2025, now arriving at . 🚀💖

Many of you will remember joining us in Cardiff for a fantastic post-screening Q&A.

Don't miss your chance to catch

Screening 18–25 June

***anSpacePrincess

05/06/2026

Six weeks on from its unforgettable Welsh Premiere, and now Madfabulous is finally here. ✨🎬

The wait is over — you can catch Madfabulous in UK cinemas from today.

🎥 Reel by USW Drama & Performance – Adfywiad Revival

04/06/2026

We're so proud to see our very own Mathew David Hill recognised as one of FOR Cardiff's first Local Heroes. ❤️
Part of the Iris family since 2014, MDH has helped make Cardiff feel like home for countless filmmakers and audiences.

MDH said:
"I've always enjoyed meeting people, With Iris I get to welcome international filmmakers to Cardiff during the annual LGBTQ+ film festival. The response is universal with everybody falling in love with the Iris family and mesmerized by Cardiff charm! I've always thought if we could bottle Cardiff charm we could make a fortune! This recognition is much appreciated especially in this our 20th anniversary year!”

Berwyn Rowlands said:
"Mathew is a key member of Team Iris. It became obvious to me I could delegate everything to Mathew and let him get on with things. After a few years visiting guest would be more excited to meet him than they would about meeting me! I'm happy with this! Mathew has the energy of a fully charged battery that just keeps going on and on. He loves people, he loves Cardiff and he loves Iris. I can't imagine an Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival without him. This recognition is wonderful, and much deserved."

Congratulations Mathew Pembridge-Hill

https://irisprize.org/blog/for-cardiffs-first-local-heroes/

03/06/2026

Submissions for Iris Prize 2026 are now closed!
A huge thank you to every filmmaker who trusted us with their story. ❤️

We've received films from 57 countries and are on course for our highest number of submissions ever!

The journey to Iris20 is officially underway, with our pre-selection jury already hard at work watching submissions from around the world.

🎬 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2026
📍 Cardiff
📅 12–18 October

🎟️ Weekend Passes are on sale now for just £70 until 30 June.
www.irisprize.org

01/06/2026

🌈 Happy Pride Month from Team Iris 🌈
Every Pride starts with a story.
For 20 years, Iris has been sharing LGBTQ+ stories from Wales and around the world — stories that make us laugh, cry, think, and feel a little less alone.

If you’re in Cardiff, join us for the Iris Pre-Pride Dinner on 11 June at Bangkok Cafe and spend an evening with Iris members, friends and supporters.

Not in Cardiff? There are plenty of ways to be part of the Iris family.

🎬 Watch incredible LGBTQ+ films, including 15 Best British Shorts and 3 Iris Prize productions (Burger, Cardiff and Spoilers) now available on Channel 4.

🎟️ Catch Iris films at a cinema near you as part of Iris on the Move.

❤️ Become an Iris Member and support LGBTQ+ storytelling while enjoying exclusive discounts, special events, and member benefits throughout the year.

✨ Looking ahead to our 20th anniversary festival? Our Iris20 Weekend Pass is available for just £70 until 30 June — saving you £30 and giving you access to an unforgettable festival weekend this October.

Wherever and however you celebrate Pride this month, thank you for being part of the Iris story.

12-18 Oct 2026 | In Cardiff | www.irisprize.org

30/05/2026

https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-lgbtq-film-festival-named-among-worlds-best-for-filmmakers/

A Welsh film festival celebrating LGBTQ+ storytelling has once again been named among the world’s best festivals for independent filmmakers. Iris Prize was recognised in the US publication MovieMaker Magazine’s list of ’50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee’ for the sixth time in 2026. The widely...

28/05/2026

Thanks to all that attended our sunny summer party yesterday!

We’re keeping the 20th Anniversary celebrations going with our Pre-Pride Dinner on Thursday 11th June and we’d love to see you there:
https://bit.ly/43lzJlK