Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2025

Event Info

Celebrating its 19th year, the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival is in full-swing 13-19 October 2025. This festival celebrates everything film, emphasising and platforming stories which often don’t get the coverage they deserve within mainstream media. Some of the films are even being shown in the London Film Festival, such as ‘Dreamers’, or the closing film, ‘Pillion’, so save yourself the journey and attend Iris instead.

You may be asking yourself: Why should I come to Iris, can’t I just watch films from home? The Film Festival is more than just watching these films however, and it gives you the opportunity to meet with the talent both on and off the camera, and likeminded film-lovers. Throw yourself into everything Iris and join the community.

You never know who you might bump into, as in the past you may have ran into Dame Kelly Holmes or Russell T Davies. Who knows who you might find in 2025. Additionally, the festival is going to be full of parties, talks, and for those interested in the practical side of filmmaking, an Industry Day.

Despite being an LGBTQ+ festival, Iris welcomes all film-lovers regardless of sexuality or gender, and organisers are proud that 30% of the audience identify as cisgender and straight. Speaking to the Iris Founder, Berwyn Rowlands said:

“Iris is a film festival, which made a conscious decision to focus on LGBTQ+ stories. Iris for me has always been a film festival first, with our audience getting to see stories that the mainstream sometimes ignores. Our straight audience play an important part in helping us share LGBTQ+ stories with a new audience. Once you’ve experienced the joy of Iris you will return.”

FIVE KEY FACTS ABOUT IRIS 2025:

1. The main Iris Prize is a whopping £40,000 supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation.
2. 35 films have their eye on the main prize with a film from Turkey and Pakistan competing for the first time.
3. Iris is more than shorts as it is screening 13 feature films.
4. The festival started off as a three-day event in 2007 and this year it is a full week.
5. The festival team has produced 13 short films with the winners of the Iris Prize with a further two in pre-production.