Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2025

Event Info

The Iris Prize is a film and media organisation committed to increasing audiences for LGBTQ+ stories. Their main projects include the annual Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival and Iris on the Move, our UK wide touring programme.

Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival brings filmmakers from around the world to Cardiff, Wales, UK. Iris is home to the largest short film prize in the world – the coveted £40,000 Iris Prize. Supported by the Michael Bishop Foundation, the prize allows the winner to make their next LGBTQ+ short film here in Cardiff.

Iris also works with Film4 to share all Best British shortlisted films which are streaming now on Channel 4, the UK’s biggest free streaming service.

Through Iris on the Move, the festival extends its reach beyond Cardiff, taking LGBTQ+ films on tour to 30 venues across the UK. These screenings offer a rare opportunity for audiences the rare opportunity to engage directly with filmmakers, through Q+As, and festival staff, confirming Iris is about screening stories that the mainstream can sometimes ignore.

The 19th festival will take place in person from 13-19 October 2025 and Iris Online will be available for viewers in the UK until the end of October.