Russell T Davies, Heartstopper’s Euros Lyn, and author Emily Garside will all be leading sessions
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY IRIS PRIZE
Who else is getting ready for the highly anticipated Iris Prize Festival this year? In addition to all the amazing films on offer, there will also be a number of sessions with industry experts throughout the week. Among these speakers will be Heartstopper director Euros Lyn, Emily Garside and highly acclaimed director and screenwriter Russell T Davies.
On 11 October, Euros Lyn will be discussing the power of queer joy at the Vue Cinema in Cardiff, focusing notably on the success of the Heartstopper series. 12 October sees author Emily Garside discussing her new exploratory book Gay Aliens And Queer Folk, diving deep into the works and worlds of the trailblazing Russell T Davies.
“Gay Aliens and Queer Folk takes a deep dive into the queer narratives Russell T Davies has brought to our screens, exploring how each work created new space for LGBTQIA stories to enter our living rooms, and looking at their impact on the people who saw themselves reflected on mainstream television, often for the first time,” Emily said.
Friday 13 October offers a new session to the Festival called The Queer Archive – In Or Out. Hosted by Paul ‘Stumpy Davies, the first Mr Gay Wales with a physical disability, the session is a bit like a queer Room 101. And finally, on 14 October the trailblazing Russell T Davies will be speaking about his work, from Queer As Folk and It’s A Sin to Doctor Who.
There will also be a number of other talks throughout the week such as Shorts To Features with Fawzia Mirza (11 Oct), Breaking Into Documentary Storytelling (12 Oct), and a Directing Masterclass with Peter Hoar (15 Oct).
Tickets are available at irisprize.org/2023-box-office or in person from 10 -15 October 2023 at the Festival Box Office at Vue Cardiff.
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