Taking place from 13 October to 19 October, Iris is an unmissable event for lovers of queer film
BY NIC CROSARA
The hotly anticipated return of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival is right around the corner. Returning to Cardiff on 13 October, this year’s programme boasts a diverse range of global LGBTQIA+ stories. Yesterday, the festival released the four fantastic short films that attendees can look forward to seeing at this year’s opening night.
One of the films being showcased on opening night that I think would appeal to many a DIVA is Jackie. Directed by Emily Sargent, this documentary explores the life of Jackie Forster, a groundbreaking yet widely unknown LGBTQIA+ rights campaigner. Jackie ran an underground donor sperm operation to help queer women have children. This is also the third film to be made with the Iris Prize Documentary Film Finance Fund sponsored by OUTFlix.
What else do attendees have to look forward to on opening night?
- You’ll get to see the world premiere of Never Never Never by John Sheedy, winner of the 2022 Iris Prize.
- And just in time for spooky season, you’ll also see the S4C-commissioned Welsh language horror film Y Tolldy. This will notably be the first showing of the must-see film.
- There will be a showing of Snapped Strings, which was produced through Every Child A Filmmaker Project with Into Film and Willows High School
- If you’re a lover of photography, you won’t want to miss Behind The Scenes: Pink Portraits @ Bad Wolf, directed by Harrison Williams.
Berwyn Rowlands, Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival Director, said: “Opening night for me is like Christmas morning, the excitement of seeing everybody arriving, knowing they’ve got seven days to watch films, talk about films and enjoy Cardiff charm. I try not to get too excited and pace myself, which is difficult because for one week Cardiff becomes the most important place on Earth for people who love Iris and LGBTQ+ stories.”
Want to know what else is screening at this year’s festival? Check out the official programme for 2025.
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