In the height of the summer sun, it seems somewhat churlish to be thinking about Fall, yet it’s just 17 days to Labor Day, which heralds its start.  It’s not all bad news, as Fall means to us the Annual Iris Prize Festival in Wales, which in its 17-year history has done so much to nurture and reward up-and-coming queer filmmakers.

The prize is open to filmmakers from around the world and judged by a panel of international filmmakers and artists. The winner receives the largest prize for a gay and lesbian film in the world—a package valued at £30,000—allowing the winner to make their next film. It is awarded during an annual festival held in Cardiff that presents a programme of screenings including the competing films, several feature films, panel sessions with visiting filmmakers and culminates in a closing night award ceremony.  The money is a great windfall for the winners, but beyond that it’s the prestige of the Iris that will help catapult the filmmaker’s careers.

They have included Dee Rees (Pariah), Daniel Ribeiro (I Want To Go Back Alone) Eldar Rapaport (Steam) Lloyd Eyre-Morgan (Closets) Shiva Raichandani (Queer Parivaar) etc etc  

For this year, the Iris Prize has announced a shortlist of three for the Documentary Film Finance Fund, and one of them will have the premiere of their film on the opening night of the 20th Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Fim Festival in October 2026

Hidden in Conflict  from Damian Kerlin 
A compelling documentary uncovering Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community’s hidden narratives during the Troubles, revealing their struggles, resilience, and determination to find love, safety, and visibility amid political and societal oppression.   Kerlin is  a journalist, broadcaster and content creator. As well as writing and managing his own blog, h has written for the likes of  Attitude, The Telegraph and The Independent. He is a regular columnist for Out News Global and a feature writer for The Belfast Telegraph where he writes on LGBTQ+ culture and current affairs.

Pan Trans True Romance – Amy Derrick 
Tami and Ash navigate the complexities of love and marriage, as they face their own cultural and religious differences, amidst eroding rights for the transgender community. Can love truly conquer all?

Wear I Am – Vicky Morton 
Inspired by the work of trans-led mutual aid project TIN Wardrobe, Wear I Am follows a single gender-affirming care package on its journey from sender to recipient. Beginning with Leith, founder of TIN Wardrobe, the film explores his personal story and the tender ritual of assembling the parcel. As the box travels across the UK to reach a young TIN person in an isolated area, Wear I Am becomes a quiet meditation on visibility, solidarity, and the transformative power of being seen.  Morton is An extremely versatile and multi-skilled filmmaker with over 15 years of experience. With credits to her name at BBC and Netflix, she has worked extensively across fiction and documentary, accumulating in co-writing and then directing the critically acclaimed 5 part documentary series – The Dragon on my Shirt