Iris Prize


The Iris Prize, established in 2007 by The Festivals Company, is an international LGBT film prize which is open to any film which is by, for, about or of interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex audiences and which must have been completed within two years of the prize deadline.
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 a four-day festival held in Cardiff that presents a programme of screenings including the competing films, several feature films, panel sessions with visiting film makers and culminates in a closing night award ceremony.
The Iris Prize has secured the support of lesbian and gay film festivals from around the world, creating a single international platform with the intention of raising the profile of lesbian and gay cinema and helping a new generation of filmmakers achieve success on the international stage. Each of the partner festivals selects one film annually to participate in the Iris Prize. The partner festivals include Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney Film Festival, Dublin, London, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami, Montreal, Hong Kong, and Rochester.
The journalist Andrew Pierce became the first chair of the Iris Prize in 2013.

Iris Prize Winners

Each of the partner festivals listed below will select one film that will be automatically shortlisted for the Iris Prize.