Iris Prize: LGBTQ+ Film Festival announces Opening Night films
The 17th edition of the Iris Prize runs from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 October
Ahead of its return this week, the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival has unveiled the four films that will be screening on Opening Night (Tuesday 10 October)
The four films are A Cardiff Ghost Story, Some Girls Hate Dresses, Penguin, and Diomysus. All of the films minus Some Girls Hate Dresses, are getting their premieres at Iris. Three of the films were made in Wales and all are made by women.
Hosting the 2023 Iris Prize festival will be S4C’s Angharad Mair, as well as performer Jolene Dover. The South Wales Gay Men’s Chorus will also be on hand for some magical entertainment. Adam Knopf (Lost Boys and Fairies), Mena Fombo (Some Girls Hate Dresses), and Emily Morus-Jones (Diomysus) are among the Opening Night’s special guests.
Proceedings start at Vue Cinema from 7pm with a post-screening party supported by the Co-op, Cote Cardiff City Centre, and The Cinnamon Tree Pontcanna.
Details for the four films showing on Iris’ Opening Night can be found below:
A Cardiff Ghost Story
An animated love letter to the city and two little known queer Welsh icons who broke boundaries during their lifetimes. Written and made with love by people who love and live there.
Made by Jay Bedwani, Glen Biseker, Efa Blosse-Mason, Mathew David, Amy Morris & Paulo Russo
Some Girls Hate Dresses
A nostalgic look into the black British tomboys from yesteryear told through the lens of queer black women who wore the label with pride throughout the 1990s.
Directed by Mena Fombo, the first recipient of the Iris Prize Documentary Film Finance Fund, sponsored by FROOT and Aberystwyth University.
Penguin
Cardiff, UK. Modern Day. Teddy Sandalls can’t understand why he can’t find someone to love him. Encouraged by his roommate, Ffion Sydney-Morris he enters the world of online dating. But when Teddy finds love, and as Ffion’s relationship fails, will Teddy learn a new meaning of love?
Directed by Lily Lawson-Broadhead.
Diomysus
An experimental film where a group of mice (voiced by members of the UK polyamorous community whose identities are masked using puppetry) discuss their experiences of polyamory. Diomysus asks the question – are we (the audience) more open to taboo ideas if unconscious bias is eliminated?
Made by Emily Morus-Jones, a Welsh Puppeteer and Puppet maker for film, TV, theatre, and live events.
The 17th edition of the Iris Prize runs from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 October.
As well as short films and features, guests can also enjoy talks and discussions on queer cinema and filmmaking.
Tickets are available here or in person from the Festival Box Office at Vue Cardiff. Full details about Iris Prize can be found here.