We hotfooted it up to Cardiff for one of the biggest events on the LGBT cinema calendar
It’s one of the biggest LGBT film festivals to grace our British shores, casting a light on emerging talent within the queer filmmaking community. Each year creatives from across the globe come together for a week to discuss, debate and appreciate new works on the short film scene. We joined them for their closing weekend to see if it lived up to its reputation.
During the course of the week at Iris, patrons are introduced to 35 short films, each with its own specific take on the queer experience, several of which were produced by creators here in the UK, played alongside a program of handpicked feature films. The week culminates in an award ceremony where those whose work showed true integrity and skill were given a prize that enables them to produce new works. Now able to boast Oscar nominated alumni, after the weeklong drum roll, the air was vibrating with anticipation as to who was to take the titular Iris Prize.
QX’s top pick had to be Sauvage
The one piece that stuck with us on our slog back to London was the story of a struggling Parisian escort who not only fell, but plummeted on hard times. An unflinching look on the brutality of an uncaring world where one’s search for intimacy is met with an unrelenting tide of degradation. Felix Maritaud’s performance was honest and fully deserving of the Best Performance in a Male Role award.
Taking home this year’s awards were…
Best Feature Film – 1985
Having made it’s UK premier at the Iris, this monochrome masterpiece was a favourite amongst audiences and judges alike, delicately and artfully casting a sideways view of the AIDS crisis. Yen Tan brought audiences to tears with this piece, which drew tears and admiration from its viewers.
Best British Award – Beyond ‘There’s Always a Black Issue, Dear’
London-based photographer Claire Lawrie brings to the screen the neglected stories from a range of Black British queer people, with a focus on the tempest of being young, black and queer in the 60’s and 70’s. Candid interviews peel back the veneer of an accepting queer community, and gestures to fundamental flaws in British society.
Iris Prize – Three Centimetres
Taking the Iris biscuit was this exploration of female sexuality where director Lara Zenidan engages in a frank discussion of femininity. The films audacity in its unflinching, persistent focus on the often-omitted discourse of female sexuality. The natural discourse, and intriguing cinematography made new of the (by now) o’ld hat’ coming out narrative. We’re sure to keep an eye out for what she’ll be producing with her prize.
