The 15 LGBT+ films shortlisted for the Iris Prize Best British Short Supported by Film4 will all be available for free streaming at Film4 on All 4 from Sunday 11th October.

For the first time in the Iris Prize’s history, all the shortlisted films competing for Best British Short will be available to view for free by a UK-wide audience, following the 3-year sponsorship deal between the Iris Prize Festival and Film4 agreed earlier this year.

Tim Highsted, Senior Editor, Acquired Feature Films for Film4, who chaired the jury for Best British Short, commented: “The quality and range of this year’s Best British Short film contenders has been excellent – so much so that the jury was spoiled in having to choose a winner. The Iris Prize is an ideal partner for Film4, excelling in offering fresh perspectives and showcasing new talent. We are delighted to present the 15 LGBT+ shorts on All 4 to as wide and audience as possible, following the announcement of the winner this Saturday.”

The shortlisted films, selected from a record number of submissions, explore a multitude of stories reflecting richly diverse LGBT+ experiences of contemporary British life in cities and countryside. The filmmakers invite audiences on journeys of self-discovery and belonging from childhood into old age. These are tales of falling in and out of love, addressing personal battles lost and won, all filled with tears, laughter or hope. The shortlisted films represent a joyous celebration of how the LGBT+ community express individuality, helping to bring community, family and the wider world together.

The shortlist of 15 films competing for the Iris Prize Best British Short Supported by Film4 are:

BETTER (UK, 2019) - directed by Michael J Ferns

CINDY (UK/ France, 2020) – dir. Rosanagh Griffiths

DUNGAREES (UK, 2020) – dir. Abel Rubinstein

GO HOME POLISH (UK, 2019) – dir. Ian Smith

JUST ME (UK, 2019) – dir. Adam Tyler

MANDEM (UK, 2019) – dir. John Ogunmuyiwa

MY GOD, I'M QUEER (UK, 2020) – dir. Matt Mahmood-Ogston

PAINT THE DRAGONS’ EYES (UK, 2020) – dir. James Lucas

POMPEII (UK, 2019) – dir. Harry Lighton, Marco Alessi & Matthew Jacobs Morgan

QUEENS (UK, 2020) – dir. Nick Bechman

QUEERING DI TEKNOLOJIK (UK, 2019) – dir. Timothy Smith

RHIW GOCH (ON THE RED HILL) (UK, 2020) – dir. Anna Winstone

THE PASSING (UK, 2020) – dir. Nichola Wong

THE SCENE (UK, 2019) – dir. James Corley

WINGS (UK, 2020) – dir. Jamie Weston

The winning film will be announced at an online awards event at 7.00pm on Saturday 10th October, and its director receives a package of services sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group.

More information on and images of the shortlisted films and directors are available at: irisprize.org/bestbritish

A montage of the 15 films competing for the 2020 Iris Prize Best British Short Supported by Film4 is available here: https://youtu.be/w_mPgX9KIyo

The Iris Prize Festival opens on Tuesday 6th October and closes on Sunday 11th October. All screenings, talks and events are available online for free at www.irisprize.org. There will also be a pay-per-view catch-up service which will run until the end of October.

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