The 15th Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival brought a huge variety of LGBT+ short films to our first ever in-person and online festival. This diverse selection of outstanding short films showcases unique stories from around the world with a strong British representation. We’re delighted to offer these LGBT+ short films for free in the UK, as two curated packages “The Best of Iris 2021” and Iris Prize Trans Stories, or individually.
Winner – Iris Prize and Best British Short
Director: Sam Arbor and Adam Ali
Country: UK
Time: 18mins
Certificate: 12A
Living in the tunnels beneath Tripoli a queer Libyan teenager, Britannia, dreams of escape to a better life, but an unexpected discovery forces him to question whether to stay or flee from his homeland and his friends.
We Will Become Better–Sansara
Highly Commended – Iris Prize
Director: Andzej Gavriss
Country: Russia
Time: 6mins
Certificate: PG
Russian indie band Sansara made this music video as a tribute to Russia’s LGBT+ community, 12 months after the country passed legislation defining marriage solely as the union of man and woman. It’s a wonderful fusion of music and movement and a stirring tale of thwarted love, and though we can take no credit for this, it’s garnered over 1million views on YouTube since being submitted for the Iris Prize!
Highly Commended – Best British Short
Director: Efa Blosse-Maison
Country: Wales
Time: 8mins
Certificate: U
An animated love story about a leaf which becomes a boat, and fears come out of the murky waters as sea monsters and storms. Will the Leaf Boat survive the tumultuous waves?
Winner – Iris Prize Youth Jury Award
Directors: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan and Neil David Ely
Country: UK
Time: 16mins
Certificate: 15
Two young men form a connection on the swings of their local park.
Highly Commended – Iris Prize
Director: Sungbin Byun
Country: South Korea
Time: 24mins
Certificate: 12A
A transgender female dancer, Shin-mi, gets a call from the Military Manpower Administration, to attend for the Military Service Examination. Shin-mi, with everything in readiness, takes her steps to the Military Manpower Administration.
Highly Commended – Best British Short
Director: Margo Roe
Country: UK
Time: 21mins
Certificate: 15
Jack is a young boy exploring his own identity when he befriends a recently released ex-convict, Pop. The pair bond, but Pop’s past and his inability to control his emotions threaten to put Jack in danger.
Winner – COOP Audience Award for Best Iris Prize Short
Director: Leo Lebeau
Country: UK
Time: 20mins
Certificate: 15
Birthday Boy follows a transgender boy, Alex, as he experiences bullying at a private all girls school. He lives a double life in online games, where he feels he can express his true identity. Alex has excitedly planned a digital birthday party, however, on the day of his birthday, the bullying takes a violent turn for the worse. We experience these tragic events through his memories, as he reflects from a hospital bed.