Iris Prize announces first winners of 2026 LGBTQ+ film festival

Three short films have been named winners at the 2026 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, with Uncanny Waters, Kiss Me Thru the Phone and Clecs/Gossip recognised in the Community, Education and Micro-short categories.

A total of 21 films competed across the three categories, with winners announced yesterday (14 October) following screenings of the shortlisted entries.

Uncanny Waters, directed by Ray Malone and Steve Melia, won the Community Award. The jury praised the film’s celebration of intergenerational community, with participants spanning a 60-year age gap.

Kiss Me Thru the Phone won the Education Award

Describing it as a “defiant, optimistic” and “joy filled community project”, judges highlighted its themes of collective strength, empathy and resistance.

Malone is the founder of Heads Bodies Legs Collective, whose work explores queer ancestry, feminist histories and collaborative storytelling.

Kiss Me Thru the Phone, directed by Greater Manchester-based filmmaker Scarlett J. Stribley, won the Education Award.

Stribley, a British-American writer and director studying Film Production at the University of Salford, specialises in experimental fiction, science fiction, fantasy and queer cinema.

Harri Shanahan won the Micro-short Award for Clecs/Gossip

Judges praised the film’s cinematography, colour, lighting, soundtrack and atmosphere, describing Stribley as having “a very strong individual cinematic voice”.

Manchester-based filmmaker, artist and animator Harri Shanahan won the Micro-short Award for Clecs/Gossip.

Featuring Welsh narration and English subtitles, the animation tells the story of two older women in love from the perspective of a younger woman.

Judges praised its combination of poetry, visual style, voiceover and sound design, describing it as a “wonderfully cheeky short animation”.

Awards were presented by Welsh comedian Leila Navabi. The jury comprised Efa Blosse-Mason, Katie White, Ryan Rowe and Paul Davies, also known as Stumpy.

“At Iris, we want LGBTQ+ stories to reach the widest possible audience” – festival director Berwyn Rowlands

Festival director Berwyn Rowlands said the categories provided opportunities for filmmakers to engage with Iris Prize through projects rooted in their own communities.

“At Iris, we want LGBTQ+ stories to reach the widest possible audience – and the brilliant thing is, those stories come in all shapes and sizes,” he said.

Sponsored by Mark Williams in memory of his sister Rose Taylor, the awards form part of the festival’s programme supporting LGBTQ+ filmmaking.

This year marks the 20th edition of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, held annually in Cardiff. The event has grown from a three-day festival in 2007 to a seven-day celebration attracting around 12,000 admissions, alongside a month-long online programme.