People

Patrons

The Iris Prize is indebted to its four patrons who offer invaluable support. They are...

Andrew PierceAndrew Pierce, Assistant Editor, The Daily Telegraph
Feared and revered in equal measure, Andrew Pierce is a tenacious political hack with a talent for breaking stories about the great and good. Pierce, 46, was brought up on a Swindon council estate, attended his local comp, never went to university and cut his teeth on local papers. As assistant editor of The Telegraph he is the most senior out gay journalist in British newspapers. He is also a seasoned broadcaster, has appeared in Question Time, and regularly makes the top 100 in the influential gays list.

 



 

Christopher Racster, ProducerChristopher Racster

An award winning indie film producer, Racster runs his own production company, Archer Productions, Ltd. in Los Angeles, producing both fiction and documentary films. Most recently, Racster produced and directed a documentary in the UK about Alan Turing, a gay Mathematician and Codebreaker during WWII, widely hailed as the father of the modern computer. In 2003 he was one of the founders of Mythgarden, a film and television production company specializing in LGBT content, with partners and long time friends Chad Allen, Robert Gant and Craig Dougherty. Their project "Save Me" debuted at Sundance in 2007 playing to rave reviews in theaters across the US.

Over the years Racster has received numerous mentions and awards including 2007's OUT 100, listing in the International Who's Who directory and being named one of the 25 Most Influential People In California Fashion by California Apparel News. Community activities include membership in IFP, Power-Up and OUTFEST.

 

 

Matthew RhysMatthew Rhys, Actor
Matthew plays the regular role of Kevin Walker in the ABC series Brother and Sisters and recently played the role of Dylan Thomas in the film The Edge of Love, which opened the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival. Born in Cardiff, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and was the first recipient of the Lady Rothermere Award, presented at the 1993 Evening Standard Drama Awards. On stage, he garned rave reviews as Romero in Peter Gill’s RSC production of Romeo and Juliet and in the role of Bejamin opposite Kathleen Turner in the stage adaptation of The Graduate. His other film credits include Love and Other Disasters and the forthcoming Virgin Territory.

 

 

 

Sara Sugarman, Director Sara Sugarman
Born in Rhyl, Wales, Sara Sugarman began her career as an actress appearing in television programmes such as Grange Hill and Juliet Bravo as well as the film Sid and Nancy. She made a name for herself behind the camera with a number of award-winning short films and made her feature debut with Mad Cows in 1999. Two years later she wrote and directed Very Annie Mary, which displayed the dark sensibility and unique Welsh humour of her earlier work. The film’s success brought Sugarman to the attention of Walt Disney who hired her to direct Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Although she now lives in L.A, Sugarman remains one of Wales’ most unique talents.