The inaugural Iris Prize Student Short Film Award celebrates the next generation of LGBTQ+ filmmaking talent from across the UK and Ireland.
See all six shortlisted films on Wednesday 14 October at 6:30pm. The winner will be chosen by a jury chaired by Tom Cullen, alongside Emma Obank and Ronke Adekoluejo, and announced on Thursday 15 October following Iris Industry Day.
All six films will also be available on Iris Online and eligible for the Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award.
Meet the class of 2026.
Dir. Amay Mehrishi. UK. 2026. 20 mins.
On a school bus ride that feels endless & fleeting, 12-year-old Agastya wrestles with identity and unspoken emotions when his best friend chooses to sit elsewhere. Set entirely during one afternoon, Abracadabra is a story about friendship, identity, & the invisible ways children absorb the world’s expectations.
Dir. Jesse Williams. UK. 2026. 10 mins.
Chaser is a relentless thriller/drama, fearlessly delving into the anxieties and dangers of gender, nightlife & dating culture, told from the passionate perspective of a trans woman.
Dir. Puzhen Zhang. UK. 2026. 8 mins.
In early-2000s China, a twelve-year-old girl joins a summer swimming class determined to reach the deep end — but she just can’t let go of her float. Through an unexpected bond with a fearless classmate, she learns to overcome her fear of water — and experiences her first queer awakening.
Dir. Siân A. Williams. UK. 2026. 13 mins.
Dirty Parrots is an experimental documentary in which filmmaker Siân A. Williams collaborates with performance artist E.M. Parry to explore landscape, trans identity, memory, and performance. Blending documentary interview with improvised performance, the film reclaims rural landscape through critical fabulation, honouring queer working-class histories of resistance at Cornwall’s Poldice Mine.
Dir. Wyatt Carson. UK. 2025. 6 mins.
Mis-Angel is a love story between two people who will never meet. A transgender girl explores an overlap of gender and sexual fantasy as she recalls a brief interaction with a stranger at a bus stop.
Dir. Jack Patterson. UK. 2026. 7 mins.
On a stormy night, James finally builds up the courage to come out to his religious parents, only for their reaction to take a completely unexpected turn. The Bet is a heartfelt coming-out story with a sharp comedic twist, exploring love, miscommunication, and the chaos of unconditional support.
