Revealing the 35 short films competing for the 2025 Iris Prize

• 35 short films from 21 countries in competition for the coveted 2025 Iris Prize
• For the first time, films from Turkey and Pakistan feature in the final shortlist, highlighting excellence in storytelling
• More filmmakers than ever confirm their attendance at the Cardiff-based international festival
• Best British shortlisted Sweetheart by Luke Wintour is featured in the Iris Prize shortlist
• The Iris Prize offers the largest LGBTQ+ short film prize in the world with £40,000 to make your next LGBTQ+ short and an invitation to sit on the 2026 Iris Prize Jury
• "Sharing LGBTQ+ stories, often ignored by the mainstream, is an important part of what Iris is all about.” Berwyn Rowlands
Iris Prize 2025 shortlist revealed_Still from Hi Mom, It's Me, Lou Lou
The 35 films that have made the cut for the prestigious Iris Prize and will be screened in person at the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival – a celebration of global stories and Cardiff charm have been revealed. This year, the 19th edition of the festival runs for a full week from 13 – 19 October and the box office opens for general sales on 18 September, (general sales for members from 11 September) with Full Festival Passes, Industry Day Passes, Day Passes, and Weekend Passes already available.

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Krizalit. Dir. Naz Tokgöz & Arantxa Ibarra. Turkey.
Krizalit. Dir. Naz Tokgöz & Arantxa Ibarra. Turkey.
The shortlist of international filmmakers competing for the coveted £40,000 Iris Prize Short Film Competition supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation is unveiled today. This year’s shortlist features films from 21 countries, including two from Turkey and one from Pakistan – two countries who have submitted films for the first time ever.
Cats Can Teach You to Die Alone. Dir. Hanuš. Pakistan.
The Iris Prize has 20 international partner festivals who nominated 18 of the shortlisted films, with the remainder chosen by a pre-selection jury.  The shortlisted films tell stories ranging from recounting tales of past loves, reunions, rekindling romance, racism, family expectations and dynamics, and first loves.
Berwyn Rowlands, Iris Prize Film Festival Director, said: "Sharing LGBTQ+ stories, often ignored by the mainstream, is an important part of what Iris is all about. When we receive a film from a country for the first time, we get very excited. This year's shortlist includes work from Pakistan and Turkey and although we've been active for 19 years this is the first nomination for both countries. "Sharing these stories on the big screen is important, but welcoming the filmmakers to Wales to meet our audience is the secret ingredient that makes Iris a special festival.
"This year we are expecting more filmmakers to join us for the week. And if you can't make it to Cardiff this year, you can see all the short films online and vote for your favourite film. The most popular film will win the Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award."

The 35 films shortlisted for the 2025 Iris Prize are:

https://irisprize.org/2025-iris-prize/

I'm The Most Racist Person I Know. Cyf: Leela Varghese. Awstralia.

Datgelu'r 35 ffilm fer sy'n cystadlu am Wobr Iris 2025

  • 35 o ffilmiau byrion o 21 gwlad mewn cystadleuaeth am Wobr Iris 2025
  • Am y tro cyntaf, mae ffilmiau o Dwrci a Phacistan yn ymddangos ar y rhestr fer derfynol, gan dynnu sylw at ragoriaeth mewn adrodd straeon
  • Mae mwy o wneuthurwyr ffilmiau nag erioed yn cadarnhau eu presenoldeb yn yr ŵyl ryngwladol yng Nghaerdydd
  • Mae'r ffilm sydd ar y rhestr fer Brydeinig, Sweetheart gan Luke Wintour, ar rhestr fer Gwobr Iris
  • Mae Gwobr Iris yn cynnig y wobr ffilm fer LHDTQ+ fwyaf yn y byd gyda £40,000 i wneud eich ffilm fer LHDTQ+ nesaf a gwahoddiad i eistedd ar Reithgor Gwobr Iris 2026
  • "Mae rhannu straeon LHDTQ+, a anwybyddir yn aml gan y brif ffrwd, yn rhan bwysig o beth yw Iris i gyd." Berwyn Rowlands
Mae’r 35 ffilm sydd wedi llwyddo i gyrraedd cam olaf Gwobr Iris fawreddog a fydd yn cael eu dangos yng Ngŵyl Ffilm LHDTQ+ Gwobr Iris – dathlu o straeon byd-eang a swyn Caerdydd – wedi cael eu datgelu. Eleni, mae 19eg rhifyn yr ŵyl yn rhedeg am wythnos gyfan o 13 – 19 Hydref ac mae’r swyddfa docynnau’n agor ar gyfer gwerthiannau cyffredinol ar 18 Medi, (gwerthiannau cyffredinol i aelodau o 11 Medi) gyda Phasau Gŵyl Llawn, Pasau Dydd Diwydiant, Pasau Diwrnod, a Phasau Penwythnos eisoes ar gael.
Heddiw, datgelir rhestr fer y gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau rhyngwladol sy'n cystadlu am Gystadleuaeth Ffilm Fer Gwobr Iris gwerth £40,000 a gefnogir gan Sefydliad Michael Bishop. Mae rhestr fer eleni yn cynnwys ffilmiau o 21 o wledydd, gan gynnwys dwy o Dwrci ac un o Bacistan – dwy wlad sydd wedi cyflwyno ffilmiau am y tro cyntaf erioed.
Krizalit. Cyf: Arantxa Ibarra a Naz Tokgöz. Twrci.
Krizalit. Cyf: Arantxa Ibarra a Naz Tokgöz. Twrci.
Mae gan Wobr Iris 20 o ŵyliau partner rhyngwladol a enwebodd 18 o'r ffilmiau ar y rhestr fer, gyda'r gweddill wedi'u dewis gan reithgor cyn-ddewis. Mae'r ffilmiau ar y rhestr fer yn adrodd straeon yn amrywio o adrodd straeon am gariadon yn y gorffennol, aduniadau, ailgynnau rhamant, hiliaeth, disgwyliadau a deinameg teuluol, a chariadon cyntaf.
Cats Can Teach You To Die Alone. Cyf: Hanuš. Pacistan.
Cats Can Teach You To Die Alone. Cyf: Hanuš. Pacistan.
Dywedodd Berwyn Rowlands, Cyfarwyddwr Gŵyl Ffilm Gwobr Iris: “Mae rhannu straeon LHDTQ+, a anwybyddir yn aml gan y brif ffrwd, yn rhan bwysig o beth yw Iris i gyd. Pan fyddwn ni'n derbyn ffilm o wlad am y tro cyntaf, rydyn ni'n gyffrous iawn. Mae rhestr fer eleni yn cynnwys gwaith o Bacistan a Thwrci ac er ein bod ni wedi bod yn weithgar ers 19 mlynedd dyma'r enwebiad cyntaf i'r ddwy wlad. "Mae rhannu'r straeon hyn ar y sgrin fawr yn bwysig, ond croesawu'r gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau i Gymru i gwrdd â'n cynulleidfa yw'r cynhwysyn cyfrinachol sy'n gwneud Iris yn ŵyl arbennig.
"Eleni rydym ni'n disgwyl i fwy o wneuthurwyr ffilmiau ymuno â ni am yr wythnos. Ac os na allwch chi gyrraedd Caerdydd eleni, gallwch chi weld yr holl ffilmiau byrion ar-lein a phleidleisio dros eich hoff ffilm. Bydd y ffilm fwyaf poblogaidd yn ennill Gwobr Cynulleidfa Cydweithredol Gwobr Iris."

Y 35 ffilm sydd wedi cyrraedd rhestr fer Gwobr Iris 2025 yw:

https://irisprize.org/2025-iris-prize/