Meet the 35 short films competing for the Iris Prize 2026, bringing together LGBTQ+ stories and filmmakers from across the world.
All 35 films will screen during Iris20 in Cineworld Cardiff, 12–18 October, as we celebrate 20 years of the Iris Prize and discover who will take home the £40,000 Iris Prize, supported by the Michael Bishop Foundation.
Dir. Marcin Kluczykowski. Poland. 2024. 30 mins.
Karol and Henryk are a long-time elderly couple, but outside their apartment, the two men pretend to be single. One day, they receive an invitation that shakes their meticulously hidden everyday life.
Dir. Syra McCarthy. USA. 2025. 15 mins.
Inspired by my viral true story.
In the wake of a terrifying encounter, a drag queen struggles under the weight of public attention.
Dir. Nicole Pott. UK. 2026. 18 mins.
When his terminally ill father returns home, a young gay man must confront years of silence, family tensions and the possibility that time is running out.
Dir. Drew Dickler. USA. 2025. 14 mins.
What does it mean to feel seen by others before you’re ready to see yourself? A filmmaker travels back to 1997 to revisit a dream-like memory from second grade that centres around her queer identity, her legendary PE teacher and a mysterious large plastic fish.
Dir. Kamila Boichenko. Poland. 2025. 25 mins.
Lesya is living in a refugee camp, where she reconnects with her old friend Maria, who, like Lesya, is haunted by the loss of a loved one. As their bond deepens, the women find solace in each other’s shared grief.
Dir. Jan-Dirk Bouw. Netherlands, Belgium, Norway. 2025. 23 mins.
Journalist and activist Hoi Yi fights against the ever-growing global rise of surveillance and censorship, while suppressing his queer identity from his family. The personal repression he faces is reflected in his commitment to the freedom of others.
Dir. Pol Kurucz. USA, France, Hungary. 2026. 13 mins.
Set within an allegorical America, in a crumbling household ruled by a perverted butcher of a father, a hushed soul clings to the magic of his eccentric grandmother, until his safe haven unravels, forcing him to choose between the masks he wears and his authentic self.
Dir. Said Zagha. France, Palestine, Jordan, UK. 2025. 20 mins.
A Palestinian surgeon drives home after a long night shift, but little does she know that a commute through a desolate West Bank road will change her forever.
Dir. Jasmine J. Johnson. USA. 2025. 19 mins.
Kennedy’s desire for a heteronormative experience sees her embark on a one-night stand. What could possibly go wrong?
Dir. Lyndon Henley Hanrahan. UK. 2026. 21 mins.
When a Yorkshire coal miner’s trousers get stolen, a scandal erupts that sinks the colliery into turmoil, exposing the hypocritical, horny heart of postwar British pride and masculinity.
Dir. Jennifer Drake. Germany. 2024. 24 mins.
Having been raised in a Christian household, Chris (30) faces the challenge of finding his place in the world, particularly due to his two mothers who chose to keep their relationship hidden. When one of his mothers, Paddy (58), passes away, Chris returns home to a familiar yet unchanged environment. In a heartfelt effort to honour Paddy’s memory, Chris impulsively makes a decision that jeopardizes his relationship with his remaining family, his other mother, Mami Tess (59).
Dir. Shubham Negi. India. 2025. 24 mins.
At a school in the Himalayas,15-year-old Sachin is bullied for cross-dressing in a folk-dance performance. Anju, the middle-aged vice principal of the school, steps in, but it unravels more than she anticipated. As both quietly navigate their secret struggles, their lives begin to intertwine, forming a bond that neither can name but both need.
Dir. Mohammad Awad. Australia. 2026. 15 mins.
After the news of his father’s passing, Ameen must face old demons when he returns to the family home he was kicked out of as a teenager. He’s brought Kai – his situationship – along for moral support.
Dir. Matteo Giampetruzzi. Italy/Denmark/Spain. 2025. 20 mins.
During a scorching summer in the mountains of southern Italy, young, shy Luca develops an attraction for Valerio, an older boy with a passion for motorcycles. The two meet in secret, in the quiet of the countryside just outside the small town where they live. Chasing a desire that slowly escalates into obsession, Luca is forced to come to terms with the blurred boundary between pleasure and violence.
Dir. Olivia Cade. USA. 2026. 14 mins.
Lesbian Ditch Day starts as a rom-com-y, coming-of-age tale of two high school lesbians playing hooky, but through a fourth wall break, the film reveals itself to be just another queerbaiting tragedy.
Dir. Luís Hindman. UK. 2025. 19 mins.
Tensions arise amidst the heat of a busy British Pakistani takeaway.
Dir. Caio Amado Soares. Germany, Portugal. 2025. 12 mins.
Doubt creeps in as Cosmo, a space traveller, addresses his gender identity. In need of clarity and change, he wants to risk crossing the Butterfly Nebula. His spaceship, on the other hand, has a personality of her own. Cosmo will need to negotiate change with a certain loss of control.
Dir. Jacob McKee. USA. 2026. 12 mins.
When he receives a mysterious love note, a teenage Sherlock Holmes must step outside of his comfort zone to uncover the identity of his secret admirer.
Dir. Iniyavan Elumalai. The Netherlands. 2025. 18 mins.
Four gay Indian friends share an unbreakable bond on a Dutch cricket field. But when one agrees to an arranged marriage in India, their chosen family begins to unravel.
Dir. David McDonagh. Ireland. 2026. 14 mins.
Queen Lizzy is a raw and honest insight into the life of Traveller, Elizabeth Connors, and her relationship with her family who cannot come to terms with her sexuality.
Dir. Alice Gervat. France. 2024. 7 mins.
Lisa matched with Xuân through a dating app, and she is to meet her for the first time. But there is a problem: to appeal to Xuân, Lisa lied and told her that she is fluent in Vietnamese, her native language, despite not understanding a single word. Getting deeper into her own lies, there is only one week left before the date for Lisa to learn vietnamese. Otherwise, Xuân will find out she’s a fraud…
Dir. Anushay Sheikh. Canada. 2025. 8 mins.
Expecting another uneventful Jummah, Safa finds herself trapped with her overbearing family and an angry ex.
Dir. Leo Tabosa. Brazil. 2024. 22 mins.
On the eve of the Feast of St. John, Francisca, who is a widow about to turn 75, is on the verge of exploding like fireworks.
Dir. Jasper De Maeseneer. Belgium. 2025. 25 mins.
15-year-old Cas poses for his school’s trainee teacher and amateur photographer Jard. When he becomes painfully aware of the power imbalance between them, he seeks to reverse their dynamic.
Dir. Matthew Sorgie. USA. 2026. 7 mins.
So Be It is an animated documentary offering a rare and tender portrait of lifelong queer love. Through candid conversation, the film shares the stories of five LGBTQIA+ couples reflecting on resilience, commitment, and the privilege it is to love and be loved.
Dir. Niamh Barry. Ireland. 2025. 17 mins.
Something In The Air (2025) is a short documentary and directorial debut by Niamh Barry about the life and work of Raychel Sanner, a storm chaser, environmental advocate, and trans person living in Oklahoma, USA.
Dir. Annelise Hickey. Australia. 2025. 15 mins.
When Adam, a self-absorbed and lonely millennial, wakes to find his estranged half-brother on his doorstep one morning, he must face the family he’s been running away from.
Dir. Ashley Panton. UK. 2025. 12 mins.
Commitment-phobe Nathan begins to regret his decision after hooking up with drunken stranger Adrian who passes out in his bed. Nathan, a sufferer of horrific night terrors must stay awake through the night to keep this well-hidden secret.
Dir. Destinee Stewart. USA. 2026. 15 mins.
When Venus, a Black violinist, joins her wife at her family’s remote estate, unsettling visions blur past and present. As hidden histories surface, she discovers an unexpected connection to the property that threatens her marriage and sense of self.
Dir. Michael Borrelli. USA. 2026. 20 mins
New York, one night in 2019. Mike arrives at his 92-year-old friend Byron’s apartment after a crappy night at work. What seems like just another visit turns into the last conversation they will ever have: Byron has hung a sign on the wall, has money in the freezer, and a recent dream that has him ready to let go. Mike isn’t.
Dir. Mekhai Lee. USA. 2025. 19 mins.
Andrea “Drea” Stoney, a down-on-her-luck poet, finds herself at her grandmother’s repass, along with her seditty larger-than-life family. But Drea is sticking out like a sore thumb; she’s introspective, Queer, artistic and proudly Deaf, albeit surrounded by her distant family members who don’t care to know ASL. So Drea resorts to finding solace in hidden, lonely moments that she can steal in the pockets of her grandmother’s generational brownstone.
Dir. Dan Biurrum. Brazil. 2025. 24 mins.
A gay police officer, Gustavo lives two irreconcilable realities. In a world where the uniform condemns him to hiding, he feels his true nature being crushed by fear. But for how long is silence a shield, and when does it become a weapon?
Dir. Daniel Neiden. USA. 2025. 11 mins.
An elderly man, silently grieving the loss of his male partner, volunteers at a school where he’s assigned to mentor a young boy who hasn’t spoken all year. Together, they discover that some of the deepest conversations only require a single word…and the courage to say it.
Dir. Tsoi Ka Hin Henry. Hong Kong. 2025. 33 mins.
Tang is an elderly man who suppresses his paedophilia with Buddihsm. His neighbour Chun, a child neglected by his mother, seeks help and dines at Tang’s home. Chun’s request to stay the night puts Tang in a moral dilemma. How will the two spend the night together?
Dir. Stephan Fleet. USA. 2025. 12 mins.
XY is a short film that explores the double standards between trans existence and cisgender male privilege in America – a country where identity is regulated, but guns are not.
