Opening Night
Join television presenter Angharad Mair and drag artist extraordinaire Jolene Dover for the launch of Iris Live!
“What is Iris Live?” you ask.
Iris Live! is a brand-new TV channel broadcasting live from Iris, showing you the sights, sounds and maybe even the smells of this year’s festival. There’ll be interviews with guests, a Great Big Musical Number™ (Really? – Ed.) and the chance to see a few specially selected short films to give you some idea of what the festival and the Iris Prize are about. Will everything run smoothly? Will this be the most momentous, err… moment in the history of television? Will Jolene inadvertently drop an F-Bomb while interviewing our sponsor, Lord Glendonbrook? Find out at the launch of Iris Live!
FILMS
Listen | Jake Graf | 4 min
Featuring young trans actors in trans roles, ‘Listen’ honestly and frankly depicts some of the myriad struggles experienced daily by trans children and teenagers, giving a much needed voice to this often maligned section of the community.
Go Home Polish | Ian Smith | 20 min
Confused by graffiti scribbled in a Welsh backstreet demanding ‘Go Home Polish’, a photographer embarks on a thousand mile walk back to his birthplace in search of home.
For the Love of Life | Sean Tuan John | 15 min
A young man with Autism, after the death of his mother, embarks on a whirlwind adventure to find acceptance by joining an inclusive dance company and discovering love unexpectedly along the way.
I Feel Love | 6 min | Made in collaboration with Iris Outreach by the pupils at Tonyrefail Community School.
“1980’s ballroom couture, what more could you ask for?”
Mother Love | Suzanne Phillips | 4 min
Five mums explore their love for their LGBT+ children and their own journeys towards activism and support for equality. Thanks to the mothers who shared their stories: Janet, Hilary, Sarah, Jenny & Sorrell.
Your ticket includes access to the Opening Night party at the Iris Festival Club with a complementary glass of Prosecco, beer or a soft drink.
Our Opening Night is sponsored by FOR Cardiff.