Iris Prize community, education, and micro short film awards announced

• Three winners announced with filmmakers coming from across the UK
• The Iris Prize Community, Education, and Micro Shorts Awards are sponsored by Mark Williams, in memory of his sister Rose Taylor
• HIV campaigner Lisa Power features in Welsh film Three Letters | La mamma morta, by Michael Graham, winner of the Community Award
The organisers of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival – celebrating global stories and Cardiff charm are pleased to announce the winners of the Community, Education and Micro Short Awards, sponsored by Mark Williams in memory of Rose Taylor. The awards were presented on Wednesday 9 October 2024.

And the winners are:

Community Award

  • Three Letters | La mamma morta directed by Michael Graham WALES
“Brilliant storytelling, I loved the Cardiff context, powerful poetry, and excellent inclusion of community members.” – Charlotte Amoss “The marriage of music, poetry and visuals were just gorgeous, and I couldn’t not be moved! I loved the shots of Cardiff and recognising influential people such as Lisa Power, etc. It did give me a slight feeling of educational campaign but that made me love it more as my experience of adverts around HIV and Aids were the horrific 80’s TV ads. This felt like a reclamation of strength, identify, power and queer joy. Stunning!” – Abbie Vimpany

Education Award

  • Forbidden Reverie 宿祭 directed by Yisong Huang

Micro Short Award

  • Façade directed by Sophia Vi
“This film was beautiful, the juxtaposition of the brutal imagery of surgery and the words of Shakespeare delivered so perfectly. It felt like a clever commentary on the pain of growth and living your dreams.  It was very powerful piece” – Charlotte Amoss
“Very emotional 1 min 44 secs for how she got the message across using Shakespeare” – Rhys Edwards
“Incredibly powerful. I actually watched it twice as the impact of surgery photos for me was really strong but partnered together perfectly to tell an emotional story. On second viewing I focused on the words and the delivery and I’m still thinking about this piece two weeks later” – Abbie Vimpany
The jury for the Community, Community, Education, and Micro Shorts Awards included Abbie Vimpany, Rhys Edwards, and Charlotte Amoss from Transport for Wales. This is a positive reminder of Iris Prize’s on-going relationship with Transport for Wales as we have our Pink Portraits 2024 back in Iris HQ and in Cardiff Central Station for the duration of the festival.
The jury made a powerful statement of thanks to Iris Prize: “We all really appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this incredible event and the partnership. It was a real honour to watch everybody’s work that was short listed. They were all wonderful and we had a very hard job selecting our winners.  We are thankful that Iris Prize exists and gives space and celebrates LGBTQ+ artists and stories. They matter.”
Mark Williams, who sponsors these awards in memory of this sister Rose Taylor, said: “LGBTQ+ creativity needs to be supported, and I'm delighted to do this by supporting these awards in memory of my sister Rose.  I'm sure she would be as amazed as I am at the strong and varied submissions this year.  Congratulations to everyone who made a film in these categories!”
Berwyn Rowlands, Festival Director added: “The community, education, and micro shorts awards are an opportunity to celebrate excellence in LGBTQ+ storytelling by community groups and young people.  These films are made by people new to filmmaking and experienced artists alike. We have no-budget and low-budget films, and with the micro shorts, it is always amazing to see what you can do in a minute! This year we received entries from across the UK and I wish all the winners a big llongyfarchiadau.”

2024 Community, Eduction & Micro Shorts

Cyhoeddi gwobrau ffilmiau cymuned, addysg a micro fer Gwobr Iris

  • Cyhoeddi tri enillydd gyda gwneuthurwyr ffilm yn dod bob cwr o’r DU
  • Noddir Gwobrau Cymuned, Addysg a Micro Fer Gwobr Iris gan Mark Williams, er cof am ei chwaer Rose Taylor
  • Yr ymgyrchydd HIV Lisa Power yn ymddangos yn y ffilm o Gymru, Three Letters | La mamma morta, gan Michael Graham, enillydd y Wobr Gymuned
Mae trefnwyr Gŵyl Ffilm LHDTQ+ Gwobr Iris – straeon byd-eang a swyn Caerdydd yn falch o gyhoeddi enillwyr y Gwobrau Cymuned, Addysg a Micro Fer, a noddir gan Mark Williams er cof am ei chwaer, Rose Taylor.  Cyflwynwyd y gwobrau ar ddydd Mercher 9 Hydref 2024.

A'r enillwyr yw:

Y Wobr Gymuned

  • Three Letters | La mamma morta cyfarwyddwyd gan Michael Graham  CYMRU
"Adrodd straeon gwych, roeddwn wrth fy modd â chyd-destun Caerdydd, barddoniaeth bwerus, a chynhwysiant rhagorol aelodau'r gymuned." – Charlotte Amoss "Roedd cyfuniad cerddoriaeth, barddoniaeth a delweddau yn hyfryd, a doedd dim modd I fi beidio cael fy nghyffwrdd hyd at ddagrau! Ro'n i wrth fy modd gyda'r lluniau o Gaerdydd ac adnabod pobl ddylanwadol fel Lisa Power, ac ati. Rhoddodd ychydig o ymdeimlad o ymgyrch addysgol i mi ond gwnaeth hynny i mi ei charu'n fwy gan mai fy mhrofiad o hysbysebion ynghylch HIV ac AIDS oedd hysbysebion teledu erchyll yr 80au. Roedd hyn yn teimlo fel adfer cryfder, adnabod, pŵer a llawenydd queer. Syfrdanol!" – Abbie Vimpany

Y Wobr Addysg

  • Forbidden Reverie 宿祭 cyfarwyddwyd gan Yisong Huang

Y Wobr Micro Fer

  • Façade cyfarwyddwyd gan Sophia Vi
"Roedd y ffilm hon yn brydferth, cyfosodiad delweddaeth greulon llawfeddygaeth a geiriau Shakespeare wedi eu cyflwyno mor berffaith. Roedd yn teimlo fel sylwebaeth glyfar ar boen twf a byw eich breuddwydion.  Roedd yn ddarn pwerus iawn" – Charlotte Amoss
"1 munud 44 eiliad emosiynol iawn am sut y cafodd y neges ar draws gan ddefnyddio Shakespeare" – Rhys Edwards
"Yn anhygoel o bwerus. Fe wnes i ei gwylio ddwywaith mewn gwirionedd gan fod effaith lluniau llawdriniaeth i mi yn gryf iawn ond wedi partneru gyda'i gilydd yn berffaith i adrodd stori emosiynol. Ar yr ail wylio canolbwyntiais ar y geiriau a'r cyflwyniad ac rwy'n dal i feddwl am y darn hwn bythefnos yn ddiweddarach" – Abbie Vimpany
Roedd rheithgor y Gwobrau Ffilmiau Cymuned, Addysg a Micro Fer yn cynnwys Abbie Vimpany, Rhys Edwards, a Charlotte Amoss o Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Mae hyn yn atgof cadarnhaol o berthynas barhaus Gwobr Iris gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru gan fod gennym ein Portreadau Pinc 2024 yn ôl ym Mhencadlys Iris ac yng Ngorsaf Ganolog Caerdydd drwy gydol yr ŵyl.
Gwnaeth y rheithgor ddatganiad pwerus o ddiolch i Wobr Iris: "Rydym i gyd yn gwerthfawrogi'r cyfle i fod yn rhan o'r digwyddiad anhygoel hwn a'r bartneriaeth. Roedd hi'n anrhydedd i wylio gwaith pawb oedd ar y rhestr fer. Roedden nhw i gyd yn wych ac fe gawson ni waith caled iawn yn dewis ein henillwyr.  Rydym yn ddiolchgar bod Gwobr Iris yn bodoli ac yn rhoi lle ac yn dathlu artistiaid a straeon LHDTQ +. Maen nhw'n bwysig."
Dywedodd Mark Williams, sy'n noddi'r gwobrau hyn er cof am y chwaer Rose Taylor: "Mae angen cefnogi creadigrwydd LHDTQ+, ac rwy'n falch iawn o wneud hyn trwy gefnogi'r gwobrau er cof am fy chwaer Rose.  Rwy'n siŵr y byddai'n synnu cymaint â minnau at y cyflwyniadau cryf ac amrywiol eleni.  Llongyfarchiadau i bawb a wnaeth ffilm yn y categorïau hyn!"
Ychwanegodd Berwyn Rowlands, Cyfarwyddwr yr Ŵyl: "Mae'r gwobrau cymuned, addysg, a micro fer yn gyfle i ddathlu rhagoriaeth mewn adrodd straeon LHDTQ+ gan grwpiau cymunedol a phobl ifanc.  Mae'r ffilmiau hyn yn cael eu gwneud gan bobl sy'n newydd i wneud ffilmiau ac artistiaid profiadol fel ei gilydd.  Mae gennym ffilmiau heb gyllideb a chyllideb isel, a chyda'r ffilmiau fer, mae bob amser yn anhygoel gweld beth allwch chi ei wneud mewn munud!  Eleni cawsom geisiadau o bob cwr o’r DU a dymunaf llongyfarchiadau mawr i'r holl enillwyr."