Submissions Terms & Conditions

Submissions are now closed for 2026!

Details about submissions are below:

We are accepting submissions for the 2026 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival in the following categories:

• Iris Prize –  short film (any genre) with a running time up to 39 minutes
• Iris Prize Best British Short –  short film originating from the United Kingdom with a running time up to 39 minutes
• Community Short – short film originating from the United Kingdom made by a community group
• Education Short – short film originating from the United Kingdom made by schools, colleges or youth groups. At least 90% of the people involved in the production must have been aged 20 or younger
• Micro Short – a film 2 minutes or less made by and individual or group from the United Kingdom.
• Student Short – Short films under 20 minutes. Open to students currently enrolled in a film, media, or related course (UK & Ireland).

All submissions must be made via FilmFreeway and each submission should be entered in each category or categories you’d like us to consider it for. (The only exception is entries to the Iris Prize Best British will also be considered for the Iris Prize too.)

(So an Education,  Community or Micro short could be entered into the category for its format and Best British / Iris Prize).

Iris Prize is a BAFTA qualifying and BIFA Qualifying festival for short film and has been identified as one of the “50 film festivals worth the entry fee” by MovieMaker Magazine 6 times.

Category Rules

• All entries must be 39 minutes or less, and should be for, about or of interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex audiences, and must have been completed within 2 years prior to the submission deadline (between 1 June 2024 and 1 June 2026).
• Films of all types are accepted, including animation and documentary.
• We have no restrictions regarding short films that have previously been or are currently available online, or which have been broadcast on television.
• A shortlist of 35 entries will be selected to compete for the Iris Prize and screen as part of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Iris partner festivals will nominate 20 of the shorts, and 15 will be selected from open submissions by a pre-selection jury.

Exhibition Format

We screen in 1.85 flat, and 2.35 scope.  A DCP is requested for our in-person screenings in cinemas but we will also require a digital file – preferably H.264 with stereo sound mix in a .mov or mpeg container.

Works in languages other than English or Welsh must be subtitled for exhibition. English subtitles are strongly preferred for online screeners, but works without subtitles will be viewed for consideration. We prefer burnt-in subtitles.

Best British & Channel 4

All films in the Best British 2026 shortlist will be broadcast on Film4 and be streamed on Channel 4 for one year after the 2026 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival. This is a condition of festival acceptance – If your film is selected for the Best British shortlist you MUST agree to screen on Film4 and be streamed on Channel 4 for one year. Also, you MUST supply us with all the film assets by 17 July 2026.

As part of this, filmmakers must assign the following rights to Film4:

• Exclusive right for Channel 4 Television Corporation to exploit the films in the UK & Ireland on their linear licensed services including internet transmission for one year
• Exclusive right for Channel 4 Television for streaming and temporary download on demand in the UK & Ireland for one year
• Exclusive right for Channel 4 Television Corporation to temporary sideload films via their platforms, approved third party platforms and any devices with the appropriate functionality for one year

Filmmakers are still free to:

• Screen online (apart from UK & Ireland – streaming must be geolocked)
• Exhibit the film theatrically – even in the UK;
• Distribute the film on physical media for home entertainment;
• Make the film available on a Transactional Video on Demand service;
• Make the film available on a Download -to-Own basis.

Category Rules

• To be eligible for the Iris Prize Best British Short Supported by Film4 you (the film’s director) should be a UK citizen or have been resident in the UK for at least three consecutive years prior to submitting your film.
• All entries must be 39 minutes or less, and should be for, about or of interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex audiences, and must have been completed within 2 years prior to the submission deadline (between 1 June 2024 and 1 June 2026).
• Films of all types are accepted, including animation and documentary.
• We have no restrictions regarding short films that have previously been, or are currently available online, or which have been broadcast on television (but you must be able to assign the requested rights to Channel 4 for the year following the 2026 Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival).
• A shortlist of 15 entries will be selected to compete for the Iris Prize Best British Short Supported by Film4, and screen as part of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Iris partner festivals will nominate 5 of the shorts, and 10 will be selected from open submissions by a pre-selection jury.

Exhibition Format

We screen in 1.85 flat, and 2.35 scope.  A DCP is requested for our in-person screenings in cinemas but we will also require a digital file – preferably H.264 with stereo sound mix in a .mov or mpeg container. A high quality digital file is required to be used to master the AS-11 files for broadcast and streaming by Channel 4.

Works in languages other than English or Welsh must be subtitled for exhibition. English subtitles are strongly preferred for online screeners, but works without subtitles will be viewed for consideration.

Exhibition format

If selected, you must be able to submit your work to be exhibited on DCP.  (We cannot exhibit using other formats) plus a digital file for online viewing if required. We screen in 1.85 flat, and 2.35 scope.
Works in languages other than English or Welsh must be subtitled for exhibition and burnt-in subtitles are preferred. English subtitles are strongly preferred for online screeners, but works without subtitles will be viewed for consideration.

Preview format

We ONLY accept online screeners for preview purposes, and all submissions should be made through FilmFreeway.

The Iris Prize Education Award is open to schools/colleges/other education establishments or youth groups based in the UK. Films can be of any genre and have a running time of 20 minutes or less. At least 90% of participants involved in making the film must be under the age of 20 years.

The Micro Shorts category is open to any individual or group based in the UK. Micro short films must be 2 minutes or less.

Category Rules

• All entries should be related to or be of interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTQ+) audiences and completed within 2 years prior to the submission deadline
• Community and Education short films must have a running time of 20 minutes or less. Films submitted for the Micro Short category must be 2 minutes or less. Any films that exceed these limits will not be viewed by the pre-selection panel.

The Award

The Iris Student Award Winner will receive:

• An invitation to attend the Iris Prize Festival 2027
• A place on the Iris Student Jury 2027
• Travel and accommodation covered

Eligibility

• Open to students currently enrolled in a film, media, or related course (UK & Ireland)
• Recent graduates (within the last 12 months) may also apply
• Films must include or explore LGBTQ+ themes or stories
• Maximum runtime: 20 minutes
• Films must have been completed after 1 January 2025

Selection Process

Submissions will be reviewed by a student pre-selection jury, followed by the Iris programming team.

Up to 6 films will be shortlisted and invited to screen at the festival.

Submission Fee

FREE (for 2026 & 2027)

FULL Submissions TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. All entries should be for, about or of significant interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex audiences, and must have been completed within 2 years prior to the submission deadline (That is they must have been completed between 1June 2024 and 1 June 2026).
2. All Iris Prize and Best British short films must having a running time of 39 minutes or less. (20 mins for Community & Education, 2 mins for Micro Short). Any work over 39 mins will be considered a feature (Please note: the Iris Prize is for short films only).
3. We have NO restrictions regarding films that have previously been, or are currently available online, or which have been broadcast on television.
4. All entrants must certify that appropriate copyright clearance for public exhibition of the work in the United Kingdom has been obtained. Failure to do so will result in the entry being disqualified.
5. To be eligible for the Iris Prize Best British Short you should be a UK citizen or have been resident in the UK for at least three consecutive years prior to submitting your film. All British films will automatically be considered for the Iris Prize.
6. By submitting your work to the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, you grant The Festivals Company Limited a non-exclusive licence to exhibit your work (if selected) theatrically and online (UK geolocked) at Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival. In addition, you also grant The Festivals Company Limited a non-exclusive licence to use an excerpt of your submission up to two minutes in length for promotional purposes only, and without limitation as to time in all media including but not limited to internet and television broadcast.
7. It is the intention of the Iris Prize to compile a selection of the shortlisted films for the Prize (Best of Iris 2026) and similar programmes to be made available as a package to festivals worldwide to promote Iris and the shortlisted films. By entering your work, you agree to have your entry included as part of the package (exceptions can be made if requested, please contact info@irisprize.org)
8. We also undertake education and outreach work throughout the year to combat homophobia and develop audiences for LGBTQ+ film. As part of this work we would like you, if selected for the shortlist, to grant us a non-exclusive licence to exhibit your film in programmes offered as part of this activity (exceptions can be made if requested).
9. We will be offering audiences in the United Kingdom who can’t get to see the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival an opportunity to catch-up with the films competing online from 13 – 31 October 2026 and vote for the Co-op Audience Award.
10. The Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival and The Iris Prize are trading styles of The Festivals Company Limited. The Festivals Company Limited reserves the right to vary the programme and detail of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival and Iris Prize competition in the light of commercial, economic or other operating requirements.
11. Viewing by the pre-selection jury will take place after submissions close.The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
12. Updated versions of submitted short films will not be accepted after the submission deadline date, Sunday 1 June 2026.
13. We are sorry but any short film shortlisted for Iris 2025 is ineligible to compete.
14. The Festivals Company Limited and the Iris Prize accept no responsibility for the loss or damage of any exhibition material whilst in transit. All shortlisted entrants are strongly encouraged to attend the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Cardiff, and every effort will be made to provide them with accommodation.
15. The international juries will comprise of filmmakers, film industry personnel and figures from the LGBTQ+ community invited by the festival to fulfil the duties allocated to them. The decision of the juries and the festival will be final.
16. The Iris Prize Festival takes place in Cardiff, Wales – part of the United Kingdom. All terms and conditions will be interpreted according to the laws of England and Wales.