One of the few positives of 2020 is that it has forced film festivals – and the filmmakers hoping to get their work to audiences – to think of new and inclusive ways of working. One of those ways is to go online, which has afforded far more people the opportunity to take part as you no longer need to be in a particular city to take part. This week two major British queer Film Fests open, and both are going to be available online across the UK.

The Iris Prize Festival runs October 6th-11th, while the Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) 2020, which usually takes place in Glasow, has just opened and runs through to October 18th. SQIFF’s focus strands include queer sci-fi from across the world in Every Utopia is a Dystopia; a retrospective of work from pioneering digital artist Shu Lea Cheang; an interrogation of queerness and the natural world in Queer Ecologies and trailblazing cinematic voices from South America

Other festival highlights include Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, an autobiographical tale of 80s Hollywood from closeted young actor Mark Patton; a radical look at Britain’s QTIPOC communities and activists in Pride & Protest; a radical re-imagining of Audre Lorde’s classic 1980 memoir The Cancer Journals Revisited and practicing Muslim Mo wooing all-American guy Kal during Ramadan in the heartwarming romantic drama Breaking Fast

Nearly all the films are available to view throughout the fortnight the festival is on. You don’t even need to be in Scotland as you can watch them from anywhere in the UK on a ‘pay-what-you-can’ basis, from free to £8. Throughout the festival, you can join the SQIFF team and special festival guests online for live watch parties, workshops and discussions.

All films are hosted on SQIFF’s Vimeo on Demand channel (vimeo.com/sqiff/vod_pages) and are pay-what-you-can. Free access is available for those who need – just get in touch with SQIFF and they will supply a code for the films you want to access, no proof of circumstance required. You will have up until 18 October to watch films once you have rented them.

All live online events will take place using Zoom software. Tickets for all live online events must be booked online in advance, up to an hour before the event start time. Tickets for live events are either free or on a sliding scale of free, £2, £4, £6, or £8.

The pay-what-you-can pricing allows you to choose what to pay based on what you can afford. No evidence or proof of circumstances is required, with the organiser appreciate those who can paying more in order to compensate everyone fairly and keeping the festival going.

You can find out more about the films, events and how to access them over at the SQIFF website: http://www.sqiff.org/

You can see all the films available and get access over at Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/sqiff/vod_pages

It’s great to mark the return of Big Gay Picture Show with news about the latest edition of one of our very favourite things in the LGBTQ film calendar – the Iris Prize Festival. Some of the very best work in gay-themed cinema takes place in the medium of short film, and Iris Prize is one of the world’s premiere showcases for it. Alongside its always great shorts programme, it also presents a series of features films and other content. All of it leads up to the Iris Prize itself, where one short film will win £30,000 in support to make a new film.

As with most other film festivals around the world this year, things will be different for the Iris Prize Festival this year. Instead of filmmakers and fans descending on Cardiff, the festival is heading online – but the really great news is that much of it will be free for people across the UK! It really is a fantastic fest, so this is fab news for those who wouldn’t be able to make it to Cardiff even if it was an ordinary year.

The event runs from October 6th-11th, and includes the 35 shorts competing for the main International Iris Prize – which includes films directed by people from India, China, Brazil and Macedonia, amongst others – as well as the 15 films competing for Best British Short, along with a great programme of feature films. That’s complemented by industry events looking at everything from working with actors to virtual filmmaker meet-ups. Additionally, each day there will be Iris Prize Live TV!, presented by Tom Selway, which will be broadcasting daily at 7pm. This will feature news and interview with filmmakers, and includes the festival’s own version of Loose Women hosted by Welsh actor/writer Mathew David Hill and cabaret artist Jolene Dover. Plus, there’ll be virtual versions of Iris’ legendary parties!

Iris Prize Festival opens on Tuesday 6th October and close on Sunday 11th October, with all screenings, talks and events available online for free. The Awards ceremony itself is shown live on Sat 10th Oct at 7pm. There will also be a pay-per-view catch-up service which will run until the end of October .

You can find out more about the fantastic full programme here: https://www.irisprize.org/festival/

If you want to know how you can take part from anywhere in the UK, there’s more info about that here: https://www.irisprize.org/howitworks/

And you can take a look below for previews of the Iris International Shorts and Best British Shorts below.

Iris Prize Winner Lara Zeidan (centre), with Lord Glendonbrook (left) and Iris Prize Festival director Berwyn Rowlands (right)

This year’s Iris Prize Festival has come to an end after a tremendous six-day celebration of film in Cardiff. Events came to a close on Sunday with a carnival and awards show, which included the announcement of this year’s winner of the most valuable LGBT+ short film award. The £30,000 prize gives support to a filmmaker to make another film in Wales.

Three Centimetres, directed by Lebanese student filmmaker Lara Zeidan, was announced as the winner of the Iris Prize 2018. This was the first time in the festival’s 12-year history that a film from Lebanon had even been nominated for the prize. The single shot short, which takes place in the gondola of a ferris wheel in a decaying fun park in Beirut, took the prize after massively impressing the jury.

International Jury Chair Carrie Lyell, editor of DIVA magazine, said: “Three Centimetres is such an audacious film. It’s so refreshing to hear female sexuality spoken off in such a frank and positive way, and from a female perspective. It’s visually stunning, with utterly convincing dialogue and engaging characters, and it uses the form of short film perfectly to tell its story. And it’s so nice to see a coming out story in a context and a setting that feels new. It’s like nothing we’ve seen before.”

Of the film’s writer and director, Lara Zeidan, she said, “We all agreed that we couldn’t wait to see what she does next. If there’s any justice in the world, she has a great career ahead of her.”

After winning the prize, Lara Zeidan commented, “I’m delighted to have won the Iris Prize. I love working in short film – It’s all about sharing small but meaningful moments.”

The prize was presented by Lord Glendonbrook, whose Michael Bishop Foundation supports the Iris Prize.

The three finalists in the international category were announced at an event on Saturday afternoon, with Pre-Drink, by Canadian filmmaker Marc-Antoine Lemire, and British director Harry Lighton’s film Wren Boys named alongside Three Centimetres.

“Wren Boys is a huge feat, executed perfectly,” the jury said. “It was shot on film, which we so rarely see, and it drew us instantly into that world, challenging our prejudices and expectations. It was refreshing to see a positive depiction of masculinity and the relationship between gay men and straight men.”

Of Pre-Drink the jury said, “This was a stunning exploration of the fluidity of attraction, challenging but accessible, and the performances were superb. It portrayed sex in a positive, shame-free way, and handled the subject of consent with a lightness of touch. It sparkled.”

Alonside the main International Iris Prize, Beyond ‘There’s always a black issue, dear’, directed by London-based photographer Claire Lawrie, was announced as Best British Short, sponsored by Pinewood Studios.

Chair of the Best British jury, Rod Thomas (aka Bright Light Bright Light) said, “Its visual choices are on point, its soundtrack perfectly orchestrated, and its treatment, presentation and representation of its subjects deserves the highest commendation. A truly magnificent film, showing the adversity and struggle of an era and the people who fought and survived and influenced society through their art and creativity. It made us want to see so much more.”

Beyond… was named alongside Abena Taylor-Smith’s film Ladies Day and Wren Boys in the top three films from this category, with a special commendation going to Bachelor, 38, from Cardiff-based filmmaker Angela Clarke.

Rod added: “The jury loved Ladies Day’s visual choices, the diversity of its characters and its ability to raise an often ignored conversation with quiet resilience and pride, demonstrating a promising future in the director’s career.

“Wren Boys is an extraordinary piece that deals with heavy subject matter with both humour and punch. By playing with our own presumptions and expectations, and constantly keeping us surprised, the story was a triumph.

“And Bachelor, 38 delivered one of the most beautiful and touching love stories, told with extreme respect and care for its subject. The film’s majesty lies in its ability to let the protagonist voice the entire piece.”

The Best Feature Award, sponsored by Bad Wolf Studios, was won by Yen Tan’s drama 1985. The jury said, “Writer/Director Yen Tan has crafted a film of intimate moments sewn together with such care that found ourselves wholly immersed, feeling equal parts sadness and hope.”

Best Performance in a Male Role, sponsored by Attitude Magazine, was awarded to Félix Maritaud for Sauvage. The jury commented, “Through Félix’s honest, vulnerable portrayal as a young gay hustler surviving on the streets in France, we were pulled into his world from the opening scene.”

Best Performance in a Female Role, sponsored by DIVA Magazine, was awarded to Jamie Chung for 1985. The jury said that even though it was a supporting role, “Every scene Jamie appeared in was thoughtful, heartbreaking, and so honest we felt like we were in the room with her.”

The Iris Prize Youth Award, sponsored by Cardiff University, was won by the Australian film Mrs McCutcheon, from director John Sheedy. The award was voted for by audience members at the Iris Education Day on Friday and the Pride Cymru Youth Conference on Saturday, who had the opportunity to watch five films considered age appropriate from this year’s programme.

The inaugural Audience Award for Best British Short, sponsored by Buzz Magazine, was won by Wren Boys, with Bachelor, 38 in second and Ladies Day in third place.

Commenting on this year’s festival, Director Berwyn Rowlands said, “This year’s festival was all about the filmmakers. Helping them to network, to see each other’s films, discuss those films, and meet the audience for their films. We’re very happy and very proud that both Lara and Claire are here in Cardiff to accept their prizes.”

You can read our thoughts about this year’s Iris Prize International Shorts by clicking here.