Please note: This was screened in July 2017
The Iris Prize LGBT Film Festival is based in Cardiff. At the heart of Iris Prize is it’s short film programme with an award of £30,000 and support to the winner of the prize to make another short film. The quality of the latest Iris Prize shorts has been incredible, and Queer Vision have selected the best from the 2016 Festival to show across two screenings.
The Iris Prize Just Let Go programme presents a collection of films capturing moments of letting go - big and small, delicate and powerful. Asking the questions - to be who you are, can you just let go? To get what you want, should you just let go?
Great Escape
Dir: Sal Bardo, USA, 6 min
A woman considers an alternate path her life might take if she decides to follow her heart.
Sign
Dir: Andrew Keenan-Bolger, USA, 15 min
A moving short that tells the story of a relationship between Ben, a hearing man, and Aaron, who is deaf, through vignettes, music, and sign language.
Oh-Be-Joyful
Dir: Susan Jacobson, UK, 13 min
Sophie is a full-time, live-in carer for her terminally ill Nana, Rita. Their days trickle by in a series of mundane tasks: meal times, medicines and bad cable TV. It’s not an exciting life, but it’s theirs. And despite their constant bickering, their love for one another is deep and unwavering.
The Carer
Dir: Christine Parker, UK, 15 min
Ari, a sophisticated and urbane gay man, moves into a Care Home and encounters Beau, the beautiful, heterosexual, illiterate former thief who is now his carer. Their unlikely meeting changes the future for both of them.
Balcony
Dir: Toby Fell-Holden, UK, 17 min
Tina, a troubled teenage girl, is attracted to Dana, an Afghani girl, whom Tina tells us is oppressively victimised by her controlling substance abusing father, Karim. Initially, we trust Tina and admire her protectiveness of Dana from the other kids at school and on the violent estate, but as we watch their friendship blossom we come to suspect that something is off.
B.
Dir: Kai Stänicke, Germany, 15 min
The true story of B. Torn between a cold relationship with K and her feelings for another woman, shy and insecure B is heading for a disaster. For too long she has suppressed her desires and lived a lie. But is it too late for B to follow her heart?