Iris Prize Catalogue 2015

IRIS 2015

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contents FALLING ANGELS cover SCRUM

06WELCOME

“I hope you will find enough time to “watch films, party nightly, repeat!”

08-10SCRUM

Scrum director Poppy Stockell talks about her documentary which follows rugby players competing to be selected for the Sydney Convicts

12+13MEET THE JURY

Meet the jury who have taken on the seemingly impossible task of picking out a winner for this year’s Iris awards

14PRODUCERS FORUM

A forum for filmmakers where you can network and learn about everything from funding to finding an audience

16PRIDE CYMRU YOUTH CONFERENCE

Iris is keeping up its commitment to young people by joining up with Pride Cymru for the festival’s annual Youth Conference

18+30+46BEST OF BRITISH

This international festival of film still has plenty of home-grown talent to be celebrated

20+21+29IRELAND COUNTRY

FOCUS

Having recently become the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, Ireland is a timely choice for the festival’s County Focus. There will be features, shorts and discussion centred on Irish LBGT film.

22-42IRIS SHORTS

A round-up of all the short film nominees

23TOP FIVE FOR THE PRIZE Reviewer, editor and Iris judge Philip Wyn-Jones gives his top five choices for this year’s Iris Prize.

26-52FEATURE FILMS

The feature films being screened this year includes tales of Bros, stunt plane obsessions and DJs on the run

31+34PARTY TIME

Iris knows how to throw a good party and have even added a new festival stage to this year’s celebratory schedule

50IRIS AWARDS

It’s time to get excited about the glitz, glamour and award-winning films as the festival draws to a close and the 2015 Iris Prize winner is announced

54WHERE THE WINNERS ARE

Ever wonder what happens to all those film-makers that have an Iris Prize under their belt? See what they are up to now

56-62INFORMATION

All the vital information you need to survive this year’s Iris Festival

IRIS INFATUATION

Jen Thornton finds out that this year’s LGBT short film festival has everything from bros and rugby to drug addiction and hand-holding.

The Iris Prize is one of Wales’ great success stories. Every year it has grown, developed and built a profile both in Wales and around the world.

The LGBT short film prize and festival is the only short film prize in the world which allows the winner to make a new film by providing funding, support and guidance to winners.

Over 50 films will be shown at this year’s festival, which includes a programme of feature films from renowned and emerging directors alongside screenings of all 30 international short films competing for the Iris Prize. This year’s Iris Prize contending filmmakers represent nearly 20 different countries from China to Chile. Screenings of the 10 films competing for the Best of British Short will also showcase a range of LGBT short films by British filmmakers.

This year’s festival opens with feature film Scrum, directed by Poppy Stockell – who we've interviewed below. Other feature highlights include feelgood delight Fourth Man Out, Tinder and forgiveness making up the key ingredients of 24-year-old Adam’s coming-out story. Jay Dockendorf’s film Naz And Maalik tackling issues of sexuality and faith after 9/11, also promises to be an interesting watch. Both its young lead actors have already been recognised with Best Actor awards at OUTFEST 2015.

Love In The Time Of Civil War directed by Rodrigue Jean, tells the story of a young addict, Alex, who has to sell his body in Montreal. Exploring the spiral of compulsion affecting his community of friends, lovers and clients.

In the shorts programme, competitors for the Iris Prize include Way To Hell, directed by Henning Beckoff, in which Catholicism is challenged by the temptations of the outside world. Ondrej Hudecek’s Peacock tells the true story of a twisted queer romance from 19th century Bohemia, while In The Hollow documents a more recent true tale of girlfriends Claudio and Rebecca who are attached while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

There are also a number of films dealing with transgender issues, including Tomgirl, which looks at what happens when childhood gender stereotypes are called into question. Also look out for Hora, by Israeli director Yoav Brill, which uses the intimate yet public gesture of two men walking down the street holding hands to explore what public admission of your sexuality means in different cultures.

The Best of British Shorts programme also includes a wide range of perspectives from directors based in the UK. Nataly Lebouleux’s film Paper Thin is a subversive take on horror, psychiatry and religious fundamentalism. Want It, by Lee Haven Jones, explores passion, longing and desire through the perspective of an intruder who breaks into a home and finds himself suddenly powerless.

In celebration of its recent Marriage Equality Referendum, Iris’ country focus for this year will be Ireland. The Irish-themed programme of screenings includes The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name (a documentary that explores the history of LGBT rights and culture in Ireland, from Oscar Wilde’s trial to decriminalisation in 1993), Breakfast On Pluto (a

comedy-drama which follows a young trans woman who leaves her Irish town and heads to London in search of her mother) and Cowboys And Angels (which tells the story of a straight civil servant who ends up with a gay flatmate).

This year, Iris have also announced a new Welshlanguage LGBT short film scheme supported by S4C and Ffilm Cymru Wales. The aim of the scheme – called Straeon Iris (Iris Stories) – is to encourage more LGBT stories for the screen from Wales, about Wales, and in Welsh. The scheme is open to writers and writer-director teams, and will focus on developing up to six short film scripts before selecting one to go into production. The final film will be shown as part of the Iris Prize Festival 2016 – its 10th anniversary year –and at festivals around the world.

Alongside the film programme as always, the festival includes pre-showing Q&A sessions with some of the feature film directors, talks, education workshops and the Producers’ Forum. There’s a lot to look forward to from this festival which really takes Wales to the world.

Iris Prize Festival, Cineworld + Chapter Arts Centre + Park Inn Hotel, Cardiff, Wed 7-Sun 11 Oct. Tickets: £6.60/£7.90 feature films / £6/£6.50 shorts / VIP and festival tickets available. Info: 029 2023 2744 / www.irisprize.org

PROUD SPONSOR OF RYDYM YN FALCH I NODDI

THE IRIS PRIZE FILM FESTIVAL

IRIS PRIZE WINNER JAY BEDWANI

SELECTED FOR SHORT FILM SCHEME BEACONS

WELCOME

I remember fondly the inaugural Iris Prize Festival in 2007 and eating breakfast in my Cardiff hotel full of dashing French supporters in town for the Rugby World Cup. Here we are, eight years later, sharing Cardiff once again with rugby supporters from all over the world. However, this year we are playing our small part in the proceedings, supported by the Welsh Rugby Union.

I’m delighted that we are opening this year’s festival with a screening of Scrum A powerful documentary following the fortunes of a group of gay men competing for the 2014 Bingham Cup – the Gay Rugby World Cup.

LGBT people are in a better position than they were eight years ago. Ireland, our country focus for 2015, is a wonderful example of how far we have come. Making History is the emotional short film made by Anna Rodgers for the Gaze Film Festival in Dublin, documenting the historic same-sex marriage referendum victory. You can see the film and many more documenting how LGBT people are represented there in our Ireland Focus.

Unfortunately our newspapers and webfeeds have seen a dramatic increase in the number of stories of gay men tortured and thrown to their death at the hands of ISIS. Their evil is extended to women and children – there is much work to be done.

The films we have at Iris, to entertain and educate, are destined to stimulate debate and discussion. This is what comes naturally to people who are able to join us at our special annual festival. I also hope you will find enough time to “watch films, party nightly, repeat!” This is our new slogan for 2015 – it will be interesting to see who will survive the full five days!

CROESO

Mae gen atgofion melys am Wyl gyntaf Gwobr Iris yn 2007 a bwyta brecwast yn fy ngwesty gyda llond lle o Ffrancwyr nwyfus oedd yn y brifddinas ar gyfer

Cwpan Rygbi’r Byd. A dyma ni, wyth mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, yn rhannu

Caerdydd unwaith eto gyda chefnogwyr rygbi o bedwar ban byd. Fodd bynnag, rydyn ni hefyd yn chwarae rhan fach yn y rygbi y tro yma, gyda chefnogaeth Undeb Rygbi Cymru.

Rydw i wrth fy modd ein bod ni’n agor yr Wyl eleni drwy ddangos Scrum. Ffilm ddogfen rymus yn dilyn helyntion grwp o ddynion hoyw yn cystadlu yng Nghwpan Bingham 2014 – Cwpan Rygbi’r Byd Hoyw.

Mae pobl lesbiaidd, hoyw, deurywiol a thraws mewn sefyllfa well nag oedden nhw wyth mlynedd yn ôl. Mae Iwerddon, y wlad sy’n mynd â’n sylw ni yn 2015, yn enghraifft hyfryd o’r cynnydd rydyn ni wedi’i wneud. Making History yw’r ffilm fer emosiynol a wnaed gan Anna Rodgers ar gyfer Gwyl Ffilmiau Gaze yn Nulyn, cofnod o fuddugoliaeth y refferendwm hanesyddol ar briodas rhwng cyplau o’r un rhyw. Gallwch weld y ffilm a sawl ffilm arall yn cofnodi’r modd mae pobl lesbiaidd, hoyw, deurywiol a thraws yn cael eu portreadu yno yn ein sesiwn Sylw ar Iwerddon.

The five days will, as they have every year, be over in a flash! It is worth reminding ourselves the Iris Prize machine is now a year round operation. This year our work with schools has taken us beyond Cardiff, visiting Newport, Rhondda and Ysgol David Hughes in Menai Bridge, Anglesey. I specifically mention Ysgol David Hughes as this was Iris founder Berwyn’s secondary school. I know that he and his small team punch above their weight and it is my pleasure to work with them allowing Iris to grow.

The awarding of a Big Lottery Grant earlier this year will allow Iris to work to build tolerance and understanding of Wales’ LGBT communities, promoting equality and diversity alongside community cohesion. I look forward to updating you about this important and significant work over the next three years.

Finally, I would like to thank our growing number of funders and sponsors, especially my good friend Lord Glendonbrook, who has generously increased his funding of Iris via The Michael Bishop Foundation to £35,000.

Enjoy Iris 2015 and keep Wed 12-Sun 16 Oct 2016 free in your diary – our 10th anniversary promises to be a very special festival with events taking place throughout the year!

ANDREW PIERCE Chair, Iris Prize

Yn anffodus, mae ein papurau newydd a’n ffrydiau newyddion wedi dangos cynnydd mawr yn nifer y straeon am ddynion hoyw yn cael eu poenydio a’u taflu i’w marwolaeth dan law ISIS. Mae merched a phlant hefyd yn cael eu trin yn ddieflig ganddynt – mae llawer o waith i’w wneud.

Bwriad y ffilmiau sydd ganddon ni yn Iris, i ddiddanu ac addysgu, yw ysgogi pobl drin a thrafod. Mae hynny’n dod yn naturiol i’r rhai sy’n gallu ymuno â ni yn ein gwyl flynyddol arbennig. Rwy’n gobeithio hefyd y cewch chi ddigon o amser “wylio ffilmiau, partïo gyda’r nos, ac ailadrodd!” Dyna ein slogan newydd ar gyfer 2015 – bydd yn ddifyr gweld pwy fydd yn llwyddo i oroesi’r pum diwrnod cyfan!

Fel bob blwyddyn, bydd y pum diwrnod wedi dod i ben mewn dim o dro! Mae’n werth cofio bod peirianwaith Gwobr Iris yn gweithredu rownd y flwyddyn erbyn hyn. Mae ein gwaith gydag ysgolion wedi mynd â ni ymhell y tu hwnt i Gaerdydd, gan ymweld â Chasnewydd, y Rhondda ac Ysgol David Hughes Porthaethwy. Rwy’n crybwyll Ysgol David Hughes yn benodol gan mai hon oedd ysgol uwchradd Berwyn. Mae Berwyn a’i dîm bychan yn cyflawni y tu hwnt i bob disgwyl ac mae’n bleser gen i allu gweithio gyda nhw wrth Iris dyfu.

Bydd Grant o’r Gronfa Loteri Fawr a ddyfarnwyd yn gynharach eleni yn caniatáu Iris weithio er mwyn meithrin goddefgarwch a dealltwriaeth o gymunedau lesbiaidd, hoyw, deurywiol a thraws Cymru, gan hybu cydraddoldeb ac amrywiaeth ochr yn ochr â chydlyniant cymunedol. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at rannu mwy gyda chi am y gwaith arwyddocaol a phwysig yma wrth iddo ddatblygu yn ystod y tair blynedd nesaf.

Yn olaf, hoffwn ddiolch i’r nifer gynyddol o arianwyr a noddwyr, yn enwedig fy nghyfaill da yr Arglwydd Glendonbrook, sydd wedi bod yn ddigon hael i gynyddu ei nawdd i Iris drwy Sefydliad Michael Bishop eleni i £35,000.

Mwynhewch Iris 2015 a chofiwch gadw 12 – 16 Hydref 2016 yn rhydd yn eich dyddiadur – mae ein dengmlwyddiant yn mynd fod yn wyl arbennig iawn gyda digwyddiadau drwy gydol y flwyddyn!

ANDREW PIERCE

Cadeirydd, Gwobr Iris.

POPPY STOCKELL KNOWS THE SCORE

Giving the middle finger to gay male stereotypes, the opening film at Iris this year will be Scrum – a gorgeous documentary about the rugby players competing to be selected for the Sydney Convicts, a gay men’s rugby team in Australia. Director Poppy Stockell talks to Heather Arnold about the film.

When did you first hear about the Sydney Convicts and what they do?

I worked on a film about the Sydney Convicts back in 2006 and I filmed their first campaign for the Bingham Cup in New York. They won the Bingham Cup last year, which wasn’t a surprise to me. I decided to make another film about them because I knew a lot of the players, and the captain from the 2006 team had now become the coach – so it was like seeing all these brothers again.

What was it that you wanted to capture this time?

The first film was a pretty straight-up documentary with question grabs, following two teams to the final, but for this doc the coach of the Convicts approached me and asked me if I was interested in making another film. I had a think about it – I wanted it to be really immersive, to really put the audience in the scrum and be a part of the team. I wanted it to be personal and close, so they could feel the sweat and almost smell them in their huddle.

The really strong influence was Beau Travail by Claire Denis, which is a film about the French military. It’s a real study of packs of men. Another reference was Leviathan, which was an American film that just uses Go Pros. I really wanted to utilise Go Pros to create that immersive experience, but sometimes I would just pop a Go Pro somewhere and it would capture these really quiet moments of stillness.

So you went in with a clear vision?

I did this time and it’s probably the first time! But I already knew a lot about the team and the culture; so many people make a film about something and they go ‘OK, next,’ and don’t need to revisit it. I initially thought that too, but then, when I thought about it for a minute longer, I thought ‘I’m already in with these guys. I’ve already gained their trust, I know what the club’s about and what it is to be a gay rugby player, so I can go quite a lot deeper than I did before, and possibly more than anyone else.’

Did you already know which people you would focus on?

They were mostly new players; instantly I found Aki, who’s the Japanese player, quite interesting. He was very quiet, a huge part of the team but with not much of a voice. I’ve always loved, not the underdog, but the less represented. And when I found out his story that just blew me away. He had googled the Convicts, saved up for two years and then turned up on a Wednesday, started training on the Thursday and played on the Saturday.

Then there’s Pearce, the Irish guy who had such a transformation during the filming. He lost 20 or 30kg, and with each kilo of weight loss he gained so much confidence. He was mercilessly bullied in Ireland and he just really found his voice – and for the first time, found he was part of a team, and a really integral part too. And he’s so funny. We need a bit of comic relief! The coach obviously holds the whole thing together and Brennan, well Brennan’s really good looking. Easy on the eyes is always good, right?

Did you plan on following such an international set of characters?

It’s funny how it happened, but I think I’m always attracted to the ‘other’. I knew a lot of the Australian guys and their stories, so they weren’t as interesting. People have been saying ‘oh you’re making the film with an international vibe, that doesn’t really represent the Convicts?’ but, in actual fact, it does. These guys travel around the world and they travel to somewhere else to be part of a gay team. I think a lot of guys came to Sydney not thinking they could be out at home: Pierce was out, but not in a happy way, Aki wasn’t really out in Japan, and Brennan, well that was debatable too. So to come to Sydney, join a team and be really out, does really represent this culture of an international gay rugby community.

Do you feel that films like Scrum, which focuses on sport, are good for engaging people with LGBT stories?

It’s fantastic, really! Not everyone likes rugby but I think everyone likes competition. It’s human nature to get in as part of a team, and feeling included. Scrum is really about human vulnerability, and everyone can connect with someone who’s left on the bench because they’re out-competed by someone else. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight; everyone understands what it feels like to be left out. I didn’t go out there to make a film just to bash people over the head with gay rights. I wanted to make a film that really swept you along and made you feel for these people and feel their passion, and then at the end realise ‘I’ve just watched a group of gay men’.

Scrum, Cineworld, Cardiff, Wed 8 Oct, 7.45pm, Chapter, Sat 10 Oct, 5.30pm.

Tickets: £6.60/£7.90 feature films. Info: 029 2023 2744 / www.irisprize.org

“It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight; everyone understands what it feels like to be left out”

SCRUM

The Iris Prize Festival has adopted a rugby theme for their opening night, to coincide with the Rugby World Cup. Supported by the Welsh Rugby Union, who allowed the festival team to film their cinema advert at the Millennium Stadium, the 2015 festival will open with the rugby documentary Scrum.

Directed by Australian film-maker Poppy Stockell, who will be in Cardiff for the screening, the documentary focuses on the 2014 gay Rugby World Cup –The Bingham Cup.

“I’m thrilled that Scrum has been selected to open the 2015 Iris Prize Festival,” says Poppy. “Wales is known throughout the world as a rugby-loving nation and I just can’t wait to see what they think of the film.

Gareth Thomas has already made a huge contribution as the first openly gay rugby union player. Coupled with the pioneering work of out gay ref Nigel Owens, you get the impression Wales is a progressive country.

“If this was not enough, we also have the added thrill of screening during the Rugby World Cup – I’m obsessed with hearing the Welsh crowds sing and I’m

hoping to get a chance to see some games, especially the Ireland v France match on the closing night of the Iris Festival.”

Iris’ Festival Director and feature film programmer Berwyn Rowlands says, “As the eyes of the world focus on the 2015 Rugby World Cup, I’m delighted to open the 2015 festival with this powerful documentary which is about more than just rugby. This is the first time for a doc to open Iris and it confirms Poppy’s talents as a film-maker who can tell a story.”

The full feature programme includes 14 amazing feature films, representing the very best of LGBT film making. These include the award-winning Fourth Man Out (USA); lesbian comedy Floating (Germany); and Darker Than Midnight (Italy). The respective directors of these three films – Andrew Nackman, Julia Kaiser and Sebastiano Riso – are scheduled to

be in Cardiff for the screenings.

“I honestly believe we have this year the best of the best. Many of the films in this year’s programme arrive in Cardiff with awards for Best Film or Best Performance from festivals all over the world. One of them will leave Cardiff with the Iris Prize Best Feature Award and two awards for performances in a feature will also be distributed. I think the juries have a difficult task ahead of them,” says Berwyn Rowlands.

Scrum, Cineworld, Cardiff, Wed 8 Oct, 7.45pm, Chapter, Sat 10 Oct, 5.30pm.

Tickets: £6.60/£7.90 feature films. Info: 029 2023 2744 / www.irisprize.org

MEET THE JURY

Here are the folk with the unenviable task of picking out the winners of this year’s Iris Prize Festival.

JASON BRADBURY

Jason Bradbury is a director and trailer editor. His film We Once Were Tide has attracted over 2.4 million views on YouTube and he is developing a feature film entitled We Became The Cold Jason worked at Peccadillo Pictures for five years, managing the home entertainment department and working on films such as Weekend and Stranger By The Lake NOEL SUTTON

Noel is the Festival Director with GAZE International LGBT Film festival. Noel took the lead with GAZE in 2011 and has produced and developed the biggest festivals to date, with a very well established behind-the-scenes career in film and TV. Noel is campaigner and activist on LGBT right in Ireland. He worked on the recent Marriage Equality Referendum campaign that successfully saw Ireland become the first country in the world to legalise marriage equality.

CHARLIE FRANCIS

Charlie hails from Glasgow, where he’s been making short films for a few years. His comedy Middle Man won the Best Of British category at The Iris Prize, and was nominated for a BAFTA NTA.

RUTH MCCARTHY

MATT LISSACK

Matt Lissack wakes up South Wales every morning on Capital South Wales’ flagship programme Capital Breakfast. He started his career, broadcasting at various stations in the South West before joining Capital in 2006. His career has also seen him present programmes on Capital 95.8 in London and on the national Capital Network.

SARAH STREET

LYNN HUNTER (CHAIR)

Lynn is a popular and much respected actress. She has been fortunate enough to have worked in theatre, television, film and radio. For the past 20 years she has also been involved in the development of new writing. This year Lynn has acquired a new legion of fans following her appearance in Russell T. Davies’ Cucumber for Channel 4 and Banana for E4. We are thrilled and delighted Lynn has agreed to chair the 2015 iris Prize.

LUCY PETERS

Lucy is a writer and editor based in London. She currently works for Southbank Centre and is DIVA Magazine’s film editor.

ANDREW NACKMAN

Andrew Nackman is a filmmaker from New York. He just completed his first feature film, Fourth Man Out, which will be screening at this year’s Iris Prize Festival. It also won the Audience Award for Best Dramatic Feature at OUTfest 2015 and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 Seattle International Film Festival. Prior to that, he directed a short film called Paulie that won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Palm Springs International ShortFest and has played at many film festivals around the world.

HONG KHAOU

Hong spent seven years at Peccadillo Pictures, managing their Home Entertainment. Whilst there he was also in the acquisition team for short and feature length films. He left to make his debut feature, Lilting under Film London’s Microwave scheme. Lilting secured a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director or Producer.

POPPY STOCKELL

ROISIN GERAGHTY

Roisín is the film programmer for Gaze LGBT Film Festival in Dublin. She is also an independent documentary producer, and is passionate about the creation and curation of narrative and documentary film. Pre-Gazing, she worked with various film organisations in both Ireland and the US, including Galway Film Fleadh, Irish Film New York, and the Independent Filmmaker Project.

SCOTT NUNN

Scott is Co-founder of the gay publication, Gay Star News

TRIS REID

Tris is Co-founder of the gay publication, Gay Star News

Poppy Stockell is a multi-award winning film and television director, writer and producer with a penchant for stories exploring human interest, identity and humour. Poppy’s debut feature documentary Searching 4 Sandeep won the Audience Award for most popular film at the 2007 Sydney Film Festival. Poppy also directed the feature film Scrum, which will be opening this year’s Iris Prize Film Festival, while also screening during the Rugby World Cup.

BRENDON MCDONALL

Brendon is a director, screenwriter and actor. A graduate of UWS Theatre Nepean (Acting) and AFTRS (Australian Film, Television & Radio School – Directing & Screenwriting), His short film All God’s Creatures was nominated for the Dendy Award for Best Australian Short Film at the 2013 Sydney Film Festival, and went on to win Best Film and Best Director at the 2014 Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival and the prestigious International Iris Prize in 2014. Brendon won the AFTRS/Foxtel Award for Exceptional Talent and was Associate Director to Ian Watson on the ABC series Janet King.

Ruth McCarthy is co-founder and Artistic Director of Outburst Queer Arts Festival, Northern Ireland’s annual international queer arts event. A queer activist, programmer and multimedia producer for over 25 years, she is passionate about the role of film, theatre and performance as a catalyst for social change.

BEST BRITISH SHORT

CRAIG FORD

Craig is a film-maker and co-founder of Queer as Film, a film festival championing young gay cinema. His films have been exhibited around the world from Puerto Rico and Transylvania to LA and London. Craig’s first feature, Once Upon a Time In The Wild, will be released later this year.

KATIE WHITE

Katie is an award winning, Scottish BAFTA NTA nominee and a proactive member of the Scottish independent filmmaking scene. She wrote and co-produced last year’s Iris Prize-winning Best British short Middle Man Katie is at present looking into funding her first feature film and Edinburgh Festival play in 2016.

LUISA PÈRCOPO

Luisa is a post-colonialist, an Australian Film specialist and a globetrotter. Born in Melbourne, she grew up trilingual in Cagliari, Sardinia. She has lived in Cardiff for the past 10 years and teaches Cultural Studies and Photography at South Wales University. She is one of the organizers of the Italian Film Festival Cardiff.

Sarah Street is Professor of Film at the University of Bristol. She has published many books on different aspects of film, including British cinema history, film costume, set design and her latest projects are on film colour. In 2007 she coedited Queer Screen: The Queer Reader with Jackie Stacey.

BEST FEATURE FILM

EMMA CLARK

Emma Clark is the Publisher/owner of Buzz Magazine. Buzz was set up in 1991 and has run independently since; it is the leading independent entertainment and cultural guide in Wales. Buzz promotes culture through the medium of a magazine, a website and the Buzz TV channel, by engaging with the local community in sponsoring and being media partners with various festivals, events, exhibitions and launches.

MARTIN BRIGGS

Retired gay activist

PAUL SWEENEY

A Senior Film Buyer for Cineworld Cinemas, the number one cinema chain in the UK and Ireland. With over 15 years’ experience in the film industry, recent career highlights include selecting two-time Scottish BAFTA 2011 winner Donkeys and Fast Romance, that picked up the audience award for exclusive screenings.

BEST PERFORMANCE

ROBERT GERSHINSON

Robert is a London based photographer and director. In 2014 he produced the online video project 20MALEGAY and in 2009 he co-founded Queer As Film – a short film screening/ networking event and blog that is dedicated to celebrating queer cinema.

FROM THE FOUNDER: BERWYN ROWLANDS

With the 10th anniversary just around the corner, Iris Prize founder Berwyn Rowlands reflects on a decade of LBGT film.

What made you want to start the Iris Prize?

The main driver was wanting to see an improvement in the quality of LGBT films. Many of us who were watching gay films in the 80s and 90s were very grateful for the representation, appearing on screen, but sometimes the quality of the filmmaking was a barrier to them being successful. So a decision was made to do something about it and try and find a way of investing in new quality content, but at the same time support and celebrate excellence within the sector. This objective gave birth to Iris – a prize for excellence in LGBT film-making which would lead to new content. Thanks to the talent out there, our job was not that difficult!

What were you hoping to achieve with the festival?

As well as supporting and celebrating excellence in LGBT filmmaking, I wanted to create an amazing fun festival – similar to what we created with the Welsh International Film Festival in Aberystwyth in the 1990s, which had 10,000 admissions in its hay day. This year people will see “Watch films. Party nightly. Repeat” on t-shirts, banners, adverts and on the big screen. People look forward to Iris each year because they get to see the best of the best, but they also know we like to throw a party or two... or three!

What do you feel Iris’ biggest achievement has been?

From a Welsh perspective, I think Iris has demonstrated we, as a country, can do anything we want to! The idea that the world’s largest LGBT short film prize and associated film festival would call Cardiff home is quite an achievement when you consider the track record of larger cities like San Francisco or Sydney.

Why do you think it is important to provide Iris winners with the opportunity to make another film?

Making a film can be quite expensive, even in this digital world. Investors will quite often demand this and that from the film-maker and if, as is most often the case, the film is a co-production with many investors, the creative freedom can sometimes disappear. This is why we give the winners an opportunity to be completely free and focus on telling a story. To date, the freedom we give the winners has allowed them to deliver excellent films.

Do you think Wales currently has a strong film scene?

Wales has always had a strong relationship with film. If you accept that the film sector is made of many parts – locations, actors, writer, directors, cinemas and festivals – then we have much to celebrate. Our actors are recognised at home and abroad, our film-makers are winning Oscars and BAFTAs and the country is always busy with people filming. I would like to see more investment in the sector because I think we can achieve even more.

PRODUCERS FORUM

Iris isn’t just about watching films and throwing parities, it’s also about fostering talent and making new movies. The Producers Forum is a chance to get advice, make connections and learn from filmmakers who have ‘been there’ and ‘done that’.

The saying goes ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ but, thanks to Iris’ Producer Forum, you can get a bit of both. The annual gathering of directors, producers, writers, actors, and distributors gives film-makers old and new a chance to network, share and talk about the issues the film industry is currently facing.

This year the forum’s programme includes talks about how to develop your talent, which organisations have the money and how to get them to invest, the business side of making movies and knowing your audience.

There will also be Media Surgeries with roundtable discussions throughout the day, hosted by Judy Wasdell (Media Manager at Creative Europe Desk UK Wales) at 10.30am and Capital Law at 11.45am. These surgeries are for 40 people max, and will be followed by one-to-one meetings with some of the speakers, so you’ll need to book in advance. Attendees are also invited to the official launch of Queer Film Network at 6pm in The BAFTA Bar at Cineworld. The drinks reception will follow the screening of Iris Prize Best British – Programme One at 4.30pm also screening at Cineworld.

Producers Forum, Park Inn City Centre, Cardiff, Fri 9 Oct, 9.30am-4pm. Tickets: £35 (inc lunch and coffee) / £20 for students (inc lunch and coffee) / free entry with Iris VIP pass.

PRODUCERS FORUM SCHEDULE

9.30am – Coffee and registration

10.25am – Welcome from the host: Christopher Racster, award winning film producer

10.30am - SESSION ONE: TALENT DEVELOPMENT

You’ve made a short. You’ve won an award. You have your next project – piece of cake? During this session we would like to point out it is never that easy! Award winning film-makers from Wales and Scotland will share with us their experiences following the excitement of winning an award.

Speakers: Jay Bedwani (Iris Prize Best British Award winner), Katie White (award winning, Scottish BAFTA NTA nominee, filmmaker), Lloyd Eyre-Morgan (feature film director and writer) Chair: Andrew Smith (Pinewood Studios)

11.30am – Break

11.45am – SESSION TWO: FUNDING

An opportunity to meet the people working for the organisations who might want to invest in your next film project. The panellists include funders who have responsibility for Wales, the UK and Europe.

Speakers: representatives from Ffilm Cymru Wales, BFI, Pinewood Studios, Creative Europe Desk UK Wales

1pm – Lunch

2pm – SESSION THREE: COUNTRY FOCUS (IRELAND) & THE BUSINESS OF FILM-MAKING

An opportunity to discover more about the business of film-making in Ireland covering development, production, distribution and exhibition. This business session complements the Iris Prize focus which is looking at how LGBT people from Ireland are represented on film. The Ireland focus is produced in association with GAZE film festival in Dublin and with support from OUTburst, Belfast.

Speakers: Keith Potter (Irish Film Board), Cian Smyth (Belfast Film Festival and Chair of OUTburst Arts), Roisin Geraghty (Gaze film Festival)

2pm – SESSION FOUR: STRAEON IRIS TALENT DEVELOPMENT

The aim of the Straeon Iris scheme is to encourage more LGBT stories for the screen, from Wales, about Wales and in Welsh. The scheme is focused on developing up to six short film scripts (max 10 mins duration) before selecting one to go into production. Today’s workshop, through the medium of Welsh, will see some of the shortlisted finalists pitch their script ideas to the audience, who in turn will offer valuable feedback.

Sponsored by: S4C, Ffilm Cymru Wales via BFI NET.WORK and the Iris Prize.

3pm – SESSION FIVE: WHO’S YOUR AUDIENCE?

An opportunity for those who have a direct relationship with the audience to tell a few tales! What do audiences like and what makes them angry? Do you sometimes feel that the audience might have been ignored when a film goes into production? In an industry obsessed with development and production, this is an opportunity for the public facing side to discuss and share their experiences at the coal face!

Speakers: Adam Silver (TLA Distribution), Noel Sutton (Producer GAZE Film Festival), Paul Sweeney (Film Consultant / Vue Cinemas), Hana Lewis (Film Hub Wales) Chair: Jayne Graham-Cummings (Queer Film Network)

3.55pm - Closing comments from Christopher Racster

YOUTH CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

10am – Reception and welcome

10.35am – Sally Holland (Children’s Commissioner For Wales)

10.45am – Key Note Address from Alex Jones and Daniel Suzuki (Pride Cymru’s Young Persons Champions)

Alex Jones (age 17, from Newport) and Daniel Suzuki (age 19, from Pembrokeshire) are taking on this voluntary role for a year. They will act as ambassadors for Pride Cymru and will be a voice for LGBT young people across Wales.

CELEBRATE COMING OUT DAY!

10.55am – Tackling Hate Crime from Andrew Davies (CEO, Unity Group Wales)

The Unity Project is part of a scheme support victims of hate crime and to educate on identifying hate crime and the importance of reporting it.

OCTOBER 2015

Mary Ann St, Cardiff

Networking Social till 6.30pm

Meet the Children’s Commissioner for Wales Trans*Form SHORTS NOMINATIONS

11.15am – Trans*Form Project from Rachel Benson (Youth Cymru) and members of the project

Trans*Form Cymru works to address the discrimination and exclusion often faced by young people who identify as trans* (including those who identify as transgender, transsexual, neutrois or gender fluid) or who are questioning their gender identity.

11.45am – Break

12noon – Morning Workshops

Workshops aiming to address the main issues facing young LBGT people, what they can do to improve their situation and what support there is for them.

Workshops are: ‘Being Safe – Sexual Health’ and ‘Being Active / Sports Engagement’

1pm – Lunch with light refreshments

2pm – 2015 Iris Prize Youth Shorts Screening in Cineworld

3pm – Break

3.15pm – Afternoon Workshops

Workshops are: ‘Substance and Alcohol Misuse’ and ‘Hate Crimes

4pm - Afternoon Workshops

Workshops are: ‘Mental Health and ‘Confidence and Campaigning’

4.45pm – Workshop Feedback and Evaluation

5.15pm – Conference Close

5.15pm-6.30pm – Networking Social and Entertainment In the BAFTA Bar, Cineworld

BRILLIANTLY BRITISH

Though Iris is undoubtedly an international festival, a corner of it is dedicated to Britain’s very own LBGT filmmaking talent with the Best Of British Award.

Atime-travelling 16 year-old boy leaves 1986 behind him and meets up with a teenager in 2015; the final week in work for a retiring University Professor; and a short film about two straight men connecting in a gay club are just some of the stories tackled by the finalists for the Best Of British award.

The winner of the award will receive a post-production package to help with the making of their next film, comprising of sound mixing, sound track lay and dub plus layback. The package is worth an amazing £14,000 and is sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group.

“British films have always been well received at the Iris Prize Film Festival and we are delighted to be screening 10 of the best British LGBT shorts this year,” states Festival Chair Andrew Pierce. “I’m delighted that Pinewood Studios has agreed to sponsor this important prize, they represent everything which makes the British Film Industry the envy of the world.”

Those making the call on which of the 10 British shorts deserves the title of the best is filmmaker and co-founder of Queer As Film Craig Ford; award-winning Scottish BAFTA NTA nominee Katie Write; Australian film specialist and Italian Film Festival Cardiff organizer Luisa Pèrcopo; co-founder and Artistic Director of Outburst Queer Arts Festival Ruth McCarthy; and Professor Of Film at the University Of Bristol Sarah Street.

British Shorts Programme 1, Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 4.30pm British Shorts Programme 2, Cineworld, Sat 10 Oct, 6pm

JAY BEDWANI

Welsh film-maker Jay Bedwani won Iris’ Best Of British Award in 2013 and, this year, is speaking at the festivals Producers Forum (p. 14) and submitting his second short film Quixotic Player (p. 46).

You submitted your film My Mother to Iris previously –what was that experience like?

My Mother was my first film so it was great experiencing Iris as a filmmaker, meeting the Iris family, and other film-makers from all over the world. It’s an exciting festival, very international in scope, but also very intimate and supportive.

The film won you the Best Of British award – how has the win affected your career?

It really encouraged me with my own filmmaking. It can sometimes be a little disheartening making indie films with no budget, so getting some recognition and feedback for my film was invaluable. The experience definitely helped me with my career. Since then I’ve developed some other short films, a feature script and I’ve been to some great film festivals all over the world, most recently Tel Aviv. I’m currently shooting a film with the Beacons Project, a scheme supported by Ffilm Cymru.

Can you tell me about Quixotic Player?

Quixotic Player is my second short, an LGBT documentary I shot in California last year. It follows Barry – a professor who is retiring after 50 years of teaching – as he reflects on his career, reminisces about the men he has loved, and directs his final play for the students of his college. It’s a character study, and it takes a look at the life of a single gay man at a significant moment in his life. It turned into a bit of a strange experimental roadtrip movie, and hopefully a celebration of one man’s life, and all the love, mess, joy and sorrow that a life well-lived entails.

yn fwy na

eich hun ar antur Gymreig. Be more than a spectator. Challenge yourself to a Welsh adventure.

IRISH FEATURE FILMS

ALL EYES ON IRELAND

This year, Ireland has been chosen as the festival’s Country Focus. Anna Wyn Davies has a look at the Irish events taking place.

In a momentous year for the country’s LGBT community, the Iris Prize has made Ireland its official Country Focus for the 2015 festival. With the passage of the Marriage Referendum and the Gender Recognition Bill, Iris aims to celebrate the progression of LGBT rights and the cultural shift in Ireland – the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage through a popular vote. By partnering with the GAZE Film Festival (Ireland’s biggest and longest running LGBT Film Festival), 2015’s programme includes a diverse selection of some of the best LGBT features and shorts to come out of the country.

Noel Sutton, the Director of the GAZE Film Festival, tells us more about the partnership between GAZE and Iris, and how the programme reflects the celebratory atmosphere within the LGBT community in Ireland. “There’s a good representation of the transformation that we’ve gone through in the films we’re presenting this year,” he explains. When GAZE was founded in 1992, homosexuality was still criminalised in Ireland; as such, there’s an emphasis on the progress achieved in the past 23 years. “The LGBT community has been heading towards that one goal [the Marriage Referendum victory], and that journey has been presented in our short films throughout the years. There’s a reflection of that journey in all LGBT films: the love stories, the stories of struggle and – especially this year – the stories of celebration.”

The selection of Irish films begins on Thursday with the feature The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name – a documentary which explores the history of LGBT rights and culture in Ireland, from Oscar Wilde’s trial to the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1993. This will be followed by a screening of comedy-drama Breakfast On Pluto, a story that follows a young trans woman who leaves her Irish town and heads to London in search of her mother.

A series of short documentaries making the bill, documentaries such as Making History – an uplifting film commissioned by GAZE following the announcement of this year’s referendum, and reflecting the excitement and historic nature of the day. Other factual entries in the program include Our Gemma, which looks at an Irish comedian as she meditates on the issue of bigotry in Ireland, and Love And Other Drags which explores the world of Irish drag queens.

Film has always been an interesting gauge of the progression of history, as well as the change in presentation of the LGBT community. In Céad Ghrá (winner of Best Short at GAZE 2015), the presentation of two young boys discovering and exploring their sexuality displays a nuanced portrayal of how homosexuality is now not a taboo.

Concerning his curatorial role, Sutton stresses the importance of the quality of film that they get submitted. “We want to make sure that we bring the best in LGBT film in Ireland; we want to make sure that we’re programming the best LGBT films in regards to quality as opposed to subject matter. People, LGBT or not, come to see good quality film.”

As a judge this year at the Iris Film Festival, it will be one of the most exciting ones he’ll have been a part of. “Everyone has their eyes on that prize, and we have a brilliant entry this year which we hope might get placed. Iris is part of my annual calendar and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Shorts From Ireland Programme 1 + Panel Discussion, Cineworld, Thurs 8 Oct, 2pm.

MAKING HISTORY

Dir: Anna Rodgers (Ireland) 4min

IFTA winning director Anna Rodgers, in association with GAZE International Film Festival Dublin, presents a heartwarming account of the historic same-sex marriage referendum victory in May 2015.

SNOWFALL

Dir: Conor Whelan (Ireland) 4min

In this stunning animation by Dublinbased animator Conor Whelan, a nervous young man attends a party, leaving only to question a strange sense of selfrealisation.

BREAKFAST ON PLUTO

Patrick is an Irish orphan, left on the steps of a priest’s rectory and raised by a strict foster mother, who doesn’t take well to his love of trying on her dresses and shoes. He decides that he’s not like other boys, adopts the name Kitten and flees Ireland for London during the politically tumultuous 1970s on a quest for a place to love and call home. Breakfast On Pluto, Cineworld, Thurs 8 Oct, 10pm.

THE LOVE THAT DARE NOT SPEAK ITS NAME

“Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill / The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.’ / Then sighing, said the other, ‘Have thy will, / I am the Love that dare not speak its name.’”

These lines, taken from a poem Two Lovers by Lord Alfred Douglas where featured in a collection of poetry by Oscar Wilde, and later came to haunt him at his trial for ‘gross indecency’. This documentary uses Oscar Wilde’s trail as a starting point and explores the history of LGBT rights and culture in Ireland, up until the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1993.

The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name, Cineworld, Thurs 8 Oct, 12noon.

Shorts From Ireland Programme 2, Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 12pm.

LOVE AND OTHER DRAGS

Dir: Ryan Ralph (Ireland)

This short documentary follows 24-yearold Belfast lad Stephen, who dreams of drag stardom with the support of his family, tracking his journey to making a drag career a potential reality. The professional world of drag success is unravelled; one that demands grand ambition and hard work while harbouring as many setbacks as it does rewards.

OUR GEMMA

Dir: Cara Holmes (Ireland) 12min Our Gemma explores questions of identity and how the comedian Gemma Hutton responds to bigotry and sectarianism in Northern Ireland.

CÉAD GHRÁ

Dir: Brian Deane (Ireland) 13min

A nostalgic coming of age story about two best friends that set out on a quest in pursuit of their first crush. Winner of Best Irish Short at GAZE 2015.

DREAM KITCHEN

Dir: Barry Dignam (Ireland) 8min

Reality merges with fantasy as a young Irish lad tries to come out to his family, only to succeed in his imagination, manifested as a kitchen right out of the latest designer catalogue and rendered in dreamlike mock Shakespearean tongue. Winner of numerous awards, including the Best Irish Short award at the 1999 Galway Film Fleadh.

CHICKEN

Dir: Barry Dignam(Ireland) 3min

Chicken is a micro-drama about two boys hanging out on a beach at dusk. A game of dare tests the limits of their trust and redefines the boundaries of their relationship. Funded by the Irish Film Board and nominated for an award at Cannes in 2001.

JAMES

Dir: Conor Clement (Ireland) 21min

James is a withdrawn and secretive teenager, coming from a family with longburied secrets. With no friends and a refusal to confide in his parents, he faces an inner battle as he comes to terms with his sexuality.

HOLD ON TIGHT

Dir: Anna Rodgers (Ireland) 12min

Holding hands or kissing in public isn’t for everyone. When it comes to same sex relationships, showing your love outside of the home is sometimes a complicated personal choice. This short documentary moves between the public and private spaces in which lesbian and gay couples live, and explores small gestures of human connectedness.

TITS ON A BULL

Dir: Tim Worrall (New Zealand)

16m

Focusing on a provincial Maori women’s rugby team in rural New Zealand, Tits On A Bull follows Phoenix Tawhana, the young star of the team who runs rings around the boys, as she struggles to choose between her long-time friendship with ageing coach Rusty and her new relationship with lesbian team captain, Melanie. A tender exploration of camaraderie, shared passion and unexpected desire.

TITS ON A BULL

Cyfarwyddwr: Tim Worrall (Seland Newydd)

16m Mae Tits on a Bull wedi’i gosod yng

nghefn gwlad Seland Newydd, ac yn dilyn Phoenix Tawhana, seren ifanc y tîm rygbi merched, wrth iddi frwydro i ddewis rhwng ei chyfeillgarwch hirhoedlog gyda Rusty, yr hyfforddwr sy’n heneiddio, a’i pherthynas newydd gyda Melanie, y lesbiad sy’n gapten y tîm.

CHARLIE

Dir: Shawn Ryan (USA)

22m

No one ever listened to Charlie, until he stopped talking. Charlie is the story of a young man who goes hysterically mute after choosing to leave his abusive past behind him. It’s Christmas Eve and he stumbles upon the Sanderson family who take him in as their own. Charlie’s silence acts as a mirror for the Sandersons who discovers what bravery, compassion, and accepting one’s self are all about. Starring Shawn Ryan (Bones), Jim O’ Heir (Parks and Rec), Mo Collins (MADtv), and Golden Globe Nominee Andrea Marcovicci.

CHARLIE

Cyfarwyddwr: Shawn Ryan (Unol Daleithiau America) 22m

Doedd neb byth yn gwrando ar Charlie, tan iddo stopio siarad. Mae Charlie yn stori am ddyn ifanc sy’n mynd yn fud drwy hysteria wrth ddewis gadael ei orffennol treisgar y tu ôl iddo. Mae’n Noswyl Nadolig wrth iddo daro ar y teulu Sanderson, sy’n cymryd gofal amdano fel un o’r teulu. Mae mudandod Charlie yn ymddwyn fel drych i’r teulu Sanderson, sy’n darganfod beth yw ystyr dewrder, tosturi, a’n derbyn ni ein hunain. Gyda Shawn Ryan (Bones), Jim O’ Heir (Parks and Rec), Mo Collins (MADtv), ac Enwebai Golden Globe, Andrea Marcovicci.

BUNKER

Dir: Vibeke Heide (Norway)

30m Monika tries to revive the close relationship with her childhood friend Irene. A day-trip to an old German bunker reveals that past offenses have not faded, and that the struggle for power between friends isn’t exclusive to childhood.

BUNKER

Cyfarwyddwr: Vibeke Heide (Norwy)

30m

Mae Monika yn ceisio adfywio perthynas glòs gyda chyfaill plentyndod, Irene. Mae trip diwrnod i hen fyncer Almaenig yn datgelu’r ffaith nad yw troseddau’r gorffennol wedi pylu, a bod y frwydr am rym rhwng ffrindiau yn gallu para ymhell y tu hwnt i blentyndod.

BOXEADORA

Dir: Meg Smaker (USA) 16m

Since Castro’s Revolution, Cuba has won more Olympic gold medals in boxing than any other country in the world. Although this boxing powerhouse has more than 19,000 male boxers, female boxing is non-existent on the island – the result of a ban on female boxing put into place after the revolution. Boxeadora follows Namibia, a Cuban woman who has been training in secret as a boxer for five years, hoping the government would lift its ban. Now 38, she only has two years left of boxing eligibility. Journey with Namibia as she tries to leave the island to follow her only dream: to compete as a boxer.

BOXEADORA

Cyfarwyddwr: Meg Smaker (Unol Daleithiau America) 16m

Ers Chwyldro Castro, mae Ciwba wedi ennill mwy o fedalau Olympaidd aur am baffio na’r un wlad arall yn y byd. Ond er bod dros 19,000 o baffwyr gwrywaidd yn y pwerdy paffio yma, does dim paffio benywaidd i’w weld ar yr ynys o gwbl – a hynny yn dilyn gwaharddiad ar baffio merched ar ôl y chwyldro. Mae Boxeadora yn dilyn Namibia, merch o Giwba sydd wedi bod yn hyfforddi fel paffiwr ers pum mlynedd yn y dirgel, gan obeithio y byddai’r llywodraeth yn codi’r gwaharddiad. A hithau’n 38 oed erbyn hyn, dim ond dwy flynedd o fod yn gymwys baffio sydd ganddi ar ôl. Cawn deithio gyda Namibia wrth iddi geisio gadael yr ynys er mwyn dilyn ei breuddwyd: cael cystadlu fel paffiwr.

TOP FIVE FOR THE PRIZE

With so many shorts competing for the prize it can be difficult deciding what to see. Thankfully, pre-selection jury member Philip Wyn-Jones has seen them all and can give us his top five films.

The Iris Prize competition continues to grow in every way. Eighteen partner festivals! This year the Pre-selection Jury had more films to watch than ever before, so it’s no wonder that the jury was greatly augmented. I have the unenviable task of choosing just five of my favourites. Here they are.

DANIEL

Dean Loxton, UK Dean Loxton trained as an actor and has been making shorts since 2008. This is his fourth film as director. He favours an element of improvisation in his films and you can decide to what extent he does that here. Handsome, affable Daniel is a student who finances his studies by operating as a gay escort. His best friend invites him round for lunch with her Hungarian family. She’s eager for him to meet her new boyfriend. Oh dear! Was this a good idea?

ELGIN PARK

Danny Yourd, USA

Danny Yourd is an award-winning producer at Sundance. This documentary is his first film as director and what a lovely debut it is. It’s a moving portrait of Michael Paul Smith and his creation, Elgin (pronounced Eljin) Park, a miniaturised recreation of his hometown over a period of 40 years. You may feel pangs of nostalgia while you watch this beautifully made film, but Michael’s recollections are not happy ones. Watch it and find out why.

GLORIA

Luis Hernandez de la Rena, Mexico

The director’s background is in writing and directing commercials. After winning a screenwriting competition, he made this film with the partial backing of a government grant. He researched the day jobs of drag artists and chose Jose Maria as his subject. He’s simply a man with two jobs. By day he’s a popular bus driver. At night he impersonates Mexican diva, Gloria Trevi. It’s the naturalness of this true story that makes it so appealing.

HORA Yoav Brill, Israel Yoav trained in Jerusalem and Prague and initially designed the sound for animated shorts. He was at Iris four years ago with his heartfelt animated short, Ishihara which depicted the loneliness of people who are somehow different to the ‘norm’. In the more light-hearted Hora, also an animated film, we have the dilemma of people who are together! Where is it acceptable for gay couples to hold hands in public – be it in Israel or any other country?

THE LITTLE DEPUTY

Trevor Anderson, Canada

Here’s another familiar name. We’ve previously enjoyed three of Trevor Anderson’s films at Iris; Rock Pockets Dinx and The Island In his latest, he takes us back to the 1980s, when Trevor tried to get his picture taken with his father. The 1980s become the 1880s and we’re in the Wild West. This is an imaginative short in which Trevor’s entertainingly laconic commentary adds to the fun.

NO STRINGS

Dir: Eoin Maher (Ireland)

23m

Having recently moved to London, Bryn is finding it difficult to cope with his new unfamiliar surroundings. Seeking a distraction he invites Sean, an intrusive extrovert over for no-strings sex. When the encounter ends and Sean misses the last bus home, Bryn wants to be alone again but Sean doesn’t want to leave. What follows is a delicate exploration of boundaries, belonging and getting lost in translation.

NO STRINGS

Cyfarwyddwr: Eoin Maher (Iwerddon)

23m

Cymro sydd wedi symud Lundain yw Bryn, ac mae’n ei chael yn anodd ymdopi â’i amgylchiadau newydd. Mae’n chwilio am rywbeth i’w ddifyrru ac mae’n gwahodd Sean, Gwyddel gorhyderus, draw am ryw dirwymau. Pan ddaw’r difyrrwch i ben, mae Bryn eisiau bod ar ei ben ei hunan unwaith eto, ond dyw Sean ddim am adael.

DÁNIEL

Dir: Dean Loxton (UK)

14m

Dániel is studying in London, all the while working part-time as an escort to pay his tuition fees. He is invited to a lunch with Hungarian friends at which his close friend Nori introduces her new lover Tom. The result not being what she hoped for. A taut and morally complex drama that brings intimate insight into the qualms and isolation of sex work and the modern city.

DÁNIEL

Cyfarwyddwr: Dean Loxton (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

14m

Mae Dániel yn astudio yn Llundain ac yn gweithio’n rhan-amser fel escort. Mae’n cael ei wahodd ginio gan ei ffrind gorau, ac mae hi’n synnu pawb drwy gyflwyno ei chariad newydd Tom, ond mae’r canlyniadau’n wahanol i’r hyn roedd hi wedi gobeithio amdano

D.ASIAN

Dir: Sarah Smith (USA) 10m

Fourth grade is all about fitting in. For 10-year-old Daniel that means owning the latest in Hello Kitty fashion, liking the cutest boy in class, and convincing yourself you’re Asian when everyone else thinks you’re white. Davis Desmond and Sari Lennick (A Serious Man) star in this short comedy, based on a short story by Phillip Guttmann, that proves identity is all in the eye of the beholder.

D.ASIAN

Cyfarwyddwr: Sarah Smith (Unol Daleithiau America) 10m

Ffitio i mewn yw’r flaenoriaeth yn nosbarth pedwar. I Daniel deg oed, ystyr hynny yw bod yn berchen ar yr eitem ddiweddaraf o ffasiwn Hello Kitty, hoffi’r bechgyn mwyaf golygus yn y dosbarth, a darbwyllo’ch hunan eich bod o gefndir Asiaidd pan fo pawb arall yn credu eich bod chi’n wyn. Davis Desmond a Sari Lennick (A Serious Man) yw sêr y gomedi fer yma sy’n profi nad yw hunaniaeth yr un peth i bawb.

FALLING ANGELS

Dir: Maria Winther Olsen (Denmark)

28m

Falling Angels is a Faroese romantic drama. Young Julia, the priest’s daughter, falls in love with the beautiful Barbara, who just moved to the island. A story about forbidden love and the hard choices it leads to. Winner of Best Student Short at the inaugural Kaleidoscope Film Festival.

FALLING ANGELS

Cyfarwyddwr: Maria Winther Olsen (Denmarc)

28m Drama ramantus ar Ynysoedd Ffaröe yw Falling Angels. Mae’r Julia ifanc – merch y gweinidog – yn cwympo mewn cariad gyda’r Barbara brydferth, sydd newydd symud i’r ynys. Stori am gariad gwaharddedig a’r dewisiadau anodd sy’n deillio o hynny.

FIRST CLUE

Dir: Susan Sullivan (USA) 6m

What was your first clue you were a lesbian? The answers are playful and poignant prequels to our “When did you know?” and “Coming out” stories. Charming and upbeat, First Clue reveals our earliest intuitions that we knew and delighted in who we were until we were taught otherwise. A diverse group of 21 women appear in this short film that was filmed in Dolores Park in San Francisco during Gay Pride Weekend, June 2013.

FIRST CLUE

Cyfarwyddwr: Susan Sullivan (Unol Daleithiau America) 6m

Beth oedd y cliw cyntaf i ti dy fod yn lesbiad? Mae’r atebion yn rhagflas chwareus a theimladwy i’n straeon “Dod allan” a’r “Pryd nest ti sylweddoli?”. Mewn ffilm galonnog a hudolus, datgelir y reddf gyntaf o wybod a llawenhau yn yr hyn oedden ni, tan i ni gael ein dysgu fel arall. Mae grwp amrywiol o 21 o ferched yn ymddangos yn y ffilm fer yma a ffilmiwyd ym Mharc Dolores yn San Francisco yn ystod Penwythnos Balchder Hoyw, ym mis Mehefin 2013.

A Straight Journey

Dir: Masamojo (China) 23m

From 2014-2015, Masamojo, along with a team of two photographers who are straight, took a journey across 11 cities in China, making portraits and telling the stories of more than 40 gay, lesbian and queer people and their families. A short film was made during the journey, documenting the stories they told for the first time.

A STRAIGHT JOURNEY

Cyfarwyddwr: Masamojo (Tsieina) 23m

Rhwng 2014 a 2015, aeth Masamojo, ynghyd a thîm o ddau ffotograffydd, sy’n syth, ar daith ar draws 11 o ddinasoedd yn Tsieina, gan dynnu portreadau o 48 o ddynion hoyw a lesbiaid a’u teuluoedd. Yn ystod y daith fe wnaed ffilm fer, yn cofnodi’r straeon roedden nhw’n eu hadrodd am y tro cyntaf.

THIRST

Dir: Guy Sahaf (Israel) 14m

Two friends go on a hike to the desert. In the desolate wilderness something hidden emerges in their friendship. From then on, the only way they manage to communicate is sexually and violently. While one of them wants more than the other is able to give, he expresses his frustration by making sure they get lost and have no water – anything to escape from awaiting reality.

THIRST

Cyfarwyddwr: Guy Sahaf (Israel) 14m Mae dau ffrind yn mynd i heicio yn yr anialwch. Yn y diffeithwch gwyllt mae rhywbeth cudd yn dod i’r wyneb yn eu cyfeillgarwch. O hynny ymlaen, yr unig ffordd o gyfathrebu yw drwy ryw a thrais. Mae un ohonynt yn dyheu am fwy nag y gall y llall ei roi, ac mae’n mynegi ei rwystredigaeth drwy wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn mynd ar goll, a hynny heb ddŵr – unrhyw beth i osgoi’r realiti sy’n ei wynebu.

Two men are walking down the street holding each other’s hands. Using interviews held by the director with men of his hometown Tel Aviv, this animated short investigates an intimate yet very public gesture. Who’s into it? Who avoids at all costs? And how a public admission of your sexual nature can mean a whole different thing in another culture.

HORA

Cyfarwyddwr: Yoav Brill (Israel) 9m

Mae dau ddyn yn cerdded ì lawr y stryd yn dal dwylo. Gan ddefnyddio cyfweliadau rhwng y cyfarwyddwr â dynion ei dref enedigol, Tel Aviv, mae’r ffilm fer animeiddiedig yma’n astudio defod bersonol ond cyhoeddus iawn. Pwy sy’n ei harfer? Pwy sy’n ei hosgoi ar bob cyfrif? A sut mae cydnabyddiaeth gyhoeddus o’ch natur rywiol yn gallu golygu rhywbeth hollol wahanol mewn diwylliant arall.

INTRINSIC MORAL EVIL

Dir: Harm Weistra (The Netherlands) 11m

Intrinsic Moral Evil seems to be a tale of identity and coming of age. But above all, the three dancers play a game with the viewer’s perception and expectations: is it a memory, a dream, a search for identity? Is it about losing of friendship or about growing up? The layered story gradually develops; revealing its last secrets just before the end credits start. Leaving the audience in confusion; inviting them to make their own interpretation.

INTRINSIC MORAL EVIL

Cyfarwyddwr: Harm Weistra (Yr Iseldiroedd)

11m

Stori am hunaniaeth a dod oed yw

Intrinsic Moral Evil. Yn fwy na dim, mae’r tri dawnsiwr yn chwarae gyda dirnadaeth a disgwyliadau’r gwyliwr. Mae’r stori haenog yn datblygu’n raddol; gan gadw’i chyfrinachau olaf tan y diwedd un, a gwahodd y gynulleidfa i’w dehongli.

NAZ AND MAALIK

Dir: Jay Dockendorf (USA)

Cast: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier 86min

Naz and Maalik are two teenage boys living a happy life in post 9/11 Brooklyn. Attempts to deal with their sexuality and faith – both are gay and Muslim – they are threatened by an over-enthusiastic FBI agent who interprets their secretive behaviour as something possibly more sinister. Strong performances by both young leads have already been recognised with Best Actor awards at OUTFEST 2015.

Cineworld, Thurs 8 Oct, 6pm

NAZ AND MAALIK

Cyfarwyddwr: Jay Dockendorf (Unol Daleithiau America)

Cast: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier 86mun

Dau fachgen yn eu harddegau yw Naz a Maalik, yn byw’n ddigon bodlon yn Brooklyn ôl-9/11. Mae ymdrechion ymdrin â’u rhywioldeb a’u ffydd – mae’r ddau yn Fwslimiaid ac yn hoyw – yn cael eu drysu gan Asiant FBI gorfrwdfrydig, sy’n dehongli eu hymddygiad cyfrinachgar fel rhywbeth mwy sinistr nag ydyw.

Mae perfformiadau cryf gan y ddau brif actor wedi eu cydnabod eisoes gyda gwobrau Actor Gorau yn OUTFEST 2015.

HOW TO WIN AT CHECKERS (EVERY TIME)

Dir: Josh Kim (Thailand/USA/Indonesia)

Cast: Toni Rakkaen, Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, Thira Chutikul

80min

After the loss of both parents, 11-year-old Oat faces an uncertain future when his older brother must submit to Thailand’s annual military draft lottery. Unable to convince his brother to do whatever he can to change his fate, Oat takes matters into his own hands resulting in unexpected consequences.

Cineworld, Thurs 8 Oct, 2pm

HOW TO WIN AT CHECKERS (EVERY

TIME)

Cyfarwyddwr: Josh Kim (Gwlad Thai/Unol Daleithiau America/Indonesia)

Cast: Toni Rakkaen, Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, Thira Chutikul 80mun

Ar ôl colli ei ddau riant, mae Oat, yn 11 oed, yn wynebu dyfodol ansicr pan mae’n rhaid i’w frawd mawr gymryd rhan yn loteri flynyddol dethol milwyr i fyddin Gwlad Thai. Ar ôl methu darbwyllo ei frawd i wneud beth bynnag y gall er mwyn newid ei ffawd, mae Oat yn mynd i’r afael â phethau ei hunan, gyda chanlyniadau annisgwyl.

This screening is presented in association with WOW-Wales One World Film Festival

only Welsh university in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers Index (2015) A Stonewall Diversity Champion Scored a perfect 10/10 in the Gay by Degree Guide for the last three years (2013, 2014, 2015)

unig brifysgol yng Nghymru yn rhestr

o’r 100 cyflogwr gorau (2015) Un o Bencampwyr Amrywiaeth Stonewall Wedi cael 10/10 yn y Gay by Degree Guide am dair blynedd yn olynol (2013, 2014, 2015)

PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL MONOGAMIST

Dir: John Mitchell, Christina Zeidler (Canada)

Cast: Robin Duke, Grace Lynn Kung, Raoul Bhaneja 84min

A forty-something lesbian and accomplished breakup artist Elsie leaves her long-standing girlfriend to pursue a younger woman, only to be haunted by memories of the past and the growing realization that she may have broken up with the love of her life.

Described as “High Fidelity for lesbians” by website AFTERELLEN, this could be the lesbian romantic comedy of Iris 2015.

Cineworld, Thurs 8 Oct, 8.45pm

PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL MONOGAMIST

Cyfarwyddwr: John Mitchell, Christina Zeidler (Canada)

Cast: Robin Duke, Grace Lynn Kung, Raoul Bhaneja 84mun

Mae lesbiad pedwar-deg-rhywbeth, sy’n arbenigwraig ar chwalu perthnasau, yn gadael ei chariad hirdymor i fynd ar ôl merch ieuengach. Ond daw atgofion y gorffennol i aflonyddu arni, a daw i sylweddoli ei bod, efallai, wedi rhoi’r gorau i’r un oedd i fod yn gariad oes iddi.

Wedi’i disgrifio fel “High Fidelity Lesbiaid” gan wefan AFTERELLEN, mae’n bosibl mai hon fydd comedi ramantus lesbiaidd Iris 2015.

THE SMELL OF US

Dir: Larry Clark (France)

Cast: Lukas Ionesco, Diane Rouxel, Théo Cholbi

92min

Oversexed Parisian teenagers create havoc. When not skateboarding along the streets of Paris, this privileged and bored cast of beautiful young people are selling themselves for sex. Some of the sessions are filmed.

The old man we see in a comatose state at the beginning of the film is none other than the director – almost 20 years since he stunned the world with his masterful debut Kids

“Some will claim that Clark is exploiting his subjects (this project had a notoriously rocky production, alienating some of the original cast, covered in detail by the French press), though the pic is far from pornographic.”

VARIETY

Cineworld, Thurs 8 Oct, 7.45pm

THE SMELL OF US

Cyfarwyddwr: Larry Clark (Ffrainc)

Cast: Lukas Ionesco, Diane Rouxel, Théo Cholbi

92mun

Parisiaid chwantus yn eu harddegau yn creu helynt. Cast o bobl ifanc brydferth, freintiedig sydd wedi diflasu. Pan nad ydyn nhw’n sgrialu drwy strydoedd Paris maen nhw’n gwerthu eu cyrff. Mae rhai o’r sesiynau yn cael eu ffilmio.

Pwy yw’r hen wr marwgysglyd a welwn ar ddechrau’r ffilm? Y cyfarwyddwr ei hunan – bron i ugain mlynedd ers iddo ryfeddu’r byd gyda’i ffilm gyntaf feistrolgar, Kids.

“Bydd rhai yn honni bod Clark yn ecsbloetio ei destun (roedd cynhyrchiad y prosiect yn ddrwg-enwog o ansefydlog, gan elyniaethu rhai o’r cast gwreiddiol, rhywbeth a gafodd sylw manwl yn y wasg yn Ffrainc), ond mae’r ffilm ymhell o fod yn bornograffig.” VARIETY

THE TALK OF IRELAND

This year’s Irish country focus will explore LGBT cinema from our cousins across the pond in Ireland. Produced in association with GAZE film festival in Dublin and with support from OUTburst, Belfast, the festival will screen the very best in contemporary LGBT Irish cinema and take stock of how LGBT people are represented on film during a period of momentous change in their community. This programme of Irish shorts will be followed by a panel discussion with Noel Sutton and Roisin Geraghty from GAZE Festival and Eoin Maher – the director of No Strings.

MAKING HISTORY

Dir: Anna Rodgers (Ireland) 4min

IFTA winning director Anna Rodgers, in association with GAZE International Film Festival Dublin, presents a heartwarming account of the historic same-sex marriage referendum victory in May 2015.

SNOWFALL

Dir: Conor Whelan (Ireland) 4min

In this stunning animation by Dublinbased animator Conor Whelan, a nervous young man attends a party, leaving only to question a strange sense of self-realisation.

LOVE AND OTHER DRAGS

Dir: Ryan Ralph (Ireland) 10min

OUR GEMMA

Dir: Cara Holmes (Ireland) 12min

Our Gemma explores questions of identity and how the comedian Gemma Hutton responds to bigotry and sectarianism in Northern Ireland. CÉAD GHRÁ

Dir: Brian Deane (Ireland) 13min

A nostalgic coming-of-age story about two best friends that set out on a quest in pursuit of their first crush. Winner of Best Irish Short at GAZE 2015.

This short documentary follows 24-year-old Belfast lad Stephen, who dreams of drag stardom with the support of his family, tracking his journey to making a drag career a potential reality. The professional world of drag success is unravelled; one that demands grand ambition and hard work while harbouring as many setbacks as it does rewards.

MIRRORS

Dir: Neil Ely (UK)

11m

It’s the night out in Manchester that two young, straight men (Jody Latham from Shameless and Skins’ Liam Boyle) never expected to have as they catch each other’s eye. The two guys enter a toilet cubicle to take some drugs but they soon begin revealing their feelings to one another and discover that the bathroom mirrors are the only reflections they can see.

MIRRORS

Cyfarwyddwr: Neil Ely (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

11m

Ffilm fer am ddau ddyn syth yn gwneud cysylltiad mewn clwb hoyw.

WANT IT

Dir: Lee Haven Jones (UK)

11m

An intruder breaks into a modern and luxurious home. He wants it. As he samples the lifestyle his senses are heightened. When the owner of the house returns unexpectedly, the tables are turned, and the intruder finds himself naked and powerless. A film about passion, longing and desire in all its forms.

WANT IT

Cyfarwyddwr: Lee Haven Jones (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

11m

Mae dieithryn yn torri i mewn i dy modern, moethus. Mae eisiau’r ty. Wrth brofi’r ffordd o fyw mae ei synhwyrau’n miniogi. Pan ddaw perchennog y ty yn ôl yn annisgwyl, mae’r byrddau’n troi, ac mae’r dieithryn yn noeth ac yn ddi-rym. Ffilm am angerdd, hiraeth a chwant ym mhob ffordd.

CHANCE

Dir: Jake Graf (UK)

16m

Trevor’s life has become a void, following the passing of his wife and long-term companion, Doris. Days run into weeks, as Trevor slowly finds himself isolated and alone, and unconcernedly slipping towards death. A chance encounter in the park with a mysterious stranger equally troubled by his own dark past jarringly reawakens him, and forces both men to once again start to live.

CHANCE

Cyfarwyddwr: Jake Graf (y Deyrnas Gyfunol) 16m

Daeth gwacter i fywyd Trevor yn dilyn marwolaeth ei wraig a’i gymar hirdymor Doris. Mae’r dyddiau’n troi’n wythnosau, ac yn araf bach mae’n cael ei hunan yn unig yn y byd, ac yn llithro’n ddifater tuag at farwolaeth. Ond mae cyfarfyddiad annisgwyl yn y parc gyda dieithryn dirgel â’i orffennol tywyll ei hunan yn ei ysgwyd a’i ddeffro, gan orfodi’r ddau ddyn i ddechrau byw unwaith eto.

CLOSETS

Dir: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan (UK)

18m

Coming out the closet isn’t always easy, especially when you’re a teenager in the 1980s. Sixteen-year-old Henry who, on the 12th March 1986, comes out of his bedroom closet (literally) into the year 2016 – where he meets a similar present day teenager. This isn’t just time-travelling fun, however, as Closets explores how the difficulties that young LBGT people face today aren’t so different from the past.

CLOSETS

Cyfarwyddwr: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

18m

Mae Closets yn adrodd hanes bachgen 16 oed o’r enw Henry sy’n mynd drwy gyfnod anodd. Ar 12 Mawrth 1986 mae’n teithio ymlaen mewn amser drwy gloset ei ystafell wely ac yn cwrdd â bachgen arall sydd yn ei arddegau heddiw.

A NEW STAGE FOR IRIS

Iris

is taking the festival feeling up a notch this year with its very own stage for events, comedian, music and drag stars.

TROXANNE

Dir: Paul Frankl (UK)

14m

A cold and isolated transgender sex worker takes in a young girl who has been abandoned by her mother, and her life is thrown into question. This short has already been making waves on the international film circuit, having won Best LGBTQ Short Film at the Queens World Film Festival and Best Trans Drama Short at the North Carolina LGBT Film Festival.

ROXANNE

Cyfarwyddwr: Paul Frankl (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

14m

Mae gweithwraig rhyw drawsryweddol sydd ar y cyrion yn cymryd merch ifanc o dan ei hadain ar ôl i’w mam droi ei chefn arni, ac mae hyn yn codi cwestiynau dyrys am ei bywyd.

he Bafta Bar, located on the top floor of Cineworld Cardiff, has become an important location for the Iris Prize. The Bafta Bar is the unofficial Festival Club – the place to buy tickets, have your photo taken in front of the famous photo backdrop and relax before and after screenings. Festival screenings take place in Screens 14 and 15 which are also located on the top floor.

This year the festival is creating a Festival Stage to be located in the Bafta Bar. The stage will be the focal point for announcements during the opening and closing drinks receptions. Stonewall Cymru will also be taking the stage for their annual reception, as will Pride Cymru for their Youth Conference social event. Entertainment will also be booked to appear on the stage including a special Irelandthemed evening to coincide with Iris’ Ireland Country Focus.

The stage promises to be a hub of entertainment with performances ranging from acoustic sets, comedians, DJs and a drag artist thrown in for good measure!

“Our new slogan ‘Watch films. Party nightly. Repeat!’ is exactly what the festival’s about and we want all of our visitors to enjoy every single moment,” said Festival Director Berwyn Rowlands. “I am very happy that this year we are introducing new forms of entertainment to our programme. Iris’ main focus has always been on celebrating excellence in storytelling through film. Now we want to consider expanding into celebrating other forms of creativity. From small acorns grow... watch this stage!”

PARTY TIME

If there is one thing the Iris Festival does better than host film screenings and award ceremonies, it’s throwing a good bash. Here’s an overview of the five days of fun and partying you can enjoy.

You’ll see quite a lot of Iris’ new slogan –‘Watch films. Part nightly. Repeat.’ - at this year’s festival. It appears in their printed adverts, on cinema screens, banners and on festival t-shirts. Based on previous festivals, people seem to follow this advice to heart, with some (no names mentioned, but they live in London) needing a year to recover before embarking on another five days with Iris. Yes, you’ve guessed correctly, we take our films and parties very seriously at Iris. And yes, you can do both!

There are many ways to survive five full-on days with Iris and living to tell a few tales. Some involve eating bacon sandwiches, drinking water before bed and somebody with a straight face once suggested to me “no drinking” as an option. On the basis that we encourage sensible drinking at Iris, my advice is to think long-term – factor in the early mornings, late finishes and that Friday follows Thursday before we finish on Sunday and you should see light at the end of the tunnel.

The above does make Iris sound like some Iron Man challenge – it is more than that!

There will be more parties this year than ever, and although 2016 will be the 10th anniversary, 2015 feels like quite a special event too. We open with a little nod to the Rugby World Cup: watch this space as the rugby theme takes over to complement our opening night film Scrum. Thursday will have an Irish feel to proceedings, as we celebrate our country focus, with many guests from Ireland attending. On Friday we become very British as we focus on the Iris Prize Best Of British Award, sponsored by Pinewood Studios. Saturday, always a very busy night, might have an Italian feel as we screen for the first time in partnership with Cardiff’s new Italian Film Festival. Sunday is top secret but expect glamour as we prepare for the Awards Show – known to many as the gay short film Oscars! Quite a lot of the action centres on the BAFTA Bar in Cineworld and, with the addition of a new festival stage, who knows what might be in store. We are also committed to partying hard with Pulse and The Eagle – two of Cardiff’s LGBT venues who serve the community every day of the year. This is where the action moves after we finish at Cineworld and remember VIP guests and Iris members get in free to Pulse during the festival and during the rest of the year too!

VESSELS

Dir: Arkasha Stevenson (USA) 15m

Vessels follows Diamond, a young Latina transgender woman living in Los Angeles. Diamond works at a garment factory for little pay, and is unable to afford healthcare let alone the breast implants she desperately desires. When her friend Hope shows off her new breasts she obtained through illegal black market silicon injections, Diamond is presented with an opportunity to gain the more feminine physique she has wanted her entire life. The girls go visit the ‘pumper’,

VESSELS

HOLE

Dir: Martin Edralin (Canada) 15m

A daring portrait of Billy, a middle aged disabled man yearning for intimacy in a world that would rather ignore him, this is a candid and uncompromisingly original film that posits some difficult questions.

Winner of a Jury Prize at Locarno Film Festival and an official selection title at both Toronto International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival.

HOLE

Cyfarwyddwr: Martin Edralin (Canada) 15m

Portread beiddgar o ddyn anabl sy’n dyheu am agosatrwydd mewn byd sy’n ei chael yn haws ei anwybyddu.

HOLE

Dir: Tony Radevski (Australia) 5m

Two men share an unlikely encounter in a bathroom cubicle in this stunning animation that plays with expectations and delivers a powerful emotional punch.

Winner of Best Film and Best Screenplay at the 2015 Mardi Gras Film Festival’s MQC.

HOLE

Cyfarwyddwr: Tony Radevski (Awstralia) 5m

Cyfarfyddiad annhebygol rhwng dau ddyn mewn ciwbicl ty bach.

BOA NOITE CINDERELA – GOODNIGHT CINDERELLA

Dir: Carlos Conceigao (Portugal)

30m

Cinderella escapes at midnight, leaving behind one of her glass slippers. The following days, the prince cannot get his mind off the idea of completing the pair. Here, Cinderella is re-imagined in a Romantic context – it is somewhat tragicomic that the history of each era is of its ruling class, and as such, of its priorities. We are what we eat, but worse, also who eats us.

BOA NOITE CINDERELA – NOS DA SINDERELA

Cyfarwyddwr: Carlos Conceigao (Portiwgal)

30m

Mae Sinderela yn dianc ganol nos, gan

FOURTH MAN OUT

Dir: Andrew Nackman (USA)

Cast: Parker Young, Evan Todd, Jon Gabrus 86min

Twenty-four-year-old car mechanic Adam stumbles out of the closet to his straight buddies. Alcohol, Tinder and forgiveness are just some of the key ingredients in this feel good delight of a movie. Snappy dialogue, punchy one-liners and subtle performances hold your attention from start to finish.

This crowd pleaser has already won Best Feature at OUTFEST and qFLIXPhily.

Director Andrew Nackman will introduce the screening and take part in a Q+A after the screening.

Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 7.45pm + Sun 12 Oct, 4.30pm

FOURTH MAN OUT

Cyfarwyddwr: Andrew Nackman (Unol Daleithiau America)

Cast: Parker Young, Evan Todd, Jon Gabrus 86mun

Mae Adam, mecanig ceir 24 oed, yn baglu allan o’r closet wrth ei ffrindiau syth. Mae alcohol, Tinder a maddeuant yn cael lle amlwg yn y ffilm galonnog yma. Bydd y ddeialog fywiog, y llinellau bachog a’r perfformiadau cynnil yn dal eich sylw o’r cychwyn i’r diwedd. Mae’r ffilm yma’n siwr o blesio’r dorf, ac mae wedi ennill gwobr y Ffilm Nodwedd Orau yn OUTFEST ac yn qFLIXPhily.

Bydd y cyfarwyddwr Andrew Nackman yn cyflwyno’r sgriniad ac yn cymryd rhan mewn sesiwn holi ac ateb ar ôl y ffilm.

Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 7.45pm + Sun 12 Oct, 4.30pm

FLOATING

Dir: Julia C Kaiser (Germany)

Cast: Julia Becker, Anna König, Jakob Renger 86min

Four guys, one bride. A weekend on a raft!

Jana and Katha are looking forward to married life together, but they must survive two separate hen nights before living happily ever after! What could possibly go wrong when Katha is kidnapped by her best friend, brother and the sperm donor for their future child?

Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 6pm + Sun 12 Oct, 2pm

FLOATING

Cyfarwyddwr: Julia C Kaiser (Yr Almaen)

Cast: Julia Becker, Anna König, Jakob Renger 86mun

Pedwar dyn, un briodferch. Penwythnos ar rafft!

Mae Jana a Katha yn edrych ymlaen at eu bywyd priodasol, ond mae’n rhaid i’r ddwy ohonyn nhw oroesi eu partïon plu yn gyntaf!

Beth allai fynd o’i le pan gaiff Katha ei herwgipio gan ei ffrind gorau, ei brawd a’r dyn sydd wedi’i ddewis fod yn rhoddwr sberm ar gyfer eu plentyn cyntaf.

FEATURE FILMS

JESS AND JAMES

Dir: Santiago Giralt

Argentina, 92min

Cast: Martin Karich, Nicolas Romeo, Federico Fontan

Jess is a bohemian youth with secrets to hide from his shrewd parents. James feels trapped living with his irritable mother. After meeting for a sexual encounter, the two young men set off on a spontaneous road trip across rural Argentina to reunite with Jess’ estranged brother. On their journey, they confront strange occurrences and engage in a ménage à trois affair that brings them closer. Their newly found affection grows, all while discovering a fresh vision of freedom and happiness.

Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 10pm

JESS AND JAMES

Cyfarwyddwr: Santiago Giralt (Ariannin)

Cast: Martin Karich, Nicolas Romeo, Federico Fontan 92mun

Dyn ifanc bohemaidd yw Jess, gyda chyfrinachau i’w cadw rhag ei rieni craff. Mae James yn teimlo’n gaeth yn byw gyda’i fam bigog. Ar ôl cwrdd am ryw, mae’r ddau ddyn ifanc yn cychwyn ar daith annisgwyl ar draws cefn gwlad Ariannin i ail-gwrdd â brawd Jess sy’n ddieithr iddo. Ar eu taith, maen nhw’n dod ar draws digwyddiadau rhyfedd ac yn cymryd rhan mewn ménage à trois sy’n eu tynnu’n nes at ei gilydd. Mae eu serch newydd yn tyfu wrth iddyn nhw hefyd ddarganfod gweledigaeth newydd o ryddid a llawenydd.

NAZ AND MAALIK

Dir: Jay Dockendorf (USA)

Cast: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier 86min

Naz and Maalik are two teenage boys living a happy life in post 9/11 Brooklyn. Attempts to deal with their sexuality and faith – both are gay and Muslim – they are threatened by an over enthusiastic FBI Agent who interprets their secretive behaviour as something possibly more sinister. Strong performances by both young leads have already been recognised with Best Actor awards at OUTFEST 2015.

Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 2pm

NAZ AND MAALIK

Cyfarwyddwr: Jay Dockendorf (Unol Daleithiau America)

Cast: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier 86mun

Dau fachgen yn eu harddegau yw Naz a Maalik, yn byw’n ddigon bodlon yn Brooklyn ôl-9/11. Mae ymdrechion i ymdrin â’u rhywioldeb a’u ffydd – mae’r ddau yn Fwslimiaid ac yn hoyw – yn cael eu drysu gan Asiant FBI gor-frwdfrydig, sy’n dehongli eu hymddygiad cyfrinachgar fel rhywbeth mwy sinistr nag ydyw. Mae perfformiadau cryf gan y ddau brif actor wedi eu cydnabod eisoes gyda gwobrau Actor Gorau yn OUTFEST 2015.

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

Dir: Alanté Kavaïté (Lithuania/ France/Netherlands) 88min

Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. When she meets a girl her age at a summer aeronautical show she finds someone who understands her. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds the only person that truly encourages her to fly.

Shot to make the most of the stunning scenery, and with some truly dramatic aerial photography and two engaging central performances, the exhilarating atmosphere of long, lazy summers and first love is delicately, sensitively and beautifully unfolded.

The undisputed hit of the year and winner of the World Cinema Directing Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Cineworld, Fri 9 Oct, 8.45pm

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

Cyfarwyddwr: Alanté Kavaïté (Lithwania/Ffrainc/Yr Iseldiroedd) 88mun

Mae awyrennau stynt yn swyno Sangaile, sy’n 17 oed. Pan mae’n cwrdd â merch yr un oedran â hi mewn sioe awyrennau un haf mae hi’n canfod rhywun sy’n ei deall.

Mae Sangaile yn gadael i Auste ddarganfod ei chyfrinach fwyaf preifat, ac yn y broses mae’n canfod yr unig berson sydd wir yn ei hannog hi i hedfan. Wedi ei saethu i wneud y gorau o olygfeydd godidog, ac yn cynnwys ffotograffiaeth wirioneddol ddramatig o’r awyr a dau berfformiad canolog cadarn, mae portread y ffilm o hafau hirfelyn dioglyd a llawenydd cariad cyntaf yn datblygu’n ofalus, yn sensitif ac yn brydferth. Ffilm y flwyddyn heb os, ac enillydd Gwobr Cyfarwyddo Sinema’r Byd yng Ngwyl Ffilmiau Sundance.

BOY

Dir: Lucas Helth Postma (Denmark) 16m

Sixteen-year-old Emilie has always been a boy inside. His big struggle in life is that his mother wants Emilie to be a girl and cannot accept the way that Emilie feels inside. At an Easter lunch Emilie decides to do something drastic, which has its consequences. Winner of the Audience Choice Award at Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

BOY

Cyfarwyddwr: Lucas Helth Postma (Denmarc) 16m Mae Emilie, sy’n 16 oed, yn gwybod mai bachgen oedd e erioed. Ei frwydr fawr yw bod ei fam yn dymuno Emilie fod yn ferch, a dyw hi ddim yn gallu derbyn y ffordd mae Emilie yn teimlo y tu mewn. Un cinio Pasg mae Emilie yn penderfynu gwneud rhywbeth drastig, ac mae goblygiadau hynny.

TOMGIRL

Dir: Jeremy Asher (USA) 14m

Girls play with dolls and boys love sports, right? This film takes a look at what happens when those stereotypes are called into question. Jake, a lovable gender non-conforming seven-year-old, invites us into his world to explore the transforming power that love and support can have when young children are accepted for who they really are.

TOMGIRL

Cyfarwyddwr: Jeremy Asher (Unol Daleithiau America) 14m

Mae merched yn chwarae gyda doliau, a bechgyn yn hoffi chwaraeon, cywir? Dyma ffilm sy’n edrych ar yr hyn sy’n digwydd drwy wrthod yr ystrydebau yma. Mae Jake, plentyn hoffus saith mlwydd oed sy’n gwrthod cydymffurfio â rolau rhywedd, yn ein gwahodd ni i’w fyd er mwyn gweld y grym anhygoel y mae cariad a chefnogaeth yn gallu ei gael pan fydd plant bach yn cael eu derbyn fel pwy ydyn nhw.

EN EFTERMIDDAG – AN AFTERNOON

Dir: Soren Green (Denmark) 9m

Mathias and Frederik are on their way home from school, when Mathias ask Frederik to come home with him. Mathias has decided that this is the afternoon, that he tells Frederik, he is in love with him. But when the time comes, he is still scared to make the first move. It’s an afternoon that can change their lives forever, but is Mathias ready to make that change?

EN EFTERMIDDAG – UN PRYNHAWN

Cyfarwyddwr: Soren Green (Denmarc) 9m

Mae Mathias wedi penderfynu mai heddiw yw’r diwrnod y bydd yn rhoi gwybod Frederik ei fod yn ei garu. Ond pan ddaw’r amser, ydy e’n barod i wneud y cam cyntaf?

SHOWBOY

Dir: Samuel Leighton-Dore (Australia) 15m

After the unexpected death of his mother, a young football player, Julian Maxwell, finds himself struggling to support his depressed, unemployed father – while fighting to keep safe the secret he once shared with his mother. He’s not only gay, but performs drag shows. Showboy is a film about family, loss and the exploration of freedom and sexuality in the face of affliction.

SHOWBOY

Cyfarwyddwr: Samuel Leighton-Dore (Awstralia)

15m

Ar ôl marwolaeth annisgwyl ei fam, mae chwaraewr pêl-droed ifanc, Julian Maxwell, yn cael ei hunan yn brwydro i gynnal ei dad pruddglwyfus di-waith – gan frwydro hefyd i gadw’r gyfrinach roedd ei fam yn ei rhannu. Nid yn unig mae’n hoyw, mae hefyd yn perfformio sioeau drag. Mae Showboy yn ffilm am deulu, colled ac archwilio rhyddid a rhywioldeb yn wyneb profedigaeth.

ELGIN PARK

Dir: Danny Yourd (USA) 10m

Elgin Park is a lot of things: a 1950s utopia, a fantastical world, and an optical illusion. Artist Michael Paul Smith’s imaginative town – composed entirely of miniatures – delighted audiences worldwide when his photo series went viral. For the first time, the documentary Elgin Park dives into the life of this charming, reclusive artist to reveal the dark inspiration behind his work.

ELGIN PARK

Cyfarwyddwr: Danny Yourd (Unol Daleithiau America) 10m

Mae Elgin Park yn llawer o bethau: paradwys o’r pumdegau, byd ffantasïol, a rhith optegol. Mae cynulleidfaoedd o bob cwr o’r byd wedi gwirioni ar gyfres ffotograffiaeth yr artist Michael Paul Smith sy’n darlunio tref ddychmygol Elgin Park, wedi’i chreu i gyd o fodelau bychain. Am y tro cyntaf, dyma ffilm ddogfen sy’n edrych ar fywyd y meudwy yma o artist i ddatgelu’r ysbrydoliaeth dywyll y tu ôl i’w waith.

GLORIA

Dir: Luis Hernandez de la pena (Mexico) 17m

Amidst the stretches of Mexico City, a man drives public transportation by day and moonlights by night impersonating Mexican songstress and “Supreme Diva of Mexican Pop” Gloria Trevi in a drag cabaret. A story about courage, friendship and understanding.

GLORIA

Cyfarwyddwr: Luis Hernandez de la pena (Mecsico)

17m

Yn Ninas Mecsico, dyn sy’n yrrwr cludiant cyhoeddus yn ystod y dydd ac yn canu’r hits mewn cabaret drag gyda’r nos.

SERVING THE LGBTI WORLD

24/7

IN THE HOLLOW

Dir: Austin Bunn (USA)

15m

In May 1988, girlfriends Claudia Brenner and Rebecca Wight were attacked while hiking the Appalachian Trail by a ‘mountain man’ named Stephen Roy Carr. Combining documentary and narrative material, In The Hollow tells the story of the shooting, Wight’s death, and Brenner’s desperate survival (and later transformation into an advocate for hate crime legislation in the US) as she returns to the trail for the first time since the shooting.

IN THE HOLLOW

Cyfarwyddwr: Austin Bunn (Unol Daleithiau America) 15m

Wrth heicio Llwybr Appalachian ym mis Mai 1988, ymosodwyd ar y cariadon Claudia Brenner a Rebecca Wight gan ‘ddyn o’r mynydd’ o’r enw Stephen Roy Carr. Drwy gyfuno deunydd dogfen a naratif, mae In the Hollow yn adrodd hanes y saethu, marwolaeth Wight, a goroesiad enbyd Brenner (a’i gweddnewidiad diweddarach yn eiriolwr dros ddeddfwriaeth troseddau casineb yn yr Unol Daleithiau) wrth iddi ddychwelyd i’r llwybr am y tro cyntaf ers y saethu.

SUNDAR

Dir: Rohan Kanawade (India)

27m

On the last night of Navaratri, Jayu sits in the house listening to the sounds of the music, but that begins to make him restless. His heart sinks as he sees girls dolled up for the night. Everyone is heading to play dandiya. Jayu too longs to go, but he’s not allowed! A beautiful crowdfunded film about appreciating people for what they are, and not what you want them to be.

SUNDAR

Cyfarwyddwr: Rohan Kanawade (India)

27m

Ar noson olaf Navaratri, mae Jayu yn eistedd yn y ty yn gwrando ar synau’r gerddoriaeth, ond mae hynny’n ei wneud yn anesmwyth. Mae ei galon yn suddo wrth weld y merched yn ymbincio ar gyfer y noson. Mae pawb ar eu ffordd chwarae dandiya. Mae Jayu eisiau gwneud yr un peth, ond dyw e ddim yn cael mynd!

SOBRE PAPEIS – PAPER AND JEANS

Dir: Pedro Paulo De Andrade (Brazil)

22m

Twenty-nine-year-old Victor dives into his high school memories and recalls the darkest days of his adolescence in order to write a letter with an important message to his teenage self. A beautifully crafted tale of self-love.

SOBRE PAPEIS – PAPURAU

Cyfarwyddwr: Pedro Paulo De Andrade (Brasil)

22m

Yn 29 oed, mae Victor yn hel atgofion am ei gyfnod yn yr ysgol er mwyn ysgrifennu llythyr gyda neges bwysig i’r glaslanc oedd e bryd hynny.

SHOWBOY

Dir: Samuel Leighton-Dore (Australia) 15m

After the unexpected death of his mother, a young football player, Julian Maxwell, finds himself struggling to support his depressed, unemployed father – while fighting to keep safe the secret he once shared with his mother. He’s not only gay, but performs drag shows. Showboy is a film about family, loss and the exploration of freedom and sexuality in the face of affliction.

SHOWBOY

Cyfarwyddwr: Samuel Leighton-Dore (Awstralia) 15m

Ar ôl marwolaeth annisgwyl ei fam, mae chwaraewr pêl-droed ifanc, Julian Maxwell, yn cael ei hunan yn brwydro gynnal ei dad pruddglwyfus di-waith – gan frwydro hefyd i gadw’r gyfrinach roedd ei fam yn ei rhannu. Nid yn unig mae’n hoyw, mae hefyd yn perfformio sioeau drag. Mae Showboy yn ffilm am deulu, colled ac archwilio rhyddid a rhywioldeb yn wyneb profedigaeth.

THE LITTLE DEPUTY

Dir: Trevor Anderson (Canada)

9m

Trevor tries to have a photo taken with his father. Through vintage RCA camcorder footage we see West Edmonton Mall: the dolphin show, the roller coaster and the skating rink before “the rarest sight of all”, a father and son spending an afternoon together.

THE LITTLE DEPUTY

Cyfarwyddwr: Trevor Anderson (Canada)

9m

Mae Trevor yn ceisio cael tynnu ei lun gyda’i dad.

CLOSETS

Dir: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan (UK) 18m

Coming out the closet isn’t always easy, especially when you’re a teenager in the 1980s. Sixteen-year-old Henry who, on the 12th March 1986, comes out of his bedroom closet (literally) into the year 2016 – where he meets a similar present day teenager. This isn’t just timetravelling fun, however, as Closets explores how the difficulties that young LBGT people face today aren’t so different from the past.

CLOSETS

Cyfarwyddwr: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan (y Deyrnas Gyfunol) 18m

Mae Closets yn adrodd hanes bachgen 16 oed o’r enw Henry sy’n mynd drwy gyfnod anodd. Ar 12 Mawrth 1986 mae’n teithio ymlaen mewn amser drwy gloset ei ystafell wely ac yn cwrdd â bachgen arall sydd yn ei arddegau heddiw.

BOY

Dir: Lucas Helth Postma (Denmark) 16m

16-year-old Emilie has always been a boy inside. His big struggle in life is that his mother wants Emilie to be a girl and cannot accept the way that Emilie feels inside. At an Easter lunch Emilie decides to do something drastic, which has its consequences. Winner of the Audience Choice Award at Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

BOY

Cyfarwyddwr: Lucas Helth Postma (Denmarc) 16m

Mae Emilie, sy’n 16 oed, yn gwybod mai bachgen oedd e erioed. Ei frwydr fawr yw bod ei fam yn dymuno i Emilie fod yn ferch, a dyw hi ddim yn gallu derbyn y ffordd mae Emilie yn teimlo y tu mewn. Un cinio Pasg mae Emilie yn penderfynu gwneud rhywbeth drastig, ac mae goblygiadau i hynny.

EN EFTERMIDDAG – AN AFTERNOON

Dir: Soren Green (Denmark) 9m

Mathias and Frederik are on their way home from school, when Mathias ask Frederik to come home with him. Mathias has decided that this is the afternoon, that he tells Frederik, he is in love with him. But when the time comes, he is still scared to make the first move. It’s an afternoon that can change their lives forever, but is Mathias ready to make that change?

EN EFTERMIDDAG – UN PRYNHAWN

Cyfarwyddwr: Soren Green (Denmarc) 9m

Mae Mathias wedi penderfynu mai heddiw yw’r diwrnod y bydd yn rhoi gwybod i Frederik ei fod yn ei garu. Ond pan ddaw’r amser, ydy e’n barod i wneud y cam cyntaf?

PEACOCK

Dir: Ondrej Hudecek (Czech Republic )

27m

A twisted queer romance set in 19th century picturesque Bohemia, telling a tabooed true story of birth of one of the nation’s most influential writers, starring Julius Feldmeier (Tore tanzt). Ladislav, the mischievous son of a landlord, terrorizes the village with cruel jokes. War breaks out and he is forced to hide in a monastery where he unexpectedly discovers his hidden desires. Suspense, laughter, violence, hope, heart, nudity, sex, and a very happy ending.

PEACOCK

Cyfarwyddwr: Ondrej Hudecek (Y Weriniaeth Tsiec) 27m

Rhamant queer wyrdroëdig wedi’i gosod ym Mohemia dlws y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg, yn adrodd tabw o stori wir am enedigaeth un o awduron mwyaf dylanwadol y genedl, gyda Julius Feldmeier (Tore tanzt) yn serennu.

Chwerthin, trais, pigau’r drain, gobaith, calon, noethni, rhyw, a diweddglo hapus.

WAY TO HELL – FAHRT ZUR HOLLE

Dir: Henning Beckoff (Germany)

14m Jesus, a man of 40 years, accompanies his mother Maria to a choir retreat. The Catholic code of conduct could well be maintained, if it weren’t for the temptations of the world outside. With an adventurous and reflective script, this is a highly cerebral and affecting film that won the Audience Award at XPOSED Queer Film Festival, Berlin.

LLWYBR I UFFERN – FAHRT ZUR HOLLE

Cyfarwyddwr: Henning Beckoff (yr Almaen)

14m

Mae Jesus, dyn deugain oed, yn mynd gyda’i fam Maria encilfan corawl. Byddai’r cod ymddygiad catholig siwr o gael ei barchu, oni bai am holl demtasiynau’r byd mawr y tu allan.

SAN CRISTOBAL

Dir: Omar Zuniga Hidalgo (Chile)

29m

Lucas is visiting his sister on a remote island in southern Chile before moving abroad. An unlikely romance grows when he meets Antonio, a struggling young fisherman. The intimacy they share makes them navigate towards a new horizon and to a different stage of their adulthood. A love story between two men who share some uncertainty about their futures, and who find calm trusting one another. The fog that surrounds them clears up slowly, giving space to a more open view.

SAN CRISTOBAL

Cyfarwyddwr: Omar Zuniga Hidalgo (Chile)

29m

Mae Lucas yn ymweld â’i chwaer ar ynys bellennig yn ne Chile cyn symud dramor. Datblyga rhamant annhebygol pan mae’n cwrdd ag Antonio, pysgotwr ifanc y mae bywyd yn anodd arno. Maen nhw’n rhannu agosatrwydd sy’n eu tywys tuag at orwel newydd ac at gyfnod gwahanol yn eu bywydau.

In the Hollow. Winner of the 2015 Inside Out Audience Award for Best Short Film and Official submission to the 2015 Iris Prize

Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival

PRESENTING SPONSOR

May 26 to June 5, 2016

Join us us for the Canada’s largest celebration of international LGBT cinema featuring premieres, red-carpet events, parties, artist talks and panel discussions.

11 days • More than 175 films 35,000 audience members

Proud Partner Festival of the Iris Prize

PAPER THIN

Dir: Nataly Lebouleux (UK)

20m

Seventeen-year-old Mina isn’t like most teenage girls. Her concerned parents decide to act before it’s too late. But things don’t go quite according to plan. Part horror movie, part magical realism, Paper Thin is a subversive take on psychiatry, religious fundamentalism, the power of fairy godmother and the truth.

PAPER THIN

Cyfarwyddwr: Nataly Lebouleux (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

20m

Dyw Mina, 17 oed, ddim fel y rhan fwyaf o ferched yn ei harddegau. Mae ei rhieni pryderus yn penderfynu gweithredu cyn iddi fynd yn rhy hwyr. Ond dyw pethau ddim yn mynd yn ôl y cynllun. Gydag elfennau o arswyd ac elfennau o realaeth hudol, mae Paper Thin yn chwalu ffiniau wrth ymdrin â seiciatreg, ffwndamentaliaeth grefyddol, grym y fam fedydd hud, a’r gwirionedd.

QUIXOTIC PLAYER

Dir: Jay Bedwani (UK) 17m

Barry David Horwitz, an anti-war-protesting English Literature Professor and Berkeley University alumni is approaching retirement after 50 years of teaching. We follow Barry in his final week of work as he reflects on his career, reminisces about the men he has loved and lost, and directs his final play for the students of his college.

QUIXOTIC PLAYER

Cyfarwyddwr: Jay Bedwani (y Deyrnas Gyfunol) 17m

Mae Barry David Horwitz, cyn-fyfyriwr o Brifysgol Berkeley ac Athro Llenyddiaeth Saesneg sydd hefyd yn brotestiwr gwrth-ryfel, yn nesáu at ymddeoliad ar ôl hanner can mlynedd o ddysgu. Cawn ddilyn Barry yn ystod ei wythnos olaf o weithio wrth iddo fyfyrio ar ei yrfa, hel atgofion am y dynion mae wedi’u caru a’u colli, a chyfarwyddo ei ddrama olaf ar gyfer myfyrwyr ei goleg.

DÁNIEL

Dir: Dean Loxton (UK)

14m

Dániel is studying in London while working part-time as an escort. He is invited to a lunch by his best friend, which she surprises everyone by introducing her new lover Tom, the result not being what she hoped for. The film has been making an impression in festivals around the world including Hamburg International Queer Film Festival and Palm Springs Shortfest.

DÁNIEL

Cyfarwyddwr: Dean Loxton (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

14m

Mae Dániel yn astudio yn Llundain ac yn gweithio’n rhan-amser fel escort.

Mae’n cael ei wahodd ginio gan ei ffrind gorau, ac mae hi’n synnu pawb drwy gyflwyno ei chariad newydd Tom, ond mae’r canlyniadau’n wahanol i’r hyn roedd hi wedi gobeithio amdano.

MORNING IS BROKEN

Dir: Simon Anderson (UK)

11m

Weddings are fun. They are for celebration, love and excessive drinking with everyone you care about! Anyone who has ever helped plan a wedding will know, however, they tend to be more drama filled than anyone would want!

In Morning Is Broken a young man struggles to come to terms with his sexuality at his older brother’s wedding.

MORNING IS BROKEN

Cyfarwyddwr: Simon Anderson (y Deyrnas Gyfunol)

11m

Ym mhriodas ei frawd mawr, mae dyn ifanc yn ei chael hi’n anodd dod i delerau â’i rywioldeb.

BAGGAGE

Dir: Sarah Ball (UK)

15m

Sarah Ball is best known for her work as a director and writer the world of animation (ever seen Chuggington or Bob The Builder?), but this live action shot tells the story of a jilted window dresser who uses her Valentine’s Day windows to send a strong message to her ex. It’s also doing its bit for women in film, with a majority female cast and crew.

BAGGAGE

Cyfarwyddwr: Sarah Ball (y Deyrnas Gyfunol) 15m

Mae trefnydd ffenestri yn defnyddio ei ffenestri dydd San Ffolant i anfon neges gryf at ei chyn-gariad.

GAZE International LGBT Film Festival

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CIVIL WAR

Dir: Rodrigue Jean (Canada)

Cast: Ana Cristina Alva, Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle, Alexandre Landry 120min

Alex is a young addict who has to sell his body in Montreal. He’s flanked by friends, lovers and clients, all of them caught in the same spiral of compulsion. Hostage to society’s market logic, they are the fallen angels of a dark and violent time. Unapologetic and difficult to watch, this is dark and disturbing cinema which is also compelling and sympathetic at the same time.

Chapter, Sat 10 Oct, 3pm

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CIVIL WAR

Cyfarwyddwr: Rodrigue Jean (Canada)

Cast: Ana Cristina Alva, Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle, Alexandre Landry 120min

Dyn ifanc sy’n gaeth i gyffuriau yw Alex, sy’n gorfod gwerthu ei gorff ym Montreal. O’i gwmpas mae cyfeillion, cariadon a chleientiaid, pob un wedi’u dal yn yr un trobwll o gaethiwed. Wedi’u dal yn wystlon i resymeg marchnad y gymdeithas, nhw yw’r angylion syrthiedig mewn cyfnod tywyll a threisgar. Yn ddiedifar ac yn anodd ei gwylio, dyma ffilm dywyll a chythryblus sydd hefyd yn mynnu ein sylw a’n cydymdeimlad.

THE SMELL OF US

Dir: Larry Clark (France)

Cast: Lukas Ionesco, Diane Rouxel, Théo Cholbi

92min

Oversexed Parisian teenagers create havoc. When they are not skateboarding along the streets of Paris this privileged and bored cast of beautiful young people are selling themselves for sex. Some of the sessions are filmed.

HOW TO WIN AT CHECKERS (EVERY TIME)

Dir: Josh Kim (Thailand/USA/Indonesia)

Cast: Toni Rakkaen, Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, Thira Chutikul

80min

After the loss of both parents, 11-year-old Oat faces an uncertain future when his older brother must submit to Thailand’s annual military draft lottery. Unable to convince his brother to do whatever he can to change his fate, Oat takes matters into his own hands resulting in unexpected consequences.

Chapter, Sat 10 Oct, 12.15pm

HOW TO WIN AT CHECKERS (EVERY

TIME)

Cyfarwyddwr: Josh Kim (Gwlad Thai/Unol Daleithiau America/Indonesia)

Cast: Toni Rakkaen, Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, Thira Chutikul

80mun

Ar ôl colli ei ddau riant, mae Oat, yn 11 oed, yn wynebu dyfodol ansicr pan mae’n rhaid i’w frawd mawr gymryd rhan yn loteri flynyddol dethol milwyr i fyddin Gwlad Thai. Ar ôl methu darbwyllo ei frawd i wneud beth bynnag y gall er mwyn newid ei ffawd, mae Oat yn mynd i’r afael â phethau ei hunan, gyda chanlyniadau annisgwyl.

This screening is presented in association with WOW-Wales One World Film Festival

SCRUM

Dir: Poppy Stockell (Australia)

Cast: Aki Mizutani, Brennan Bastyovansky, Charlie Winn, Pearse Egan 56min

A Canadian jock, an overweight Irish backpacker and a stoic Japanese outsider united by their love of rugby come together under a determined Australian coach to vie for a position in the 2014 Bingham Cup – the gay rugby world cup. As the eyes of the world focus on the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the Iris Prize Festival is delighted to open the 2015 festival with this powerful documentary which is about more than just rugby.

“Scrum is an absorbing, honest and emotionally potent story of human connection.” 4.3

Director Poppy Stockell will introduce the screening and take part in a Q+A after the screening.

Chapter Arts Centre, Sat 10 Oct, 5.30pm

SCRUM

Cyfarwyddwr: Poppy Stockell (Awstralia)

Cast: Aki Mizutani, Brennan Bastyovansky, Charlie Winn, Pearse Egan 56mun

Dyn ifanc athletaidd o Ganada, heiciwr o Wyddel dros ei bwysau, a dieithryn stoicaidd o Siapan, yn dod at ei gilydd drwy eu cariad at rygbi, o dan hyfforddwr penderfynol o Awstraliad, er mwyn brwydro am safle yng Nghwpan Bingham 2014 – cwpan rygbi’r byd hoyw.

Wrth i lygaid y byd ganolbwyntio ar Gwpan Rygbi’r Byd 2015, mae Gwyl Gwobr Iris yn falch iawn o allu agor gwyl 2015 gyda’r ffilm ddogfen rymus yma sy’n trafod mwy na dim ond

The old man we see in a comatose state at the beginning of the film is none other than the director – almost 20 years since he stunned the world with his masterful debut Kids

“Some will claim that Clark is exploiting his subjects (this project had a notoriously rocky production, alienating some of the original cast, covered in detail by the French press), though the pic is far from pornographic.” VARIETY

Chapter Arts Centre, Sat 10 Oct, 6pm

THE SMELL OF US

Cyfarwyddwr: Larry Clark (Ffrainc)

Cast: Lukas Ionesco, Diane Rouxel, Théo Cholbi 92mun

Parisiaid chwantus yn eu harddegau yn creu helynt. Cast o bobl ifanc brydferth, freintiedig sydd wedi diflasu. Pan nad ydyn nhw’n sgrialu drwy strydoedd Paris maen nhw’n gwerthu eu cyrff. Mae rhai o’r sesiynau yn cael eu ffilmio. Pwy yw’r hen yr marwgysglyd a welwn ar ddechrau’r ffilm? Y cyfarwyddwr ei hunan – bron i ugain mlynedd ers iddo ryfeddu’r byd gyda’i ffilm gyntaf feistrolgar, Kids

“...bydd rhai yn honni bod Clark yn ecsbloetio ei destun (roedd cynhyrchiad y prosiect yn ddrwg-enwog o ansefydlog, gan elyniaethu rhai o’r cast gwreiddiol, rhywbeth a gafodd sylw manwl yn y wasg yn Ffrainc), ond mae’r ffilm ymhell o fod yn bornograffig.” VARIETY

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

Dir: Alanté Kavaïté (Lithuania/France/ Netherlands) 88min

Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. When she meets a girl her age at a summer aeronautical show she finds someone who understands her. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds the only person that truly encourages her to fly.

Shot to make the most of the stunning scenery, and with some truly dramatic aerial photography and two engaging central performances, the exhilarating atmosphere of long, lazy summers and first love is delicately, sensitively and beautifully unfolded. The undisputed hit of the year and winner of the World Cinema Directing Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Chapter Arts Centre, Sat 10 Oct, 1.00pm

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

Cyfarwyddwr: Alanté Kavaïté (Lithwania/Ffrainc/Yr Iseldiroedd) 88mun

Mae awyrennau stynt yn swyno Sangaile, sy’n 17 oed. Pan mae’n cwrdd â merch yr un oedran â hi mewn sioe awyrennau un haf mae hi’n canfod rhywun sy’n ei deall.

Mae Sangaile yn gadael i Auste ddarganfod ei chyfrinach fwyaf preifat, ac yn y broses mae’n canfod yr unig berson sydd wir yn ei hannog hi i hedfan. Wedi ei saethu i wneud y gorau o olygfeydd godidog, ac yn cynnwys ffotograffiaeth wirioneddol ddramatig o’r awyr a dau berfformiad canolog cadarn, mae portread y ffilm o hafau hirfelyn dioglyd a llawenydd cariad cyntaf yn datblygu’n ofalus, yn sensitif ac yn brydferth. Ffilm y flwyddyn heb os, ac enillydd Gwobr Cyfarwyddo Sinema’r Byd yng Ngwyl Ffilmiau Sundance.

IRIS AWARDS

This year’s Iris Festival will come to a very rewarding conclusion with the Iris Awards Ceremony.

It’s all change for the 2015 Iris Awards – described by many as the Gay Short Film Oscars! Not wanting to rest on their laurels (no pun intended), the organisers have decided to split the awards over two locations, starting at 12noon in the prestigious Bafta Bar in Cineworld with a drink reception sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group.

However there will be continuity as the Award Ceremony, which this year will be presented theatre style in one of the cinemas, will once again be presented by festival favourite Amy Lamé. This year she will share the stage with Lilly Beau, whose beautiful recording of Tonight has been haunting the mind as the backdrop to the 2015 Iris Prize Montage – she will perform the song live during the show accompanied by Bernard Kane on the viola. The highlight of the show will be the appearance of Lord Glendonbrook, announcing the 9th winner of the Iris Prize – who will take away the £30,000 cash

prize to make a new short film. Awards will also be presented for Best British Short sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group; Best Feature sponsored by Martin Briggs; Best Actor and Best Actress in a Feature sponsored by Gay Star News; and the Youth Award sponsored by Cardiff University. If that was not enough excitement, guests will then walk the short walk from Cineworld to the Park Inn Hotel for lunch preceded by another drinks reception.

“We wanted to change the format a little this year to allow guests to see clips of the winning films on the big screen. I’ve been to many awards where they announce the winners after the food and sometimes it feel a little like being best man at a wedding, not quite enjoying your food – being a little nervous about the speech! At least this way all the nominated film makers, including our host Amy, can relax and enjoy the meal,” said festival director Berwyn Rowlands.

with specialists who talk your language and understand the challenges you face in relation to :

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SUMMER (ZOMER)

Dir: Colette Bothof (Netherlands)

Cast: Sigrid ten Napel, Jade Olieberg, Lisa Smit 85min

Anna, a quiet 16-year-old, yearns to escape the confines of her small town. With the arrival of the alluring leather-clad Lena, Anna finally gets the boost she needs. With authentic performances and cinematography that captures the languor and heat of summertime, this story of sexual awakening inevitably deals with the end of childhood and choosing your own life.

Summer is a delightful film about growing pains and young people craving for independence while also needing to fit in.

Cineworld, Sat 10 Oct, 4.30pm

ALL ABOUT E

Dir: Louise Wadley (Australia)

Mandahla Rose, Brett Rogers, Julia Billington

93min

Sexy DJ E is forced on the run when she discovers a bag full of cash. Accompanied by her gay best friend Matt they embark on a road trip that takes them deep into the Australian outback. In her time of need, E discovers she’s burnt too many bridges, but can she rely on her ex Trish to save the day?

Cineworld, Sat 10 Oct, 10pm

ALL ABOUT E

Cyfarwyddwr: Louise Wadley (Awstralia)

Mandahla Rose, Brett Rogers, Julia Billington 93mun

Mae’r DJ rhywiol E yn cael ei gorfodi i fynd ar ffo pan mae hi’n darganfod bag yn llawn arian. Gyda

Matt ei ffrind gorau hoyw yn gwmni iddi, mae’n cychwyn ar antur i gefn gwlad gwylltaf Awstralia.

Mae E yn sylweddoli, yn awr ei hangen, ei bod wedi llosgi gormod o bontydd, ond oes modd dibynnu ar ei chyn-gariad Trish achub y dydd?

THOSE PEOPLE

Dir: Joey Kuhn (USA)

Cast: Robert Abelson, Chris Conroy, Bill Dietrich 89min

On Manhattan’s gilded Upper East Side, a young painter, Charlie, finds the man of his dreams in an older pianist from Europe. However, Charlie is secretly in love with his own manipulative best friend, Sebastian. Embroiled in a financial scandal Sebastian and his Upper East Side brat pack try to deal with the realities of adulthood.

This unrequited gay love story is beautifully filmed with a storyline similar to our own Brideshead Revisited – is it by chance that the most troubled character is called Sebastian?

“Those People is our Gossip Girl only with more substance.” LOGO.

Winner Best First Feature OUTFEST, LA.

Cineworld, Sat 10 Oct, 7.45pm

DARKER THAN MIDNIGHT (PIU BUIO DI MEZZANOTTE)

Dir: Sebastiano Riso (Italy)

Cast: Vincenzo Amato, Davide Capone, Pippo Delbono

98min

Davide is 14 years old. His delicate and effeminate looks do not fit in with his father’s ideas of what a boy should be like. Fleeing the constant conflicts at home, he is drawn to Catania’s biggest public park, Villa Bellini, whose regulars live on the margins of society. He takes refuge in the company of hustlers and outcasts who accept him as one of them. But his double life between the expectations of his family and his new friends becomes untenable, and Davide is pushed into choices that he has to face alone. Director Sebastiano Riso will introduce the screening and take part in a Q+A after the screening. The screening is presented in association with Cardiff’s new Italian Film Festival.

Cineworld, Sat 10 Oct, 8.30pm

WHERE THE WINNERS ARE

As the world’s largest LGBT short film prize, offering the support and funding to create a new film, Iris doesn’t just hand out medals. It offers its winners the opportunity to expand their careers and continue to create more award-winning films. Anna Wyn Davies takes a look at what the winners are up to now.

BRENDON MCDONALL

Iris Prize 2014 Winner

Australia-born Brendon McDonall won the Iris Prize last year for his rousing and mythical short film, All God’s Creatures Dealing with topics such as anger, grief and childhood, the short examined the relationship between two brothers after the death of their father – a relationship tested even further by one brother’s mindless cruelty to an eel. McDonall is the eighth winner of the Iris Prize, and the third Australian to produce a film alongside it. His newest film, Spoilers has begun shooting in Cardiff and is about love, loss and Welsh-speaking lobsters. The director will go from competing to judging at this year’s Iris, becoming a member of the international jury.

TIM MARSHALL

Iris Prize 2013 Winner

Marshall’s eponymous Gorilla won the Iris Prize in 2013. The short film about the unknowns in our lives, and the questions we’ll never know the answers to, opened to critical acclaim internationally. Many of the native Australian’s short films have screened at notable film festivals across the globe, including Palm Springs, Outfest and Framefest; his most recent film, Followers (which was produced alongside the Iris Prize), premiered at Sundance as well as competing at South By South West. The dark comedy address notions of loneliness and religion through Lynn, an elderly woman who sees a vision of Christ in the trunks of a young African man in her swimming class.

GRANT SCICLUNA

Iris Prize 2012 Winner Grant Scicluna is best known for his Iriswinning The Wildling, which premiered at the 62nd Annual Berlin Film Festival. The tale of a juvenile delinquent who is offered parole, torn between freedom and protecting his lover, it won rave reviews at festivals such as Sydney, Palm Springs and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. This year Scicluna premiered his feature debut, Down River, which was backed financially by Screen Australia and premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

DANIEL RIBEIRO

ELDAR RAPAPORT

Iris Prize 2009 Winner Steam, the short film about two men stuck in a steam room, heated up the Iris Prize competition and was awarded the top spot in 2009. After winning, an expansion of Rapaport’s short film Postmortem was made into a feature film, August. The tale of a couple who reunite after a painful breakup, it was part of the official selection at Frameline and Outfest in 2011. Following August was Little Man – about 30-year-old Elliot, who can’t seem to get the hang of relationships or his neighbour.

Iris Prize 2011 Winner Brazilian-born Riberio’s I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone, about the relationship between a blind teenager and his best friend Gabriel, won the Iris Prize back in 2011. The short film was later expanded and became a full-length coming-of-age film in the form of The Way He Looks, which was released last year. The Way He Looks premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival to much acclaim, and was selected as the Brazilian entry for the 87th Academy Awards.

MAGNUS MORK

Iris Prize 2010 Winner Mork, a Norwegian export, took the top prize in 2010 for his short film The Samaritan The story of a lonely elderly man forming a friendship with an illegal immigrant allowed Mork to eventually direct his next short, Burger. Picked from some 8,000 entries as one of the 66 short films screened at Sundance, Burger made waves there and was awarded the Special Jury Award for Best Direction and Ensemble Acting.

TILL KLEINERT

Iris Prize 2008 Winner

Berlin-born Kleinert made a slew of short films after his stint at film school, and eventually made the Iriswinning The Cowboy in 2008. The twisted tale of a real estate agent who gets more than he bargained for was eventually followed by Der Samurai Released in 2014, this violent and gory flick made the rounds at various film festivals and premiered at Film 4’s Frightfest, eventually winning the Jury Award for best feature at Fantaspoa.

DEE REES

Iris Prize 2007 Winner

The first Iris Prize-winning short film was Rees’ rousing Pariah What started out as her graduate thesis film at NYU Tisch School Of The Arts eventually garnered critical acclaim, as well as screenings at over 40 international film festivals. It then evolved into a feature film, which was released in 2011, produced by Spike Lee and premiered at Sundance. In May, Rees directed and wrote a HBO Television biopic on the life and times of blues singer Bessie Smith.

PARTNER FESTIVALS CHWAER-WYLIAU

Iris is pleased to have worked with the following 20 Partner Festivals representing 13 countries who have nominated films for the 2014 Iris Prize.

Mae Iris yn falch o fod wedi gweithio gyda 18 o Chwaer Wyliau yn cynrychioli 13 o wledydd sydd wedi enwebu ffilmiau byrion ar gyfer Gwobr Iris 2014.

GAY AND LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

AWARDS GWOBRAU

Best Feature Award sponsored by Martin Briggs

2014 BOY MEETS GIRL (USA) by Eric Schaeffer

2013 CUPCAKES (Israel) by Eytan Fox

2012 SEX OF ANGELS (Spain) by Xavier Vilaverde

2011 AUGUST (USA) by Eldar Rapaport

2010 MY FRIEND FROM FARO (Germany) by Nana Neul

2009 REDWOODS (USA) directed by David Lewis

2008 DREAM BOY (USA) directed by James Bolton

Best Actor in a Feature sponsored by Gay Star News

2014 MICHAEL WELCH (Robby) in Boy Meets Girl

2013 RYAN STEELE (Chip) in Five Dances

2012 OHAD KNOLLER (Yossi) in Yossi

2011 MURRAY BARTLETT (Troy) in August

Best Actress in a Feature sponsored by Gay Star News

2014 KATE TROTTER (Alise) in Tru Love

2013 SABINE WOLF (Katja) in Two Mothers

2012 KRISTINA VALADA-VIARS (Molly) in Molly’s Girl

2011 ALLISON LANE (Candy) in Going Down In La-La Land Youth Awards

2013 STRAIGHT WITH YOU (Netherlamds) by Daan Bol

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We are a dedicated team, built on a strong foundation of expertise within the print and design industry, with many years’ experience in this sector.

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TICKETS TOCYNNAU

Online Box Office:

www.irisprize.org

The best way to secure tickets for the Iris Prize Festival is to visit the ONLINE BOX OFFICE TODAY!

The Online Box Office is open and you can secure ticket to all screenings and events at no extra cost.

Simply visit the Iris Prize website, select the films you would like to see from the jam-packed programme and simply click on the Buy Tickets button for your chosen screening or event.

In Person:

You can also buy tickets on the day, if there are any left!

A box office will be selling tickets at Cineworld for all Iris Prize Festival screenings and events. The box office will open one hour before the first screening of the day, from Wed 7-Sun 11 Oct.

A box office will also be selling tickets in Chapter on Sat 10 Oct only.

2015 Ticket Prices:

Web: www.irisprize.org Twitter: @irisprize Facebook: irisprizefestival