Andy Love reflects on his experiences at the film festival
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Iris Prize Film Festival ÔÇô an international celebration of LGBT+ film based in Cardiff. The festival ran for four days from October 10th to the 14th.
The full programme included new feature films, panel sessions, parties and screenings of 30 international short films competing for the Iris Prize, which took place at both Cineworld and the Chapter Theatre in Canton. Three films are awarded the prize: an international short, which receives funding for further films; a UK short; and a longer feature film.
The first film I saw was Yossi (above) at Cineworld. Yossi, the main character, is going through the pain of losing someone he loved and relives his past through a series of flashbacks. To cure his loneliness, Yossi tries using a dating service but to no avail. A compelling love story, he ends up bumping into a stranger, who keeps coming back into his life and slowly changing his outlook.
The second day was at the Chapter Theatre and it was quite interesting to see the actor from Yossi walking around, along with Daniel Ribeiro (the winner of last yearÔÇÖs festival for I DonÔÇÖt Want To Go Back Alone) and a few other people from the film industry. I then proceeded to watch Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean, with an introduction by the director and writer Matthew Mishory.
The third film, back at Cineworld, was Little Man. The film is quite short (about 23 minutes) and tells the story of Elliot ÔÇô a 30 year old man who finds it difficult to create bonds and maintain relationships. He is constantly worried about the noise from his neighbour, which leads to the filmÔÇÖs revelation (which I will avoid mentioning in case youÔÇÖd want to see it!)
The fourth, and the last film that I had the opportunity to watch was Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. A parody of the old sci-fi films from the 50s, the film copies the black and white style and dated ÔÇÿspecial effectsÔÇÖ of the time. I did not have high hopes for this one, but the film made us laugh right from the start. It focuses on the relationship between a lesbian space alien and a human, and how she and the other aliens sent to Earth fare on their mission to ÔÇ£get their heart broken by an EarthlingÔÇØ.
I would very much recommend this film. Although I would say that the jokes start to end by the half way through, it remains very entertaining. As the plot involves cheesecake, we were offered some after a talk with one of the actresses, the brilliant Jackie Monahan (who plays Zylar).
The event was very enjoyable, and, as I have mentioned, it is quite rare to have the opportunity to hear from the actors and directors of the films you see. I would urge anyone interested to try and attend the next Iris Prize Film Festival, as such events need the support of the public to continue. ItÔÇÖs important to support films that reflect many different LGBT+ lives, and to continue to create a queer film niche.