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Festival coverage

Iris Prize Festival

9 October – 13 October 2019

Billie And Emma
Billie And Emma

The 2019 festival line-up included 14 feature films and a strong collection of shorts in competition for the Iris Prize. Directors attended from as far afield as Australia and the Philippines and there was an expanded programme of industry talks, including the festival's first showcase of UK student LGBT+ films. Live BSL interpretation was provided at screenings held on the closing weekend.

The festival ran from 9 to 13 October.

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • Changing The Game
    Review preview for Changing The Game

    Barnett excels at capturing nuances of expression and action.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Transgender high school athletes from across the US compete at the top of their fields, while also challenging the boundaries and perceptions of fairness and discrimination.
  • Sequin In A Blue Room
    Review preview for Sequin In A Blue Room

    Sequin in A Blue Room is a reminder of Nineties angst media and queer celebration, within the dark corners of adolescence.

    Stephanie Brown · 5 out of 5
    When a teenager's thrill-seeking leads to a memorable encounter at an anonymous sex party, he resolves to track down the mystery guy - even if he has to rely on a menacing former hook-up to help him.
  • And Then We Danced
    Review preview for And Then We Danced

    A passionate energy courses beneath the surface of Levan Akin's tale of love and repression

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    A dancer falls in love with his fiercest rival.
  • Cousins
    Review preview for Cousins

    A cheery little comedy which wears its heart on its sleeve.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    Young Lucas lives with his religious aunt in a quiet country town. But this little agitated life is with the days counted when the charitable aunt announces the arrival of another nephew Mario, just out of jail.
  • Billie And Emma
    Review preview for Billie And Emma

    There are fine performances throughout and the two leads are both excellent.

    Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
    A pregnant teenage girl falls in love with the new girl in school.
  • Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life
    Review preview for Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life

    Jonathan is an ideal subject because he's completely open to the world.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Behind the scenes with Israeli global gay-porn sensation and self-admitted mama’s boy Jonathan Agassi during his first eight years in the business.
  • The Blonde One
    Review preview for The Blonde One

    Marco Berger's beautifully crafted film explores what it means to live undercover in a proudly straight environment.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Two new flatmates experience a mutual attraction, but can they make it work or is getting involved in this situation asking for trouble?
  • The Archivettes
    Review preview for The Archivettes

    Itself an important contribution to lesbian history, the film uses photographs and snippets of archive material to bring viewers closer to the human stories that came close to being lost.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A documentary about the Lesbian Herstory Archives, the world’s largest collection of materials by and about lesbians.
  • Cubby
    Review preview for Cubby

    Everything hinges on Blane's performance. Open and emotional and in-your-face as it is, there's more depth there than first meets the eye.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    Resorting to babysitting for an elite Brooklyn family, an awkward young man discovers hope and self-discipline through his friendship with a lonely six-year-old, and the adult superhero Leather-Man who is conjured from a psychedelic cupcake.
  • Ponyboi
    Review preview for Ponyboi

    There's a sense of the magic that cinema makes possible not only through escapism but through inviting us to reach out for more.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A young intersex person searches for love and a better life.

A–Z of Iris Prize Festival 2019 reviews

Features

  • In dreams
    River Gallo on Ponyboi, telling intersex stories and the importance of fantasies

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