Cowboy wins Iris Prize
16 Hyd 2008A haunting film about a city dweller and country lad who pay a terrible price for love has been named as the 2008 winner of the Iris Prize – Cardiff’s International Gay and Lesbian Short Film Prize, valued at £25,000.
At a glittering awards evening at Cardiff’s Cineworld Torchwood creator Russell T Davies announced that the international jury had selected German filmmaker Till Kleinert’s Cowboy to scoop the coveted award.
Accepting the award, Till said taking part in the competition and attending the three-day festival in Cardiff had been an incredible experience. He urged the Iris Prize organisers, The Festivals Company, that while the competition inevitably grew even larger in future years the unique way international film makers, the judges and the people of Cardiff are brought together must be preserved.
Till also received the £500 Goleudy Travel award to help him return to the UK to make his next film.
Festival organiser Berwyn Rowlands said: "This year Cardiff demonstrated to the world that with the support of Iris the city could become a significant force for the world’s lesbian and gay film community. The closing night awards show was an incredible experience, with guests from Germany, Israel, Australia, Canada and the US all enjoying our Welsh hospitality. Everyone involved should be very proud of what has been achieved.
"We’ve already started working on next year’s festival and believe that even bigger and better things are expected of Iris and her friends in 2009! Cowboy is a fantastic film that captured the imagination of the jury and the general public. Till Kleinert is a huge talent. I’m very excited that he will return to Wales to make a new film with his prize."
Chair of the international jury Elan Closs Stephens said it had been an extremely difficult decision to make with long and passionate debate as to who should win the competition for the world’s best gay and lesbian short film.
Speaking before the awards evening Dr Who, Torchwood and Queer as Folk writer and director Davies said; "I’m very excited to be involved with the Iris Prize Festival. It’s a fantastic prize, which allows one lucky winner to make a short film. This year’s shortlist includes work from an astonishing 11 countries, which confirms that gay and lesbian film making is alive and kicking around the world!"
Mr Gay UK, London-based Dino Gamecho, announced that the festival’s new award for best feature film was won by American James Bolton for Dream Boy, a love story between teenagers in the American South in the 1970s. The Award carries a £1,000 cash prize donated by Independent Financial Adviser Martin Briggs from Cardiff and is selected by the Friends of Iris.
2007 Iris Prize winner Dee Rees announced that the Skillset Best UK Short was won by Northern Ireland director Connor Clements for his film James. He receives £1,000 from Skillset towards training.
Almost half of the film makers who travelled to Wales were hosted by the Friends of Iris, individuals who open their homes to the makers of the 30 short listed films from as far a field as Australia, Canada, and the United States.
The three day festival which also included six of the latest gay and lesbian feature films, with several enjoying their UK or European premieres.
The international jury included last year’s winner Dee Rees from the United States, actor Simon Russell Beale, award winning journalist Johann Hari, director Nia Dryhurst and film makers, actors and industry experts from across the continents. At an earlier screening of last year’s winning film Pariah Dee Rees revealed her family had still not come to terms with her daughter being gay and had not seen the film which they regarded as "the devil’s work".
Dee said the importance of the Iris Prize was that it gave new directors what they really need – the £25,000 resource to continuing making films. She also revealed Pariah is now being made as a feature film and that she plans to travel back to Wales to make a new short film set in Cardiff’s Somali community.
