Iris Prize
Iris Prize is a Cardiff-based UK non-profit that operates the annual Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival (BAFTA/BIFA qualifying) and the world's largest LGBTQ+ short film prize (£40,000), serving LGBTQ+ filmmakers, audiences, and communities through festival programming, a UK touring programme, Channel 4 broadcast, education, and community outreach.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersCardiff, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Iris Prize does
Iris Prize is a UK-registered non-profit media organization (legal entity Iris Prize Outreach Limited) founded in 2007 and headquartered in Cardiff, Wales. Its core operation is the annual Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival held each October, which is both BAFTA and BIFA qualifying and functions as the centrepiece of a broader ecosystem spanning filmmaker development, content distribution, education, and community outreach.
The organization's product portfolio includes the world's largest LGBTQ+ short film prize valued at £40,000 and funded by the Michael Bishop Foundation; Iris on the Move, a UK-wide touring programme reaching 35+ venues annually; Iris Online, a digital streaming extension for UK audiences; Iris Productions, which supports winners in creating new films in Wales; the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund (now partnered with University of South Wales); Iris Education (funded by Ffilm Cymru Wales to tackle homophobic bullying in Welsh schools); Pink Portraits (a BBC Cymru Wales and Ffotogallery partnership); the Iris Prize Fellowship recognition programme; and the Adleisiau Iris heritage project. The Best British Short programme partners with Film4 and broadcasts on Channel 4, reaching over a million viewers annually.
The business model is a hybrid charitable revenue structure combining ticket sales (Weekend Pass £70 reduced, full passes and individual tickets), annual membership at £25, corporate sponsorship (Film4, Pinewood Studios, Bad Wolf, Co-op, S4C), donations, grant funding (National Lottery via BFI Film Audience Network, Lottery Community Fund, Ffilm Cymru Wales), and the anchor financial support of the Michael Bishop Foundation. Distribution is primarily UK-focused through the Cardiff festival, Iris Online, the touring programme, and Channel 4, with international reach via a 19-country partner festival network that nominates films for the Iris Prize each year.
Iris Prize firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Iris Prize
- Legal name
- Iris Prize Outreach Limited
- Website
- https://irisprize.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Iris Prize is a Cardiff-based UK non-profit that operates the annual Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival (BAFTA/BIFA qualifying) and the world's largest LGBTQ+ short film prize (£40,000), serving LGBTQ+ filmmakers, audiences, and communities through festival programming, a UK touring programme, Channel 4 broadcast, education, and community outreach.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Iris Prize industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Festival & LGBTQ+ Media Programming
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)
Keywords
Where Iris Prize is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cardiff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Iris Prize business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Festival passes and individual event tickets are sold for the annual Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Cardiff and online.
- Membership Programme: Annual membership at £25 provides exclusive benefits throughout the year including discounts and early access to festival events.
- Corporate Sponsorship: The Michael Bishop Foundation provides major financial support enabling the £40,000 Iris Prize. Film4 sponsors Best British Short competition. Other corporate sponsors support various festival activities.
- Donations: The festival accepts donations from supporters through its website.
- Venue Bookings for Iris on the Move: Iris on the Move touring programme books venues across the UK to screen Best of Iris programmes, supported by Film Hub Wales and National Lottery funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Weekend Pass - reduced price |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Iris Prize product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Iris Prize runs an annual international LGBTQ+ film festival in Cardiff featuring short and feature films, panel discussions, and events, alongside the world's largest LGBTQ+ short film prize (£40,000) that funds winning filmmakers to create new work in Wales. It extends its reach through a UK-wide touring programme (Iris on the Move) at 35+ venues, an online streaming platform (Iris Online), and a Best British Short programme broadcast on Channel 4 reaching over a million viewers.
Product overview
Iris Prize is an LGBTQ+ film and media organization built around a multi-dimensional portfolio of products and initiatives. At its core is the annual Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival (a BAFTA and BIFA qualifying event) featuring the world's largest LGBTQ+ short film prize worth £40,000. The ecosystem includes Iris on the Move (UK touring programme), Iris Productions (film production arm), the Documentary Film Fund, Iris Education, community outreach projects, and membership programme. The Best British Short Programme partners with Film4 for Channel 4 broadcast. The 20th anniversary festival is scheduled for October 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Iris on the Move: UK-wide touring programme bringing award-winning short films to venues across the country
- Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund
- Iris Prize Fellowship
- Pink Portraits
- Iris Education
- Iris Productions
- Iris Online
Products and services
- Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival Annual international film festival celebrating LGBTQ+ storytelling, featuring short and feature films, panel discussions, special events, and parties. The festival is both a BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festival and takes place annually in Cardiff, Wales.
- Iris Prize (£40,000)
Quantifiable outcome
- Best British Short films reach 1 million+ viewers on Channel 4 streaming
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Iris Prize
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Iris Prize technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Iris Prize partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Film4coreTitle sponsor of the Best British Short film competition. Acquires broadcast and streaming rights to the 15 shortlisted films, enabling UK-wide distribution on Channel 4 to over a million viewers.
- Channel 4coreBroadcast and streaming partner for Best British Short films. Streams all 15 shortlisted films for a full year following the festival, reaching over a million viewers on the UK's biggest free streaming platform.
- Film Hub Wales (BFI Film Audience Network)coreSupports Iris on the Move touring programme as part of the BFI Film Audience Network, made possible by the National Lottery. Enables distribution of Best of Iris films to 35+ venues across the UK.
- S4CmajorWelsh language broadcaster and sponsor of Iris on the Move touring programme. Commissioned Teth for opening night 2024. Supports Welsh language film productions and talent.
- OUTtv / OUT Media GroupminorOriginal partner in the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund, providing distribution through OUTtv's extensive network for documentaries showcasing underrepresented stories.
- Aberystwyth UniversityminorOriginal partner in the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund supporting emerging documentary talent. Fund has now partnered with University of South Wales as focus shifts to Wales-based talent.
- University of South WalesminorCurrent partner in the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund as focus has shifted to support development of Wales-based documentary talent.
- Partner Festivals (19 countries)coreInternational partner festivals including Hong Kong LGFF, Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam, Cheries Cheris Paris, Mix Copenhagen, Queer Screen, Oslo Fusion, Gaze Dublin, Queer Lisboa, Inside Out Toronto, aGLIFF, KASHISH Mumbai, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, New Fest New York, Outfest, TLV Fest, Sicilia Queer, Reeling Chicago, Reel Out Charlotte, and others. These 19 festivals nominate films for the Iris Prize annually.
- Pinewood StudiosmajorSponsor of Best British Short competition, providing a package of services sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group to the winner.
- Co-opmajorSponsor of the Co-op Audience Award. Partnership spanning seven years supporting LGBTQ+ storytelling and helping spread awareness of Iris films through the Co-op's Respect Network LGBTQ+ colleague network.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Iris Prize competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Outfest: Los Angeles-based LGBTQ+ film organisation running Outfest Fusion and Outfest LA; a larger US peer with similar mission of LGBTQ+ storytelling platforms and a comparable festival-and-year-round-programmes model.
- Melbourne Queer Film Festival: Australia's largest LGBTQ+ film festival and an Iris Prize partner festival; directly comparable given its Southern Hemisphere anchor, international short-film programming, and similar partnership-driven operating model.
- Mix Copenhagen: Denmark's oldest LGBTQ+ film festival and an Iris Prize partner festival; comparable as a Northern European queer short-film platform with international nominations and touring distribution.
- Inside Out: Toronto-based LGBTQ+ film organisation running the Inside Out festival and year-round distribution in Canada; highly comparable to Iris Prize given its international partner-festival role and short-film competition focus.
- NewFest: New York-based LGBTQ+ film festival and year-round programming organisation; directly comparable to Iris Prize as an internationally recognised queer film festival with a competitive short-film prize component.
- KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival: South Asia's largest LGBTQ+ film festival, an Iris Prize partner festival in India; directly comparable as an internationally networked queer short-film competition with similar advocacy and education mandates.
- Frameline: San Francisco-based LGBTQ+ film organisation running Frameline (San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival) and year-round distribution; directly comparable to Iris Prize as a leading global LGBTQ+ short film festival with qualifying-festival status and a large annual programme.
- BFI Flare: London-based LGBTQ+ film festival operated by the British Film Institute; the closest UK peer to Iris Prize, sharing BAFTA qualifying status, UK-based audience, and similar short-film programme, and competing for the same filmmakers and Channel 4 broadcast partnerships.
- Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival: Hong Kong's flagship LGBTQ+ film festival and an Iris Prize partner festival; comparable as a regional peer with international short-film nominations and a partner-festival role within Iris's global network.
- Queer Lisboa: Portugal's leading LGBTQ+ film festival and an Iris Prize partner festival; comparable as a European queer short-film platform contributing to the same international nomination circuit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Iris Prize social profiles
Digital presenceIris Prize financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Iris Prize leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Iris Prize funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Iris Prize M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Iris Prize
What does Iris Prize do?
Iris Prize runs an annual international LGBTQ+ film festival in Cardiff featuring short and feature films, panel discussions, and events, alongside the world's largest LGBTQ+ short film prize (£40,000) that funds winning filmmakers to create new work in Wales. It extends its reach through a UK-wide touring programme (Iris on the Move) at 35+ venues, an online streaming platform (Iris Online), and a Best British Short programme broadcast on Channel 4 reaching over a million viewers.
Is Iris Prize a public or private company?
Iris Prize is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Iris Prize founded?
Iris Prize was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Iris Prize based?
Iris Prize is headquartered in Cardiff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Iris Prize make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Programme, corporate Sponsorship, donations and venue Bookings for Iris on the Move.
Who are Iris Prize's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Outfest, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Mix Copenhagen, Inside Out, NewFest, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, Frameline, BFI Flare, Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and Queer Lisboa.
Does Iris Prize have an API?
No public API is recorded for Iris Prize.
What industry is Iris Prize in?
Iris Prize's product category is Film Festival & LGBTQ+ Media Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAAAO, Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing. Its NAICS code is 8132.