Iris Prize

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.

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

Product category

Film Festival & LGBTQ+ Media Programming

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)

Keywords

• LGBTQ film festival
• Short film prize
• Documentary film fund
• Film festival events
• Community filmmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Festival passes and individual event tickets are sold for the annual Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Cardiff and online.
2. Membership Programme: Annual membership at £25 provides exclusive benefits throughout the year including discounts and early access to festival events.
3. 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.
4. Donations: The festival accepts donations from supporters through its website.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Film4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitle 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 4coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports 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.
• S4CmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelsh 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 GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partner in the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund, providing distribution through OUTtv's extensive network for documentaries showcasing underrepresented stories.
• Aberystwyth UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal 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 WalesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent partner in the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund as focus has shifted to support development of Wales-based documentary talent.
• Partner Festivals (19 countries)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational 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 StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Best British Short competition, providing a package of services sponsored by Pinewood Studios Group to the winner.
• Co-opmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/IrisPrizeFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/IrisPrize
• Xx.com/irisprize
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iris-prize-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iris Prize