Educating Iris
AFTER AN EYE-OPENING STINT ON THE IRIS PRIZE INTERNATIONAL JURY IN 2017, CARRIE LYELL IS HEADING BACK TO CARDIFF TO PUT WOMEN FRONT AND CENTRE
IRIS PRIZE
Last October, I caught a train from London Paddington to Cardiff without much idea of what to expect when I arrived. It was my first time at Iris, my first time in Wales, and my first time on a film jury. I knew it would be an experience, but I wasn’t quite prepared for what followed: an unforgettable week of films, new friendships and a lot of feelings.
The film prize, named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow, was established in 2007, and is open to any film by, for or about LGBTQI people. The winner receives a whopping £30,000 to make another film, and Iris has helped launch the careers of top filmmakers including Dee Rees, whose recent film Mudbound made history when it received four Oscar nominations in 2018, including Best Cinematography – the first such nomination for a woman (Rachel Morrison) – and Best Adapted Screenplay for Rees herself – the first black woman to be nominated in this category.