Two men meet moments before their execution. A love story between two women across decades and states. A zebra – all of these and more in the running for the Iris Prize
A late night search for Viagra by two aging strangers during a one night stand.
A military exercise in the woods where two soldiers cover each other’s faces in camouflage paint, and learn more about each other.
A lesbian couple argue during a hurricane.
A zebra runs into a tree.
These are just a few of the films wanting to be named the winner of the Iris Prize, the coveted award given to the world’s best LGBT film short.
30 films will be competing for the £25,000 ($42,000, €31,000) prize to be awarded at this year’s festival in Cardiff, Wales.
The winner will be announced on 12 October at an awards ceremony hosted by Amy Lamé.
The nominees are…
- Aban + Korshid, USA – Inspired by true events, Aban + Khorshid is an intimate portrait of two lovers, glimpsing into the world in which they met, moments before their execution for being gay.
- All God’s Children, Australia – Brothers Asher and Charlie have just lost their father, and their already fragile relationship undergoes a test of almost mythic proportions when one of them commits an act of mindless cruelty against an eel as retribution.
Barrio Boy, USA – Haircuts, hip-hop and homo-sex on the down-low. - Black is Blue, USA – The story of Black, an African American trans man, who works as a security guard inside an apartment complex.
- Bombshell, USA – A 10-year-old tomboy must weigh her loyalty to her trusted older brother as she becomes complicit in a hate crime to win his affection.
- Boygame, Sweden – John and Nicholas are 15 years old and best friends. They are both very interested in girls but feel insecure when it comes to a first sexual encounter with a woman. They decide they will get some ‘practice’ on each other.
- Camouflage, Germany – During a military exercise in the woods, two soldiers cover each other’s faces in camouflage paint.
- Chaleur Human (Human Warmth), Belgium – Antoine loves being close to Bruno. He loves his warmth. He needs it. But comes the time of detachment, when the body stops responding.
- Cigano (Gypsy), Portugal – Sebastian is a wealthy young man. He finds out he has a flat tire and ends up accepting help from a gypsy passer-by.
- Das Phallometer, Germany – A refugee is taken into custody at an open border crossing. During the interrogation, he admits to being gay and is subjected to an absurd entry examination, a so-called phallometric test.
- Disaster Preparedness, USA – A hurricane racing toward their apartment pulls a couple out of their comfort zone and drops them squarely at the crossroads of commitment, disaster, and the art of being prepared
- Einfach – Simple, Germany – Animated short. ‘I just want sex!’ says Tanja to Benjamin.
- End of Season Sale, Israel – Late at night two aging strangers fail to obtain Viagra for a one night stand. The shortage of the desired blue pill turns out to be a blessing in disguise as the two strangers get a chance to exchange the pleasures of the flesh with the pleasures of the heart.
- FH2: Faghag2000, Australia – A twisted take on co-dependent relationships in the technological age. Best friends Toshie and Casey learn the true extent of their togetherness after Casey attempts to replace his friend with an android called the ‘Faghag2000’.
- Gleisdreiech, Chile – Hedda crosses the city. Petra wants to see a movie. Zazie cares the orchids. The three of them likes cherries.
- Greco – Roman, Norway – Told partly through the form of an interview, Greco-Roman tells the story of Casper, the school bully, whose dream is to become a wrestler, just like his father. But when he discovers his father’s secret, his notions of masculinity is thrown into violent disarray.
- I am Syd Stone, Canada – A Hollywood heartthrob returns home to rekindle an old closeted relationship.
- I Love Hooligans, The Netherlands – The story of a gay hooligan and how he must keep his sexuality a well-kept secret. This man’s dream: ‘To die in the arms of my loved one.’
- Lives Under The Red Light, Cambodia – Under the red light focuses on the lives of four people who work as sex workers in Phnom Penh.
- Living In The Overlap, USA – Living in the Overlap is the improbably true story of two girls growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s, falling in love in the Midwest, and making a life together in North Carolina.
- Middle Man, UK – Davie is a new-start in a call centre for the deaf. When his bosses turn up for an inspection he struggles to remain professional as he gets caught up in a heated lovers’ tiff.
- Mitraa, India – Based on the story by Vijay Tendulkar, this is a short film about a strong girl with a different sexual orientation set in mid 1940s.
- Novena, Ireland – Novena is an award-winning documentary capturing a rare moment when two people who are gay are invited to give a speech at a Catholic mass in Dundalk, Ireland.
- O Nylon da Minha Aldeia (Tissues from the Village), Portugal – In an isolated village in the South, two characters seek to survive.
- Marcelo who is deeply in love with Sergio who cannot accept the possibility of his affection. Only at nightfall when the river waters are released and the two figures meet by chance, is when everything seems to change.
- One More Night, Canada – We all have that one person that we can’t get over, can’t get out of our minds. If you could have one last night with them, would you?
- Remission, UK – Two young men and a boy roam the overgrown English countryside, seeking to escape a deadly virus. A brooding fable exploring the paradoxes of sexuality and survival.
- Surprise, USA – A mother and son confess their secrets to one another’s surprise
- The Package (O Pacote), Brazil – In the outskirts of Sao Paulo, the young Leandro is a new student in a new school. In the classroom, he meets Jefferson who introduces him to his new group of friends.
- The Usual, Ireland – In a small country pub three Irish farmers are enjoying an afternoon’s drink, when an unusual stranger walks in.
- Zebra, Germany – One day the zebra ran against a tree.
To find out more about these films, click here.
Gay Star News is a proud media sponsor of The Iris Prize 2014.
by Joe Morgan
Source – Gay Star News
