Iris 2025: Best Bits (15) – 65 mins
From a haunted tollhouse to a high-rise reckoning, from quiet self-discovery to a love song by the sea, these films capture the brilliance, beauty, and bravery that define Iris. Featuring Y Tolldy, Blackout, One Day This Kid and Never, Never, Never, this programme celebrates the very best of Iris 2025 — films that moved audiences, impressed juries, and reminded us why Iris has never been just a festival.
Y Tolldy (15)
Dir. Dan Thomas. Wales, UK. 10 mins. (2025 Opening Night).
When Emyr visits his hometown with his partner, a decade after vowing not to return, a chance meeting with his old school bully turns into a terrifying battle against forces they cannot explain.
Blackout (15)
Dir. Chris Urch. UK. 15 mins. (2025 Best British Winner)
When a young man living in a high-rise is disturbed by domestic violence in the flat next door, he comes to realise that violence isn’t always on the outside – sometimes it’s with us all along.
One Day This Kid (15)
Dir. Alexander Farah. Canada. 18 mins. (2025 Iris Prize Winner)
As told by filmmaker Alexander Farah through a deftly composed array of small yet pivotal moments, a first-generation Afghan Canadian man takes steps toward establishing an identity of his own while always conscious of his father’s shadow.
Never Never Never (15)
Dir. John Sheedy. UK/ Australia. 18 mins. (2025 Opening night)
A poignant and heartwarming story set in a Welsh fishing village. Henrick (Ché) and Arwyn (Iwan) share a bond that transcends friendship, filled with unspoken longing and love. Henrick’s love for Shirley Bassey’s music is his way to overcome the conservative views of their community.
The film explores the struggles of Henrick and Arwyn as they navigate their feelings for each other in a society that may not fully accept them. This is the thirteenth film made by a winner of the Iris Prize.
When Love Broke the Law (12A) – 60 min
From forbidden kisses to real-life revolution, this double bill shows that love has always been our greatest act of defiance.
In Two People Exchanging Saliva, affection itself is a crime — and yet, someone dares to kiss. In Jackie, the fearless story of a pioneering lesbian activist reminds us that real change begins with small acts of courage. Together, these films celebrate desire, protest, and the power of those who refused to live by anyone else’s rules.
Two People Exchanging Saliva (12A)
Dir. Natalie Musteata & Alexandre Singh, France/USA, 36 mins. (2025 Iris Prize Highly Commended)
In a farcical world where kissing is punishable by death, a personal shopper threatens the status quo.
Jackie (12A)
Dir. Emily Sargent. Scotland, UK, 2025. 20 minutes. (2025 Opening Night)
A short documentary about the life of Jackie Forster; a groundbreaking, outrageous — and largely unknown — LGBT+ rights campaigner whose underground donor sperm operation helped the first queer women to have children. This is the third film to be made with the Iris Prize Documentary Film Finance Fund sponsored by OUTFlix.
Presented in partnership with DIVA Film Festival.