Channel 4 has released fifteen of the Best British Short Films in competition at the Iris Prize, including ‘Blackout’, ‘Sleazy Tiger’ and ‘Solers United’

By Natalia Albin Legorreta

In an ongoing partnership since 2020 between Film4 and the Iris Prize, Channel 4 has released all fifteen nominees for the Best British Short Film for streaming UK-wide. The Iris Prize took place in Wales from October 13 to October 19, showcasing LGBTQ+ storytelling across short and feature films. 

As for the awards, the 2025 winner of Best British Short film, Blackout, was directed by Chris Urch and follows a young man living in a high-rise who hears domestic violence in the next door flat. Best performance by a male actor was won by Jay Newton, who plays Alan in Sleazy Tiger. Kat Ronney took home the award for best performance by a female actor in Hot Young Geeks Seek Blood-Sucking Freak. And finally, for best performance by a non-binary actor, Leah Harvey won for the football short Solers United. 

Interviews with some of the Iris Prize nominees are coming to Short Stuff soon and all fifteen nominated films are available to watch online on Channel 4’s website for the next year. 

The full list of released films is:

1. BLACKOUT (dir. Chris Urch, prod. Solomon Golding)
   with Mawaan Rizwan

2. BURY YOUR GAYS (dir. Charlotte Serena Cooper, prod. Charlotte Brownlee)
   with Jude Mack, T'Nia Miller, Harry Trevaldwyn, Sophie Melville

3. DEMONS (dir. Emmanuel Imani, prod. Emmanuel Imani, Byron McNally)
   with Emmanuel Imani, Fela Lufadeju, Ronke Adekoluejo

4. HOT YOUNG GEEK SEEKS BLOOD SUCKING FREAK (dir. Heath Virgoe, prod. Niamh West)
   with Angus Stobie, Kat Ronney, Reece Montague

5. LISBON (dir. Matthew Jacobs Morgan, prod. Matthew Jacobs Morgan)
   with John Cameron Mitchell, Matthew Jacobs Morgan

6. MAN ENOUGH (dir. Beru Tessema, prod. RADA)
   with Jack Ambrose, Bella Aubin, Joanie Diamond

7. MEAT RAFFLE (dir. Stuart Armstrong, prod. Harry Shaw)
   with Michael Hodgson, Will Latimer, Dominic Weatherill

8. PUREBRED (dir. Caleb J. Roberts, prod. Jon Beer)
   with Pete MacHale, Diarmuid Noyes

9. SLEAZY TIGER (dir. James Ley, prod. Jack Cowhig and Laura McBride)
   with Jay Newton, Alan Cumming, Jack Douglas

10. SOLERS UNITED (dir. Sara Harrak, prod. Lewis Coates)
    with Leah Harvey, Hannah Onslow, Laura Checkley

11. SOVIET FANTASIA (dir. Penn Bálint, prod. Gerzson Szántó, Penn Bálint)
    with Elizabeth Kate Weber, Zsófia Kemény, Charlie Coldfield

12. SWEETHEART (dir. Luke Wintour, prod. Chloe Culpin, Elliot Zelmanovits, Luke Kelly, Francesca Woods)
    with Eben Figueiredo, Thomas Flynn, Ian Gelder

13. THE SECOND TIME AROUND (dir. Jack Howard, prod. Ash Horne & Max Marlow)
    with Caroline Goodall, Hannah Onslow, Genevieve Lewis

14. TRAILBLAZERS (dir. Sobia Bushra, prod. Ronan Williams)
    with Amir Dean, Aiman Rahim, Alia Ramna

15. TWO BLACK BOYS IN PARADISE (dir. Baz Sells, prod. Ben Jackson)
    with Arun Blair-Mangat, Jordan Stephens