Key Points
- The organisers of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival have opened an accessible public pop-up space inside St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre in Cardiff.
- This marks the first time in the festival’s history that it will maintain an accessible physical footprint outside the traditional week-long festival window.
- Featured installations include a central artwork by local artist Jenna Murphy, consisting of a World Map that will update fortnightly with confirmed international filmmakers and attendees.
- The pop-up hosts a mini cinema screening short films from the Iris Prize archive and showcases the Pink Portraits Revisited (2023) photography exhibition by Dylan Lewis Thomas.
- A prominent portrait of festival icon “Iris”, photographed by Jon Pountney, will feature in the shop window and across promotional material during the 20th-anniversary celebrations.
- The venue serves as a multi-use hub for LGBTQ+ community activities, public outreach, and ticket guidance ahead of the main October festival.
Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) August 7, 2026 – Organizers of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival have officially unveiled a multi-functional pop-up space inside Wales’ largest retail venue, St David’s Dewi Sant in Cardiff. Marking a key milestone in the run-up to the event’s 20th anniversary, the public space represents the first instance in which the international short film festival has secured a continuous physical presence outside its standard event period. Designed to host interactive community events, art displays, and a dedicated cinema, the venue aims to widen the festival’s footprint across South Wales ahead of its main screenings in October.
What Attractions and Facilities Are Featured Inside the St David’s Pop-Up Space?
The center of the new space features an art installation developed by Cardiff-based artist Jenna Murphy. As detailed by project organizers, Murphy’s centerpiece is a interactive World Map designed to reflect the international reach of the festival.
The map will undergo bi-weekly updates listing the names of directors, artists, and delegates who have confirmed their attendance for the upcoming October event.
Alongside the central visual art installation, the pop-up includes a functioning mini cinema. The screening area will present a curated selection of celebrated short films drawn directly from the Iris Prize archive.
Additionally, the venue is hosting a physical exhibition of Pink Portraits Revisited (2023), a photographic series by Welsh photographer Dylan Lewis Thomas. The series profiles ten LGBTQ+ professionals working behind the camera in the film and television sectors.
Displayed in the storefront window is an iconic image of “Iris” herself, captured by long-term creative collaborator and photographer Jon Pountney. According to festival coordinators, this portrait will feature across multiple venues and digital campaigns throughout the year as part of the festival’s 20th-anniversary proceedings.
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How Have Venue Leaders and Festival Directors Reacted to the Collaboration?
Speaking on behalf of the retail center, Helen Morgan, Centre Director at St David’s Dewi Sant Cardiff, expressed long-standing support for the arts organization. As reported in statements released during the opening, Morgan stated:
“We have always admired the work of the Iris Prize in sharing LGBTQ+ stories, and St David’s is as proud to support them today as we were when they first started 20 years ago. We are particularly looking forward to hosting Iris’ first-ever pop-up exhibition space, which will showcase its talented filmmakers to new audiences in the run-up to the film festival in October.”
Highlighting the operational advantages of the location, Berwyn Rowlands, Festival Director of the Iris Prize, noted that the venue provides direct proximity to the main festival screening hubs. As reported by regional news outlets covering the announcement, Rowlands stated:
“We are beyond excited to have this amazing pop-up in the St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre. This will give us a chance to reach a new audience for Iris, and as we move to Cineworld, the pop-up is just around the corner. We will be screening films in the pop-up, and you can meet the festival team who can guide you.”
What Is the Background of the Iris Prize Development?
Founded 20 years ago in Cardiff, the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival has grown into the world’s largest short film competition dedicated to queer storytelling. Supported prominently by the Michael Bishop Foundation, the festival is notable for awarding a £30,000 top prize, enabling winning directors to fund their next short film project directly within Wales.
Historically, the festival’s public operations were confined to its official festival week every October, operating out of partner cinema venues, academic spaces, and temporary exhibition halls across Cardiff.
The transition into a dedicated retail unit at St David’s Dewi Sant—the largest shopping complex in Wales—represents a strategic shift toward year-round public visibility and high-footfall community outreach.
The inclusion of Dylan Lewis Thomas’s Pink Portraits Revisited builds upon previous civic partnerships formed in 2023 with Cardiff University, Ffotogallery, and the University of South Wales, which aimed to highlight emerging creative talent across the UK.
What Is the Future Outlook for the Festival and Its Audience?
The opening of a high-profile physical hub in a prime retail district is expected to alter public engagement patterns for the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival. By bringing archival screenings, contemporary art, and ticket support directly into daily retail footfall, the initiative lowers barriers to entry for members of the general public who may not historically attend standalone film festival venues.
For local residents and visiting shoppers, the space provides an accessible cultural utility, integrating LGBTQ+ art and history directly into standard civic life.
For the broader film community and participating international delegates, the site acts as an early information terminal leading up to the main October festival. By offering a fixed physical base prior to the primary autumn schedule, organisers can test long-term community outreach models that extend the cultural footprint of the festival far beyond its traditional six-day event cycle.
