Iris Prize Awards Vicky Morton With 2025 Documentary Film Finance Fund

Organisers of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival are pleased to announce that Vicky Morton’s film proposal has been successful and will be the fourth film commissioned by the Iris Prize Documentary Film Finance Fund, designed to support emerging documentary and factual film talent from Wales. 

Inspired by the work of trans-led mutual aid project TIN Wardrobe, Wear I Am by Vicky Morton follows a single gender-affirming care package on its journey from sender to recipient.  

Vicky Morton said: 

“Wear I Am  follows Leith, founder of the grassroots charity The TIN Wardrobe, as he prepares and sends a parcel of affirmation and connection to a trans stranger somewhere across the UK. Through this simple but powerful act – a donated box of clothes travelling from one life to another – the film explores identity, resilience, and the quiet beauty of gender euphoria. It celebrates how clothing can be both armour and expression, a language through which trans, non-binary and intersex people affirm who they are and find solidarity in one another. 

“I’m genuinely honoured that Wear I Am has been selected for the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund. I feel like I’ve grown up alongside the festival, and I’ve always been inspired by its commitment to championing queer stories with heart, honesty, and courage. As a queer Welsh filmmaker, I’ve long felt proud that one of the world’s most respected LGBTQ+ film festivals was born right here in Wales. It’s been a personal goal of mine to one day have a film screen at Iris – so to know that Wear I Am will be part of the 20^th edition feels both surreal and deeply special.” 

The Fund awards a single documentary film proposal a production grant of up to £20,000 for a 20-minute film.  The subject of the chosen film must be British and LGBTQ+. Priority will be given to stories from or about communities traditionally underrepresented in UK productions. The Iris Prize team will work with the originator of the idea to produce the film. The finished film will be premiered at the 20^th edition of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival in October 2026 and after a theatrical window be shown on OUTflix’s platforms worldwide. 

Angela Clarke, BAFTA-nominated documentary filmmaker who has been looking after the shortlisting process said: 

“Vicky and the team presented a really strong and compelling idea this year, and I’m really excited to see how it takes shape over the coming months.”  

Philip Webb, COO of OUTtv, said: 

“Now more than ever, it is vital to celebrate and platform stories from the trans community – and we’re proud to be supporting the creation of a documentary that honours the vital work of charities supporting trans, non-binary and intersex people across the UK, through the lens of connection and affirmation through clothing. We’re looking forward to seeing Vicky’s project develop through our partnership with the Iris Prize, and to bring what promises to be a hugely powerful documentary to our audiences around the world.” 

The fund has previously supported the following 20 minute documentary films: Some Girls Hate Dresses (2022) explores Black filmmaker Mena Fombo’s experiences as a tom boy from Nigerian heritage growing up in the UK and rejecting the images of Black women from the US; Bender Defenders (2023) celebrates the queer Muy-Thai club that non-binary filmmaker Ira Putliova is a member of in east London; and the third project Jackie (2024) made by Emily Sargent, tells the story of Jackie Forster – the founder of the lesbian magazine Sappho, and premiered on opening night of IRIS25 last month.  

Berwyn Rowlands, Festival Director said: 

“This is a wonderful project full of joy and optimism and I can’t wait to be in a position to share the finished film. The support from the University of South Wales has allowed Iris to expand the documentary fund sponsored by OUTtv to support the development of students working in documentary film making in South Wales.”