I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone scoops Cardiff's Iris Prize

Brazil’s Daniel Ribeiro has been awarded the Iris Prize for his short film I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone at this year’s Cardiff Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

The film tells the story of a blind 15 year old Brazilian boy who falls in love with a new boy at his school. The £25,000 prize awarded to Ribeiro will give the film maker the opportunity to make a new short film in the UK.

Jury chair Mary Fitzpatrick said, “The jury thought that I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone took a simple story out of a very jagged path and it won because hope and love should never become redundant.

Meanwhile the Best UK Short award went to director Andrew Steggall for his film The Red Bike.  Steggall will be invited to be a member of the 2012 Iris Prize International Jury.

The prize for best feature film was awarded to Eldar Rapaport for August. It carries a £1,000 cash prize donated by Cardiff Independent Financial Adviser Martin Briggs.

The awards for best actor and best actress in a feature film - two new public awards - were presented to Murray Bartlett for his performance as Troy in the film August and Allison Lane for her performance as Candy in Going Down in La-La Land.  Both awards were sponsored by the London Women’s Clinic.

The Cardiff Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is funded by the BFI, Cineworld, Cardiff Council, Film Agency for Wales, Chapter, Peccadillo Pictures and Creo Interactive.