The Iris Prize at 20

Join host Tom Spare for an episode of milestones. The 70th edition of the podcast, 2 years since Spare a Thought launched, featuring the first ever interview conducted for the show. Tom focuses on the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ film festival. The Iris Prize is the world's largest short film prize. 2026 marks the Iris Prize's 20th birthday. He gives an overview of the festival's opening night and then shares his interview with Iris Festival Director Berwyn Rowlands from October 2024. The Iris Film Festival runs from 12th - 18th October 2026. You can find more here: https://irisprize.org/ One of the films featured on opening night centred around Cranogwen, the seafarer and scholar who broke every boundary placed before her. In March 2026, Tom and his guest co-host Emily Merry created a two-part series on Monumental Women, a project aiming to get more statues installed of notable women across Wales. You can listen to that episode exploring Cranogwen's past here. You can listen to all previous episodes wherever you get your podcasts or head to https://spareathought.podbean.com/. Keep up to date with Tom's work via his Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ Get the latest news on the podcast via the Spare a Thought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spareathoughtmedia/ Spare a Thought is a Be the Change. Media Network production. The money tips and financial advice in this episode are personal opinion, not professional guidance. If money is tight, contact your university's money advice service as early as possible. The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change. Media Network or its partners.