Welcome to the IRIS Film Awards!

A celebration of excellence in the world of cinema. Founded with a passion for shining a light on outstanding filmmaking talent and honoring the finest cinematic achievements.

As an online film award, we offer an inclusive and accessible space for filmmakers, regardless of their geographical location or production budgets, to participate and showcase their remarkable creations.

The judging process at the IRIS Film Awards is both rigorous and fair. A panel of industry professionals and experts meticulously evaluate each submission based on artistic merit, storytelling, technical brilliance, and overall impact. The selection process aims to highlight films that inspire, push boundaries, evoke emotions, and leave a lasting impression.

Judges score entries on a performance scale and winning entries are recognized in four different levels of awards depending on their final score. Entries do not compete against each other, but are judged against a high standard of merit and are scored accordingly.

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    • Best of Show

    • Award of Excellence

    • Award of Achievement

    • Official Selection

    • Feature - Narrative

    • Feature - Documentary

    • Feature - Animated

    • Short - Narrative

    • Short - Documentary

    • Short - Animated

    • Television - Pilot Program

    • Television - Program / Series

    • Feature - Screenplay

    • Short - Screenplay

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    Our judges will also be scoring each entrant in the following technical categories. Awards will be given for the top scoring film in each applicable category. Every submission will be automatically entered in the applicable categories below at no additional cost.

    • Actor in a Lead Role

    • Actor in a Supporting Rolle

    • Actress in a Lead Role

    • Actress in a Supporting Role

    • Cinematography

    • Direction

    • Editing

    • Music/Score

    • Sound

  • * What we’re looking for? Great Stories and Great Filmmaking. Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Narrative short films and Documentary short films.

    * By submitting your film, take note that:

    - You agree to allow IRIS Film Awards to use parts of your film (including trailer/teaser/film poster/stills) for promotional purpose.

    - Entry fees are non-refundable.

    - Multiple entries are allowed for each filmmaker and each entry may be entered in multiple categories.

    - The films will not be available online.

    - We promote some of the films by uploading the trailers/teasers/posters/production stills.

    * We do not accept:

    1. Amateur videos

    2. Extremist or propaganda content from religious or political organizations

    3. Films that depict or include any cruelty to animals.

    4. Films which were made before 2022

The Iris is the mechanism through which light enters a camera, but within the captivating tapestry of cinema, it is transformed into a radiant gateway, illuminating the very essence of humanity and crafting narratives that etch unforgettable imprints on our souls. Taking inspiration from this ethereal keyhole the IRIS Film Awards amplify that light, hoping to be even just a small part of spreading it for all to see.