Sister Wives Crowned 2024 Iris Prize Co-Op Audience Award Winner

• Louisa Connolly-Burnham’s short film also won the 2024 Iris Prize Best British Short sponsored by Film4 and Pinewood Studios, and Best British Performance in a Female Role sponsored by Out & Proud
• Channel 4 will be streaming all 15 shortlisted Best British Shorts – including Sister Wives – for another 11 months
• “We are beyond thrilled and deeply grateful to have won the Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award for Sister Wives! Knowing that audiences connected with our characters and felt the impact of our story truly means the world to us.”

The organisers of the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival – celebrating global stories and Cardiff charm are thrilled to announce that Sister Wives, directed by Louisa Connolly-Burnham, has won the 2024 Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award. Sister Wives is now streaming on Channel 4 and is available for the next 11 months.

Sister Wives is a multi-layered love story where two sister wives married to the same man start to develop feelings for each other.  This film also won the 2024 Iris Prize Best British Short sponsored by Film4 and Pinewood Studios, and Best British Performance in a Female Role sponsored by Out & Proud (Louisa Connolly-Burnham, as Kaidence). 

Louisa Connolly-Burnham, writer, director, and actor for Sister Wives said:

“We are beyond thrilled and deeply grateful to have won the Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award for Sister Wives! Knowing that audiences connected with our characters and felt the impact of our story truly means the world to us.

“A huge thank you to Berwyn, the festival team, and, of course, all the incredible voters for this honour. The Iris Prize will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we hope this is just the beginning of the Sister Wives journey” 

The top 5 audience favourites for 2024 are:  

• Sister Wives | Dir:  Louisa Connolly-Burnham | UK | 28 mins
• G Flat | Dir. Peter Darney | UK | 18 mins
• Die Bully Die | Dir. Nathan & Nick Lacey | Australia | 16 mins  
• Love, Jamie | Dir. Karla Murthy | USA | 20 mins
• Honeymoon | Dir. Alkis Papastathopoulos | Greece | 25 mins  

Nat Wilding, a store manager for the Co-op, was a judge on the Iris Prize (International) judging panel. Here’s what she had to say about her experience and what she thought of some of the films that were submitted for consideration:

“It was an absolute honour to be a part of this year’s Iris Prize Film Festival, but it was no easy task!

“The calibre of the submissions was extremely high, making it unbelievably hard to judge. However, it was wonderful to see some of my favourites in the top five this year, notably G-Flat, with Richard Wilson’s amazing performance, and the darkly humorous Die Bully Die. I agree with the Co-op Audience Award of 2024 winner, Sister Wives, which showcases two women finding love in a polygamous marriage. I found the film to be engaging in its depiction of a progressive romance, with brilliant acting to truly bring the story to life.

“I’m so proud to have supported the festival this year, and to represent the Co-op whilst doing so. It’s extremely important to see queer representation in films and on TV, and for me the festival promotes and celebrates that perfectly, which is glorious to see and be part of. I’m counting down the days until 2025!”

Iris Prize Festival Director, Berwyn Rowlands, said:

“The Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award is important as it is the only award at Iris voted for by the public. Voting can take place from any location in the UK, and this year we saw a 21% increase with 1,257 votes cast. 

“This year we have decided to list the top five short films in order of popularity. This is a great way to focus attention on the films covering LGBTQ+ stories, which we believe are not covered by the mainstream. They are all winners.

“We are thrilled to be working with our friends at the Co-op. The partnership between Co-op Respect and the Iris Prize works on so many levels. It is not just the generous sponsorship; we also get to work closely with key Co-op Respect staff who get to participate as members of the official British and International juries. But the Iris Prize Co-op Audience Award is truly the icing on the cake, and through the UK wide Co-op network we get to promote some amazing LGBTQ+ stories and get members of the public to vote and take part in the magic of celebrating excellence in storytelling.”

Iris Prize will return next year: Monday 13 October – Sunday 19 October 2025

Full details about Iris can be found here: www.irisprize.org