As Iris Prize celebrated its 20th anniversary in Cardiff, one of the festival's most anticipated screenings arrived with considerable intrigue attached. Black Church Bay, the latest feature from Welsh writer-director Reece Hall, not only served as the festival's closing film but also marked the film's Welsh premiere, bringing stars Joe Locke and Tom Cullen to Wales for a special homecoming screening.
While I was unable to attend the event in person, We were represented by Maisie Frater, whose interviews with Hall and the film's cast, alongside coverage captured by TALU Studios, revealed a production that is far more than a conventional thriller. Across the conversations, a clear picture emerged of a film exploring identity, repression, morality and the consequences of choices that spiral beyond control.
For Hall, the film's appeal lies in its gradual, unsettling unravelling.
"The film's a very gripping, intense, uncomfortable mystery thriller about a bad decision that gets increasingly worse."
It's a concise summary that captures the atmosphere repeatedly referenced by everyone involved with the project. Hall intentionally avoids revealing too much about the story itself, believing audiences will gain the most from experiencing its twists and revelations first-hand.
"A lot of the satisfaction with the film is the way it sort of unfolds."
That sense of mystery appears to have resonated strongly with the cast.
For Joe Locke, best known internationally for his breakout role in Heartstopper, the project immediately stood apart from anything he had encountered before.
"I'd say less the character specifically and just the project as a whole. It's such a well-written piece and Reece Hall, director-writer, has created such a moody storytelling vibe with it. I read the script and I was like, 'Yeah, I want to be in this.'"
Asked how audiences should prepare for Black Church Bay, Locke's answer was simultaneously intriguing and delightfully cryptic.
"It's dark. I keep wanting to say sexy, which it is sexy, but like, a sexy in a really creepy way. Maybe don't take sexy at face value."
It's the sort of description that immediately sparks curiosity, but Locke was quick to emphasise that beneath the film's thriller elements lies something much more layered.
"It's a very layered [story] and I think everyone who watches it gets a very different experience out of it. People learn different things from it. It's really about the morality of people and the actions they take under desperation."
The idea of desperation sits at the centre of many of the themes discussed throughout the interviews.
For Welsh actor Tom Cullen, it is the film's exploration of identity that gives Black Church Bay its emotional weight.
"I thought the script was extraordinary, and something that I had never read before."
Cullen described the film as feeling almost Scandinavian in tone, bringing the atmosphere of a Nordic noir thriller to a distinctly Welsh setting. Yet he believes the story's true power lies elsewhere.
"At its heart, it's a very deep, and very moving, and very sad story about identity and what happens to someone who is unable to live their life authentically, and the kind of damage and corrosion that happens within somebody, and therefore in the world around them."
It is a striking observation, and one that aligns closely with Locke's thoughts on the continuing evolution of LGBTQ+ storytelling on screen.
Over recent years, audiences have increasingly seen queer characters move from supporting roles to the centre of their own narratives. For Locke, however, genuine progress also means allowing LGBTQ+ characters to be flawed, morally complicated and deeply human.
"For a long time queer characters were really portrayed as the best friend, the comic relief, and that's great, because we are all funny, I think."
Then comes perhaps the most significant reflection from the entire conversation.
"But also, we have more facets to us, and therefore that should reflect in the stories that are told."
That sentiment feels particularly appropriate at Iris Prize, a festival that has spent two decades championing diverse LGBTQ+ voices and narratives from across the world.
Both Hall and Cullen spoke passionately about the importance of the festival's continuing success and the role it plays within Welsh cultural life.
As a filmmaker from Wales, Hall acknowledged the significance of bringing the film home.
"It's always been on my radar. It's great what they've done with this festival in quite a relatively short time. It's really launched itself on the map of the international circuit, especially for queer filmmakers."
The Welsh premiere held particular meaning.
"Ffilm Cymru Wales have always been huge supporters of my work. It's just so great that we can come and have this homecoming premiere."
Cullen was equally enthusiastic.
"As a Welsh guy, the fact that the world's best LGBTQ+ short film festival is in Wales, that's something that absolutely should be celebrated."
His admiration extended beyond the headline events and towards the next generation of filmmakers being nurtured through the festival's programmes.
"It gives representation, and that is so essential."
Having served on the jury for the student prize, Cullen was particularly impressed by the emerging talent on display.
"To give young filmmakers the highlight and the opportunity to show their fantastic work, and it really was extraordinary, is everything."
He added:
"The more that we can encourage queer stories in cinema, the better. The better the world will be."
Taken together, the three conversations reveal a film that is far more ambitious than a straightforward mystery thriller. While Black Church Bay promises tension, suspense and unease, it also appears deeply concerned with questions of authenticity, identity and the ways in which secrecy and repression can shape lives.
Perhaps the best summary comes not from one interview, but from the collective language used by those closest to the project.
When asked to describe the film in three words, Hall called it:
"Gripping, intense and claustrophobic."
Cullen chose:
"Dark, intense, challenging."
And Locke offered:
"Dark, twists and moody."
Three perspectives. Nine words. One remarkably clear picture.
As Iris Prize marked its twentieth anniversary, Black Church Bay proved a fitting closing chapter; a Welsh-made queer thriller willing to explore uncomfortable truths, challenge expectations and place complex LGBTQ+ characters firmly at the centre of its story.
If the enthusiasm of its cast and creative team is anything to go by, audiences can expect a film that lingers long after the credits roll. For Wales, for Iris Prize and for contemporary queer cinema, Black Church Bay appears poised to leave a lasting impression.
Interviews conducted on behalf of The Edit Wales by Maisie Frater. Video coverage produced by TALU Studios.
