IRIS is a thriller short film directed by Michael J. Keplinger and starring Flora Pauer.
In a remote forest, deaf-mute Iris locks herself in her van after receiving ominous photographs that reveal she’s not alone.
The thriller short film IRIS, written & directed by (as well as featuring a score by) Michael J. Keplinger, premiered at the Crossing Europe film festival on May 2, 2024 in Linz, Austria. It has since won several awards including the prestigious Creative Video Award by the Zawinul Foundation For Achievement and the Best Horror 2024 award at Austrian Filmfestival.
In June 2026, the film was selected for CenterFrame Curated, a handpicked selection of standout short films from the CenterFrame community.
Much of the film’s principle crew had previously worked on Allerseelen together.
16 Awards & Nominations
- Winner: Silver Medal
85th Film Competition between Nations and Congress (UK, 2025) - Winner: Horror Category
Buntingford Shorts Film Festival (UK, 2025) - Winner: Intercultural and Integration Award
TimeLine Film Festival (Italy, 2025) - Winner: Best Horror 2024
Austrian Filmfestival (Austria, 2024) - Nominated: Best Film
Austrian Filmfestival (Austria, 2024) - Winner: Creative Video Award
Zawinul Foundation for Achievement (Austria/USA, 2024) - Winner: Silver Medal
Festival der Österreichischen Film-Autoren (Austria, 2024) - 3x Nominated, incl. Remarkable Direction
Festival der Österreichischen Film-Autoren (Austria, 2024) - 5x Winner, incl. Gold Medal & Remarkable Direction
Festival der Film-Autoren (Austria, 2024) - Finalist: 2nd Season 2023
Flatness Film Awards (Türkiye/Online, 2024)
14 Festivals & Screenings
- CenterFrame Curated (UK, 2026)
- Festival of Nations (Austria, 2025)
- 85th Film Competition between Nations and Congress (UK, 2025)
- Faba Films (Online, 2025)
- Buntingford Shorts Youth Film Festival (UK, 2025)
- TimeLine Film Festival (Italy, 2025)
- Kalakari Film Fest (India, 2025)
- Festival Cortos para Tiempos Largos (Colombia, 2024)
- Fright Nights 2024 (Austria, 2024)
- Austrian Filmfestival (Austria, 2024)
- Festival der Österreichischen Film-Autoren (Austria, 2024)
- Crossing Europe Filmfestival (Austria, 2024)
- Festival der Film-Autoren (Austria, 2024)
- Flatness Film Awards (Türkiye/Online, 2023)
6 Press Mentions
- Team Buntes Fernsehen, 18 October 2025
TBF Mitglied gewinnt Silbermedaille in Birmingham, Großbritannien - Gemeindenachrichten Engerwitzdorf, 21 May 2024
TBF Mitglied wurde OÖ Landesmeister 2024 - MeinBezirk.at, 22 April 2024
Buntes Fernsehen stellt den Landesmeister [read] - Tips Urfahr-Umgebung, 16 April 2024
Buntes Fernsehen Engerwitzdorf stellt den Landes-Meister [read] - Team Buntes Fernsehen, 29 April 2022
Stammtisch-Ankündigung Michael J. Keplinger - Bezirksrundschau, 28 April 2022
Goldmedaillengewinner beim Hobbyfilmer-Stammtisch
Related News
- ‘IRIS’ selected for CenterFrame Curated
5 June 2026 - ‘IRIS’ at UNiCA and beyond
6 September 2025 - ‘IRIS’ international festival run (so far)
20 October 2024 - ‘IRIS’ wins prestigious Creative Video Award
10 June 2024 - Behind The Scenes of ‘IRIS’
9 May 2024 - ‘IRIS’ premieres at Crossing Europe
7 May 2024
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