The Church in Wales has endorsed a LGBT short film project seeking to build understanding of LGBT issues across the country, calling it an opportunity to show God's church welcomes all of humanity.

"It is a creative way to explore what we mean by equality and diversity and offers us a chance to show that God's church welcomes the whole of humanity since we are all made in his image," the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said in a statement.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for all sorts of church groups and I hope as many as possible will take it up."

The Iris Prize outreach project, Iris in the Community, plans to make 36 short films in the next three years, engaging with different community groups to build understanding of LGBT issues. It is an extension of the Iris Prize, the world's largest LGBT short film prize, on its tenth anniversary.

"I'm thrilled that we have the support of the Church in Wales," said Mark Williams, project facilitator for Iris in the community. "I'm determined that every community in Wales will have an opportunity to take part."

Iris Prize chair, Andrew Pierce, said in the statement: "Film is a democratic medium which in our experience allows people to express ideas about how they feel.

"This ambitious project will take us into many communities and I hope that by the end we will have helped many thousands of people to understand the diverse make up of LGBT communities, leading to improved community relations."