Revealing the 2024 Into Film Awards nominees

We're absolutely thrilled to reveal the nominees for the 2024 Into Film Awards. With 21 films nominated across seven filmmaking categories, the Into Film Awards celebrates and showcases the phenomenal breadth and depth of young filmmaking talent across the UK.

Plus, this year we're also honouring those who support and facilitate young people's filmmaking in our new Filmmaking Champion award.

This year's Awards received hundreds of entries from every corner of the UK, with stories ranging from light-hearted comedies, to thought-provoking documentaries, and with topics such as climate change, mental health, and our ever-increasing reliance on technology also a focus, our nominated films speak to the issues that young people are most concerned about today, as well their filmmaking prowess.

Indeed, our special Time for Action category (sponsored by Swatch) asked young people to create a film that raises awareness of issues important to them and explores the changes they would like to make in the world, whether big or small; personal or society wide.

Our nominees will be joining us at the Into Film Awards ceremony at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in London on Tuesday 25 June 2024, where a host of filmmaking talent will be on hand to present the various awards. We're also delighted that actor, writer and director Susan Wokoma will join us to host this year's ceremony.

The 2024 Into Film Awards nominees are...

• Hit the film titles below to jump to and watch each film

Best Animation - 11 and Under (Sponsored by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, UK)

• Ein Dyfodol - Made by Gwennan, aged 11 - Aberystwyth, Wales
• Benjamin's Magical Kitchen Birds - Made by Benjamin, aged 8 - London, England
• Where Your Rubbish Goes - Made by Ibrahim, aged 11 - Surrey, England

Best Animation - 12 and Over (Sponsored by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, UK)

• Frog Flight - Made by Caireen Ferguson, aged 19 - Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland
• Unlucky Jim - Made by Ben Mullan, aged 18 - Bedford, England
• Branwen, Daughter of Llyr - Made by the whole of Year 8 from Pen y Dre High School - Merthyr, Wales

Best Documentary (Sponsored by IMDb)

• Puppet Back Up - Made by Maxwell, aged 17, from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College - Eastleigh, England
• Disconnected - Made by Safina, aged 17, from South Essex College - Southend-on-Sea, England
• The Adventures of Barry in Bradford - Made by Haris, Muhammad, Fatiha, Habeebah, all aged 10, from Feversham Primary Academy - Bradford, England

Best Film - 11 and Under (Sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios)

• Wand-erful Mischief - Made by Aaron, Lucas, Liam, and Cameron, all aged 11, from St Bernard's Primary School - Glasgow, Scotland
• Unseen - Made by twenty young people aged 9-11 from Whitehall Primary School - London, England
• Dyslexia and Me - Made by children from St. Luke's Church of England Primary School - Rugby, England

Best Film - 12-15 (Sponsored by Paramount Pictures)

• The Language of Cymraeg - Made by 16 young people aged 11-14 from Ysgol Bro Dinefwr - Carmarthenshire, Wales
• Saving Yourself (And the World) - Made by Indi, aged 14 - Waterlooville, England
• Cereal Killers - Made by 19 young people from St Colmcille's High School - Crossgar, Northern Ireland

Best Film - 16-19 (Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery)

• STOP - Made by Laquarn McQueen, aged 18, from Big Creative Academy Campus - London, England
• Battery - Made by 15 young people aged 16-19 from TAPE Community Music and Film and Ysgol Y Gogarth - Llandudno, Wales
• Birthday - Made by 10 young people aged 16-18 from 104 Projects - London, England

Time for Action (Sponsored by Swatch)

• Just Ignore It - Made by 11 young people aged 11-18 from My Pockets and Youth Aspire Connect - Hull, England
• Headphones - Made by Phoebe Young, aged 18 - Brighton, England
• Thinking Green - Made by 18 young people from Burnham Market Primary School - Norfolk, England

Filmmaking Champion (Sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd.)

• Paul Press from The Offshoot Foundation - East Anglia, England
  Paul started his film business, Offshoot Films, in 2007, which eventually grew into The Offshoot Foundation in 2015, which delivers film education and training to young people across the UK. Paul often works with disadvantaged young people from communities that might be struggling economically, or may be rural and have poor transport links, which would otherwise deprive them of reaching their full potential.

• Scottish Youth Film Foundation - Glasgow, Scotland
  The Scottish Youth Film Foundation evolved from the Scottish Youth Film Festival, which has been running since 2015. Over the past decade, they have been dedicated to making film more access to young people across Scotland, helping hundreds of individuals to be able to make their own films and tell their own stories. Their mission statement is to improve the life outcomes of young Scots through film.

• Cardiff Youth Service - Cardiff, Wales
  Cardiff Youth Service are part of Cardiff Council's Education department, and work with young people aged 11-25 to develop personal, social and educational development through a variety of opportunities, including filmmaking projects. They work with young people in a variety of settings, offering targeted support for those identified as vulnerable. They recognise that young people are able to express themselves through creativity, and have seen how filmmaking can allow young people to learn new skills, build relationships and improve their confidence.

Ones to Watch (EON Productions)

Each of our Ones to Watch nominees will receive a visit to Pinewood or Shepperton Studios and be invited to the Young BAFTA Showcase in November, while the overall winner will also receive £1000 prize money.

• Ben Mullan (aged 18) - Bedford, England
  Ben is a stop motion animator, with an ambition of working for Aardman Animations. Ben believes in the human element of filmmaking, noting that the hand-crafted nature of stop motion animation makes it both more fascinating and impactful. He aims to create original animations to generate discussions in an accessible way, and use the medium to tackle issues faced by young people today.
  "Into Film has played a huge part in encouraging me to keep making animations. Being nominated as 'One to Watch' makes all the hours spent animating worthwhile and inspires me to keep developing my stop motion skills." - Ben Mullan

• Riku Fryderyk (aged 13) - London, England
  Riku is interested in filming and editing, and also has a passion for transport, leading them to regularly create and post professional and polished transport-related videos on YouTube. Riku hopes to grow their YouTube platform to the point where transport companies approach them with filming opportunities. Impressively, Riku also became a published author at the age of 10, and has since gone on to complete their second novel, called Music to My Ears, which is now the longest fiction book published by a child in the world.
  "I would like to see more film production companies taking an example from Into Film, and opening up the profession to children, not only to participate as actors, but also as film crew." - Riku Fryderyk

• Evelyn Scott (aged 19) - Epsom, England
  Evelyn Scott is a filmmaker whose work showcases not only technical prowess but a unique artistic perspective. Having begun filmmaking back in high school, Evelyn went on to make award-winning film I Paint Flowers So They Will Not Die during her Foundation year at university, and won a place on a BFI Academy Filmmaking course. She is currently a member of UCL's Film Society, and her background studying History of Art lends an unmistakable artistic flair to her work.
  "My main ambition is to be part of a film that changes the way people see the world, much like the many films which have done this for me." - Evelyn Scott

• Tom Boyd-Hall (aged 18) - Amersham, England
  Tom is interested in directing, and believes that filmmaking should be provocative and challenging. Whether it's black comedy, horror or scathing satire, he believes film should make you feel uncomfortable - or at the very least, feel something. Tom believes that, with easy access to smart-devices and apps, the filmmakers of today are more dedicated and talented than ever, but is concerned that opportunities are dwindling. And so, as a filmmaker he's keen to champion more opportunities for young people, regardless of who they are, or where they come from.
  "In twenty years time, I want to be directing films that push audience members to the absolute limit of what they think they can handle as spectators, while still retaining some much needed humanity and emotion… cinema has so much to offer, so much unbridled potential, that I feel as though making anything pedestrian or safe is an absolute waste!" - Tom Boyd-Hall

Watch the 2024 Into Film Awards nominated films below...

Ein Dyfodol

Made by Gwennan, aged 11 - Aberystwyth, Wales

Note: this film is in the Welsh language. English subtitles are available using the [cc] button on the video player.

Concerned about the dangers our planet is facing, a climate-conscious hamster interviews several other animals - and Welsh mascot Mr Urdd - about their views on recycling, green energy, and more, in this entertaining Welsh-language stop motion animation.

Yn y ffilm hon, gwelwn fochdew bach sy'n poeni am ddyfodol ein planed yn cyfweld ag anifeiliaid eraill am eu pryderon nhw - mae hefyd yn cyfweld â Mr Urdd! Ymhlith y pwyntiau trafod yn yr animeiddiad Cymraeg yma mae ailgylchu, egni gwyrdd, newid hinsawdd, a mwy.

Benjamin's Magical Kitchen Birds

Made by Benjamin, aged 8 - London, England

This whimsical animation imagines what all sorts of regular kitchen items would look like if they magically became birds.

Where Your Rubbish Goes

Made by Ibrahim, aged 11 - Surrey, England

This LEGO-based stop motion animation demonstrates the disastrous results that can stem from a careless decision to not recycle something.

Frog Flight

Made by Caireen Ferguson, aged 19 - Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland

This touching, dialogue-free animation sees a young frog deciding he wants to fly like a bird, but when all of his attempts to take wing end in failure, it's up to his father to decide whether to help make his son's risky dream come true or not.

Unlucky Jim

Made by Ben Mullan, aged 18 - Bedford, England

This impressive stop motion animation sees the titular Jim crossing paths with a black cat - unlucky for some! - and proceeding to have a very unfortunate day, as hilarious slapstick incidents ensue.

Branwen, Daughter of Llyr

Made by the whole of Year 8 from Pen y Dre High School - Merthyr, Wales

This strikingly animated film tells one of the tales from The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, thought to be the earliest prose stories in the literature of Britain. Told in Welsh, the tale sees a princess being wed into an unhappy marriage, which results in a great battle - complete with giants, magical cauldrons, and sword-wielding skeletons.

Mae'r animeiddiad trawiadol hwn yn adrodd stori Branwen Ferch Llyr, un o geinciau mwya adnabyddus y Mabinogi; sef y straeon a chwedlau hynaf yn hanes llenyddiaeth Prydain. Wedi'i thraddodi yn y Gymraeg, dyma ffilm sy'n llawn tensiwn, cawr mawr blin, hud a lledrith a sgerbydau dychrynllyd.

Puppet Back Up

Made by Barton Peveril Sixth Form College - Eastleigh, England

This documentary introduces us to Lizzie and Les, two artists who create interactive giant puppet shows in the streets of Southampton in order to create conversations about climate issues in a more accessible way for young people.

Disconnected

Made by Safina, aged 17, from South Essex College - Southend-on-Sea, England

In this thoughtful documentary, a Gen Z teenager takes it upon herself to delete her social media apps, exploring how they are deliberately designed to keep us addicted, and pondering how reducing her screen time might affect her mental wellbeing. This includes interviewing her fellow classmates, and her older sister - a professional social media influencer.

The Adventures of Barry in Bradford

Made by Haris, Muhammad, Fatiha, Habeebah, all aged 10, from Feversham Primary Academy - Bradford, England

This documentary takes a look at the city of Braford,exploring its history, culture and heritage, andwhy it has been chosen as the UK City of Culture for 2025. And why is all ofthis being relayed by a sheep named Barry? You'll have to watch to find out!

Wand-erful Mischief

Made by Aaron, Lucas, Liam, and Cameron, all aged 11, from St Bernard's Primary School - Glasgow, Scotland

Two boys sneak into school one night, only to discover a magic wand, which leads to all sorts of mischief in this fun fantasy that's presented with spectacular special effects (and a few very game performances from the filmmakers' teachers).

Unseen

Made by twenty young people aged 9-11 from Whitehall Primary School - London, England

This affecting and cleverly constructed drama follows a young girl who joins a new school, only to struggle to make new friends. That is, until one boy makes the effort to reach out. However, all is not quite what it seems...

Dyslexia and Me

Made by children from St. Luke's Church of England Primary School - Rugby, England

This hugely creative film melds animation, documentary and drama and uses an array of dazzling techniques to explore the topic of dyslexia, and the difficulties it can pose to young learners.

The Language of Cymraeg

Made by 16 young people aged 11-14 from Ysgol Bro Dinefwr - Carmarthenshire, Wales

Filled with amusing recreations, this film sees a classroom in Wales being taught about the history of the Welsh language, covering everything from Henry VIII's attempts to ban it, to those who have fought to keep it alive and give the language more prominence in the modern era.

Mae'r ffilm hon yn cyflwyno ac yn ail-greu digwyddiadau allweddol yn hanes yr Iaith Gymraeg mewn dull difyr a diddorol. Dewch am daith yn ôl i'r gorffennol i ddysgu am ymgais Harri VIII i wahardd yr iaith ac i glywed am ymdrechion arwyr cyfoes sydd wedi brwydro'n galed i gadw'r iaith yn fyw. 

Saving Yourself (And the World)

Made by Indi, aged 14 - Waterlooville, England

In this one-man sci-fi extravaganza, a young boy is trying to enjoy a quiet morning, only to be interrupted by his future self, who has come back in time to save him from a nefarious villain!

Cereal Killers

Made by 19 young people from St Colmcille's High School - Crossgar, Northern Ireland

Tired of being munched on by an ungrateful Breakfast Club, one school's cereal boxes come to life and turn the tables. Can the school's security forces save the day?

STOP

Made by Laquarn McQueen, aged 18, from Big Creative Academy Campus - London, England

In this creepy horror, two youngsters decide to explore a supposedly haunted house, only to get far more than they bargained for.

Battery

Made by 15 young people aged 16-19 from TAPE Community Music and Film and Ysgol Y Gogarth - Llandudno, Wales

This inventive film explores anxiety and loneliness via the idea of a person's "social battery", putting an all-too literal spin on the concept, as one young man struggles to find the connection that will keep him going as his battery depletes.

Birthday

Made by 10 young people aged 16-18 from 104 Projects - London, England

In this measured, thoughtful drama, a girl from a fractured family is haunted by the absence of her mother as her birthday comes around.

Just Ignore It

Made by 11 young people aged 11-18 from My Pockets and Youth Aspire Connect - Hull, England

This hard-hitting and honest animation recounts true stories of racism experienced by young people and their families, and sets out some simple advice and guidance for how we can all help tackle racist behaviour when we encounter it.

Headphones

Made by Phoebe Young, aged 18 - Brighton, England

This film aims to develop empathy by highlighting the way people can experience the same things in drastically different ways, as an autistic girl loses access to her headphones, and struggles with anxiety and sensory overload throughout an otherwise ordinary day.

Thinking Green

Made by 18 young people from Burnham Market Primary School - Norfolk, England

An enthusiastic and funny call to arms in support of phasing out fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy sources, which aims to make everyone's first association with the word ‘green' be ‘green energy'.