Into Film Awards

The Into Film Awards is our flagship celebration of young filmmaking talent, offering a platform for 5-19 year-olds from across the UK to express their creativity and tell the stories that matter to them. Winning an Award can be just the first step on an incredible journey into the world of film and beyond.

Entries for this year's Into Film Awards are now open, with a range of categories celebrating live action, animation and documentary filmmaking, as well as our returning Ones to Watch and Filmmaking Champions awards - plus a brand new category you can find out more about below!

All you need to enter the Into Film Awards is a free Into Film Account. Simply visit our submissions platform and follow the instructions. If you don't already have an Account, you'll be prompted to create one - don't worry, it only takes a moment!

Please note: You must be aged 20 years or over to submit an entry to the Into Film Awards. If you are aged 19 or under, please ask a parent, guardian, or educator to submit your entry. All young people aged 18 and under who have been involved in the making of a film must have a signed consent form. You can use this Contributor Release Form template to gather permissions. Read our full terms and conditions for entry.

The closing date for entries is 12:00pm on Monday 23 February 2026.

The Into Film Awards 2026

The Into Film Awards 2026 will take place on Tuesday 16 July 2026, at London's iconic ODEON Luxe Leicester Square. This year's host and presenters will be announced in due course, and the ceremony will once again celebrate the best and brightest young filmmaking talent from across the UK, as well as those who have supported and facilitated their endeavours.

The Categories

This year's Into Film Awards features 12 categories, including several long-time favourites, and the return of Time for Action, which asks 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 Best Story award is also back, giving every film submitted to the Into Film Awards a second chance at being nominated. You can't enter this category directly, but our expert judges will look to honour the submitted films that boast creative plots, engaging characters and innovative ways of telling a story, regardless of technical or other considerations.

This year we're also excited to announce a brand new category - Innovation in Filmmaking. This new award will recognise young filmmakers who aren't afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of visual storytelling. It celebrates experimentation, imagination, and bold use of technology, whether through use of immersive and interactive storytelling, striking use of VFX, or imaginative soundscapes. We're looking to celebrate those who harness technology and creativity in new ways to transform how audiences connect with film.

This year's categories in full are:

• Best Animation: 5-11
• Best Animation: 12-19
• Best Documentary
• Best Film: 5-11
• Best Film: 12-15
• Best Film: 16-19
• Innovation in Filmmaking
• Time for Action
• Ones to Watch
• Filmmaking Champions
• Audience Choice*
• Best Story**

* This category is a public vote via social media, and does not open until we have this year's nominees. We'll share more information after entries close in February 2026.

** Nominees in this category will be selected from across all of the films submitted to other filmmaking categories - you cannot enter this category directly.

Visit the page below for full entry criteria for each category, or dive straight in and get your entry started.

Filmmaking resources

If you're keen to support young people making a short film, we've got plenty of resources across all age ranges that can provide a simple and easy jumping-off point. Plus, our ongoing Film of the Month competition is another fantastic way for young people to get their films celebrated.

Our mini filmmaking guides explain every stage of the film production process, from development to distribution, whereas Six Sessions from Story to Screen gives a clear structure on how to make a film in half a term. Get Into Animation is also divided into six sessions, but focuses on the unique nature of the animation process. Finally, our Making a Wellbeing Film resource can help older filmmakers to shape their thoughts on sensitive and impactful topics, while Our Climate Documentary can help produce a climate-focused documentary film.

Previous winners

The 2025 Into Film Awards saw 11 awards presented to some of the UK's most remarkable and creative young filmmakers. A whole host of screen industry stars joined us to hand out the awards, with big name presenters including actors Hugh Grant, Olivia Cooke, Andy Serkis and Lennie James, and directors Gurinder Chadha and Sally El-Hosaini.

For many of our young nominees, who travelled from all corners of the UK to walk the same legendary red carpet as countless film stars have over the years, this was the experience of a lifetime. And with winning films tackling issues as diverse as the rise of AI, the experiences of migrants settled in the UK, mobile phone addiction and the pitfalls of social media, autism and ASD, and the importance of our natural world, the Into Film Awards was a celebration not only of our nominees' remarkable talents, but also of the incredible, transformative power of film and filmmaking at large.

Plus, you can check out the highlights video below to get a sense of what a special day the Into Film Awards ceremony can be.