'No Dice' wins Best Film - 16-19

Congratulations to Grace Holt, aged 19, from Wales High School in Sheffield, England, whose film No Dice has won Best Film - 16-19 (sponsored by Warner Bros. Discover) at the 2025 Into Film Awards. The award was presented by Olivia Cooke.

Grace is a first-time filmmaker and her film was produced as part her A-Level Film Studies coursework. She wanted to use the project to subvert representations of older people on screen whilst exploring her interest in the fantasy genre.

In Grace's film, four people of a certain age embark on an epic fantasy adventure by way of a role playing game, making for a hilarious comedy that makes great use of special effects, and shows that there's no age limit on having fun.

"My love of Dungeons and Dragons is largely what inspired this film", explained Grace. "It's the kind of game that allows you to be someone different and do things you'd never normally do, so why should older characters in fantasy be restricted to being wise old sages? Why can't they be brawlers? What's stopping them from flirting with the enemy? I wanted to poke fun at fantasy conventions a little."

"One thing that was nerve-wracking about making the film was that I had chosen actors with much more life experience than me. Suddenly, I was having to direct them and make them say really silly-sounding lines, when they've been acting for years doing much more serious stuff. They probably thought what we were making was incredibly stupid - but that was the whole idea. What's the point of even making art if we can't make fun, embarrassing things every once in a while?"

"Receiving this feels genuinely surreal", said Grace upon learning of her nomination. "I've loved the arts ever since I was a kid, and I always dreamed of being recognised for some kind of artistic achievement. I wanted - and still want - to be the kind of creative that inspires others."

"Film is such a life-changing storytelling medium to me", Grace continued. "I can often see myself within the characters, and the fact it's an avenue to present unconventional stories is such a powerful thing. The fact that my film has been selected out of hundreds feels so unbelievable and incredible, knowing that there are so many talented young people out there. All I've ever heard about the film industry is that it's so hard to break into, so even just having my name out there already is a dream come true. It fills me with hope that if I keep making things I'm passionate about, those efforts will be noticed."