Into Film Awards confirm 2025 nominees

And the nominees are:

BEST ANIMATION – 5-11 (Sponsored by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, UK)

Cae yr Arth (Cae the Bear)

Made by a class of 30 young people aged 9-10 from Caedraw Primary School – Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Feeling disillusioned by life in a bustling city, a kindly bear stumbles upon a rare piece of nature, and decides to try and help it flourish. But despite his best efforts, the big city may not be the right environment…

Offline Virus

Made by Dulcie-Bella, aged 11 – Banbury, England

Animated in a striking Japanese-influenced manga style, this vibrant music video shows a social media-obsessed girl losing all of her colour and vitality as she spends too much time online.

The Wellington Cobbler and Wrekin Giant

Made by 23 young people aged 8-11 from the film club at Meadows Primary School and Nursery – Ketley, England

Visible from their own film club window, this stop motion animation depicts the myth of how The Wrekin, a famous hill in Shropshire, was supposedly formed, by way of a clever shoe repairman and a fiendish giant…

BEST ANIMATION – 12-19 (Sponsored by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, UK)

And Then What?

Made by Evie, aged 18 – Croydon, England

Created with animation software Blender, this short 3D animation is a cautionary tale about pervasive social media and the risk of jumping to conclusions, as two friends discuss a classic case of crossed wires.

Animated Voices

Made by 10 young people aged 13-14 working with Gritty Realism Productions – Cardiff, Wales

Made by young people living in Cardiff that hail from ethnic minority backgrounds, this animation sees them exploring their personal experiences of life in the UK, in their own words, and using their own animation.

Mouse House

Made by Katie, aged 16, from Pate’s Grammar School – Cheltenham, England

In this charming stop motion animation for all ages, a family of mice set out for a local allotment in search of food, only to return home and find that one of their number has been left behind to fend for himself. Will he ever make it back home to the Mouse House?

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Sponsored by IMDb)

The Freedom of the Sea

Made by Rosie, age 17, from Varndean College – Brighton, England

Having emigrated in the wake of the Iranian revolution in the 1970s, one family – now long-settled in Brighton – discuss the difficult decision to leave their home, and the way being able to swim in the sea together is a perfect encapsulation of the freedom they found in the UK.

Kicking through Transition

Made by Indy, aged 15 – Woking, England

A teenager named Indy reminisces about his decision to come out as trans, and how that decision went on to affect his passion for playing football and his love of the beautiful game.

Mariupol

Made by Daria Savchenko, aged 18, from Gower College – Swansea, Wales

This affecting documentary sees one woman recounting her harrowing experiences in Mariupol, Ukraine, as the Russian invasion unexpectedly turned her life upside down. And though she’s now settled in Swansea, Wales, her testimony demonstrates the extreme and enduring trauma that many survivors continue to face.

TIME FOR ACTION (Sponsored by Swatch)

Can we talk about Mental Health

Made by 8 young people aged 16-19 from Citadel Youth Centre – Edinburgh, Scotland

This call to action utilises many different kinds of animation to highlight not only the mental health struggles that many young people face, but to also address the systemic difficulties that exist in trying to access support. In the young people’s own voices this is a direct plea asking all of us, from teachers to government ministers, to do better.

Severn Wild

Made by 18 young people aged 16-19 working with MediaActive Projects and BFI Film Academy – Wem, England

This lyrical film is an impassioned plea to protect our country’s rivers, using beautiful animation, historical materials, and a poetic script to detail the far-reaching and catastrophic effects that humanity and civilisation have had on the River Severn, but also highlighting hopeful plans to restore the river and return it to a more natural state.

Tipping Point

Made by Araminta, aged 16 – Conwy, Wales

A short film that nevertheless packs a mighty punch, this is a stark wake-up call for anyone who’s ever found themselves spending hours mindlessly scrolling on their phone; a film with a vital message, urging and reminding us all to live our lives to the fullest.

BEST FILM – 5-11 (Sponsored by Working Title Films)

Ballet d’Or

Made by Fletcher, aged 11, and Jude, aged 9 – Newcastle, England

Eight-year-old Frankie finds himself caught between two passions when he contemplates quitting ballet to focus on football, until he makes a surprising discovery about his football coach that changes everything.

S.I. – Superficial Intelligence

Made by 20 young people aged 10-11 from Burnham Market Primary School – Burnham Market, England

Worried by the amount of homework they’ve been given, two children build their own deep thinking artificial intelligence robot named S.I. to complete all their homework for them. However, the more S.I. learns, the more out of control it seems to become…

Ynyr yr Ysbryd (Ynyr the Ghost)

Made by Briall (aged 10), Celt (10), Elai (9) and Fflur (10), from Clwb Ffilm Dyffryn Nantlle – Penygroes, Wales

When a young boy named Ynyr wakes up as a ghost, he finds that the experience isn’t as fun as he might have imagined. And when he’s interviewed for the local news channel about his lonely new existence, he draws the attention of the Council of Ghosts… can they help him find his place? 

BEST FILM – 12-15 (Sponsored by Paramount Pictures)

Daydreaming

Made by 24 young people aged 11-14 from Sawston Village College – Cambridge, England

Seemingly caught daydreaming in their classes, we see the inner thoughts of three pupils. Between a meeting with artist Frida Kahlo, an encounter with Isaac Newton, and even a trip back in time to the Battle of Hastings, it’s clear that vacant looks and blank faces in the classroom may not always be telling the whole story!

Superhero School

Made by 11 young people aged 12-13 from Park School – Belfast, Northern Ireland

In a school for superheroes, the rivalry between Speedy and Quicklight usually ends with Speedy in front. However, that all changes when Quicklight steals Speedy’s superpowered trainers. Can the class of colourful heroes band together to help Speedy regain his powers?

Vacation

Made by Indi, aged 15 – Waterlooville, England

Bored out of his mind, a teenage boy finds himself captivated by a mysterious new video game. As he becomes increasingly hooked, he finds that eating, hygiene, and all other aspects of life simply fade away, until a concerned neighbour finally comes to check on him. But not all is as it seems…

BEST FILM – 16-19 (Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery)

Beware the Zoomies: An Unsolved Mystery

Made by Araminta, Cole, Micah, and Ethan – Conwy, Wales

In this pitch-perfect and very funny documentary pastiche, one poor girl’s unfortunate case of ‘the zoomies’ is explored by a doctor, her two long-suffering friends, and the uncontrollably energetic victim herself.

Come Inside

Made by 9 filmmakers aged 17-19 from Screen Education Edinburgh – Edinburgh, Scotland

In this deeply affecting drama, a young woman named Mia tries her best to take her of ailing father, who is suffering from early-onset dementia, his memory and mental faculties diminishing by the day.

No Dice

Made by Grace Holt, aged 19, from Wales High School – Sheffield, England

Four people of a certain age embark on an epic fantasy adventure by virtue of a role playing board game in this hilarious comedy that makes great use of special effects, and shows that there’s no age limit on having fun.

BEST STORY (Sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios)

Nominees in this category were selected from among all of the films submitted to this year’s Into Film Awards, across all categories

Deadlines

Made by Ben Melocha, aged 19 – Leicester, England

As the work piles up, a put-upon office worker lashes out and discovers something sinister and unsettling about her office computer. This smart, David Cronenberg-inspired horror taps into modern insecurities around AI and the replaceability of humans in the face of ever-advancing machines, as well as commenting on the faceless, sterile nature of some corporate jobs, and the mental health struggles that can arise when the pressures of work become overwhelming.

More Than One Way to Go Home

Made by Edward, aged 14 – Sanquhar, Scotland

Inspired by the filmmaker’s own personal experiences, this film follows a young autistic girl, who has to find her own way home when her brother leaves her to fend for herself. A well shot film that conveys some of the difficulties that autistic people can face, and demonstrates how the right support can be key to overcoming those challenges.

Tragicake

Made by a group of 10 young people aged 18-19 from the BFI Film Academy – Holywood, Northern Ireland

On her 18th birthday, a girl sets out to bake the perfect birthday cake. However, a past baking misadventure hangs heavy on her shoulders and comes back to haunt her in unexpected ways. Can she overcome her baking demons? It is a funny, smartly made film with a lovely story about perseverance and putting past mistakes behind us.

Ones to Watch and Filmmaking Champions on the next page…