Into Film Awards 2025 award winners revealed

The Awards celebrate not only emerging talent, but the power of film to expand opportunities and drive the future of our world-leading creative industries…

The UK’s film future was centre stage this afternoon as Into Film, the UK’s leading charity for film in education, announced the winners of the 2025 Into Film Awards at a star-studded ceremony at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square. Hosted by actor, presenter and author Rose Ayling-Ellis MBE, the event honoured the most inspiring and original short films created by young people aged 5–19 from across the UK.

Eric Fellner, Into Film Trustee and Co-Chairman of Working Title Films:

“The UK has long been recognised as having one of the world’s most respected and influential creative industries in film. To protect and grow that legacy, we must invest in young people from every background and every part of the UK. Supporting education through film is vital—not only to inspire creativity and develop skills, but to ensure the future of our industry reflects the rich diversity and talent across the four nations.”

With support from across the UK film industry, this year’s ceremony was attended by industry heavyweights and celebrated acting talent including Hugh Grant, Eiza Gonzalez, Andy Serkis, Sharon Horgan, James Norton, Elizabeth McGovern, Lennie James, Olivia Cooke, Gurinder Chadha, Sally El Hosaini not to mention, Into Film trustees Barbara Broccoli, Eric Fellner, Col Needham and Nira Park among others, reflecting the deep commitment the sector has to nurturing the next wave of storytellers.

The nominated films addressed bold and pressing topics such as mental health, AI, neurodivergence, multiculturalism, identity, and the pitfalls of social media – powerful themes tackled with extraordinary authenticity and creativity by young voices whose perspectives are often underrepresented.

Throughout the afternoon, the Into Film Awards recognised young people across 11 filmmaking categories: Best Animation (age 5-11, 12-19); Best Documentary; Best Film (5-11, 12-15, 16-19); Best Story; Filmmaking Champion; Time For Action; Audience Choice and Ones to Watch.

The Into Film Awards, which  serve as a vital platform for nurturing emerging UK talent, are made possible thanks to the invaluable support of its sponsors including: IMDb; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Swatch; Working Title Films; Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros Discovery; Amazon MGM Studios; Universal Pictures International; EON Productions and Lucas Film Ltd.

Rose Ayling-Ellis, Barbara Broccoli and Fiona Evans / Into Film Awards

Into Film Trustees including Barbara Broccoli, Eric Fellner and Anne Mensah, whose careers have shaped modern British cinema, continue to champion Into Film’s mission to open the doors of the industry to all.

Fiona Evans, CEO of Into Film:

“The Into Film Awards wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of our invaluable sponsors, the UK film industry. Their commitment allows us to provide real opportunities for young people to share their stories, develop their creativity and provide them with career pathways into the industry. These Awards are both a celebration of their talent and a clear statement of intent: that the UK film industry values, nurtures and believes in the voices of the next generation.”

Into Film’s reach and impact are unmatched: working with over 10,000 schools, colleges, and youth groups across the UK through a programme of year-round activities, including the annual Into Film Festival  and Into Film Awards, education resources, in-school events and access to its pioneering schools streaming platform, Into Film+, the charity embeds film into education to foster literacy, empathy, and engagement.

With high-profile ambassadors including Sir Kenneth Branagh; Lashana Lynch; Eddie Redmayne; Jack Lowden; Amma Asante; Lynwen Brennan and Jamie Dornan, Into Film continues to bridge the gap between classroom and cinema and champions the next generation of film industry talent from every corner of the UK. As the UK screen sector continues to grow – valued at over £6 billion to the economy annually -initiatives like the Into Film Awards play a critical role in building a more accessible, inclusive, and dynamic industry.

Into Film is supported by the BFI awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen. www.intofilm.org

Into Film Award host, Rose Ayling-Ellis:

“I am really honoured to be the 2025 Into Film Awards host and I am so impressed with the creativity and brilliance of all the young people involved. The standard of the nominated films is extraordinarily high and just shows how important it is to give young people a voice through filmmaking.”

To see the full list of winners and watch the winning films: www.intofilm.org/Winners25