PLEASE NOTE: THE COMPETITION IS ONLY OPEN TO YOUNG FILMMAKERS AGED 25 AND UNDER FROM OR LIVING IN THE UK AND IRELAND.
Cinemagic is looking for imaginative and original films made by young people to be screened as part of CINEMAGIC YOUNG FILMMAKER 2026. The films can be about anything at all! Fact or fiction, comedy or drama, news programme, music video or documentary.
CINEMAGIC YOUNG FILMMAKER 2026 will take place during the CINEMAGIC BELFAST FESTIVAL in October. The event will showcase the best short film entries of the year and we will also be producing a series of workshops and master classes with renowned members of the film and TV industry. A prize voucher, physical award and certificate will be awarded to the Young Filmmaker of the Year in each award category – the winning entries will also be screened ‘IN COMPETITION’ during the CINEMAGIC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE in 2027.
Running for 37 years Cinemagic Young Filmmaker has many well-known alumni including – Michael Lennox (Derry Girls), William McGregor (Gwen, His Dark Materials, The Missing, Poldark), Ryan Tohill (The Dig), Andrew Tohill (The Dig), Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground, Evil Dead Rise).
Please enter via our Young Filmmaker page on FilmFreeway (use button above).
Alternatively, you can enter by emailing an online screening link to your film along with a completed entry form to chris@cinemagic.org.uk
PLEASE NOTE: THE COMPETITION IS ONLY OPEN TO YOUNG FILMMAKERS AGED 25 AND UNDER FROM OR LIVING IN THE UK AND IRELAND.
FILMS ARE TO BE NO LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES.
For more information contact Chris Shaw: chris@cinemagic.org.uk
DRAMA Young Filmmaker of the Year
Winner: Lady Macbeth Was Never A Girl
Dir: Francesca McBride
Highly Commended: The Parents And Their Children
Dir: Angus Hayden
Highly Commended: Nothing Gold Can Stay
Dir: Matthew Lythgoe
FANTASTICAL Young Filmmaker of the Year
Winner: After The Rain
Dir: Roshan Balu
Highly Commended: We Dream In Colour.
Dir: Kane Wilson
Highly Commended: Drift
Dir: Samuel Cheshire & Benedict Hutchinson
ANIMATION Young Filmmaker of the Year
Winner: Dance Of The Spirits
Dir: Andreea-Lorena Florea
Highly Commended: Kova’s Courage
Dir: Anika O’Hagan-Ploug & Aisling Wallace
Highly Commended: MRI
Dir: Dougal Vecqueray
EXPERIMENTAL Young Filmmaker of the Year
Winner: Virus
Dir: Rancho Zhu
Highly Commended: Barren
Dir: Freya Marshall, Adrian McDonnell & Jemima Durden
Highly Commended: Tele’vision’
Dir: Joshua Savage
DOCUMENTARY Young Filmmaker of the Year
Winner: Trad
Dir: John McGarry & Neive McAlpin
Highly Commended: Other
Dir: Fionn Bowes
Highly Commended: Share The Pulse
Dir: Siana Chana
