The winners of the 16th annual Childnet Film Competition were announced last week at the Disney offices in Hammersmith, continuing our long-standing support for Childnet International and their mission to help young people navigate the digital world safely and with confidence.
The competition received entries from many talented young people across the UK, who embraced the challenge of creating short films on the theme of “How can we support each other against online scams?”
Charlotte Tudor, Vice President, Marketing, Disney & Animation, Walt Disney Studios UK & EMEA was on the judging panel of experts. She commented: “The Childnet Film Competition shows how powerful young voices can be and reminds us that storytelling can help us all see the world in new ways. At Disney, we’re committed to supporting initiatives that help create a more positive and secure digital world, and the finalists do an excellent job of educating and empowering their peers to better protect themselves online.”
Sandown School in Hastings came first in the Primary category of 7-11 year old entrants, with their film “Stop, Think…”. Based around a news story, this film follows a group of Digital Leaders with a mission to stop others from being scammed online. Finalists in the Primary category also include Sir Donald Bailey Academy and North Allerdale Development Trust.
St Peter’s Catholic School in Guildford placed first in the Secondary category of 11-18 year old entrants, with their film “This is not your fault”. This film shows the emotional impact of a scam through powerful music and camera shots. Finalists in the Secondary category also include Wolverhampton Girls’ High School and Milton Abbey School.
Will Gardner OBE, CEO of Childnet and Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, commented: “A huge congratulations to all winners, finalists, and entrants of this year’s competition. The young people taking part have risen to the challenge and created amazing, original, and powerful films that can serve to help protect other young people from online scams. These films show off both their creativity and the power of their voice.”
The audience at the event included The Children’s Commissioner for England and representatives from government, industry, charities, and the wider online safety space. The Judging panel featured leading experts from Bafta, the BBC, the British Board of Film Classification, Disney, and the Motion Picture Association.
The films are available to watch at www.childnet.com/what-we-do/our-projects/childnet-film-competition-2025/2025-film-competition-winners