Crossgar Pupils Celebrate Remarkable Hat-Trick at Into Film Awards 2026

Pupils from St Colmcille’s High School in Crossgar, County Down, are celebrating a remarkable third consecutive victory at the prestigious Into Film Awards after winning the Best Film (12–15) category for their heartwarming short film, Dog Days – The Final Whistle.

The award, sponsored by Paramount, was presented by Industry and The Long Walk star David Jonsson at a star-studded ceremony hosted by former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in London today (Tuesday 16 June 2026).

Five pupils represented the school at the award ceremony, which brought together leading figures from across the UK film industry to celebrate the next generation of filmmaking talent.

The glittering ceremony included a host of celebrities including Mission: Impossible and Captain America star Hayley Atwell, Shaun of the Dead actor Nick Frost, Doctor Who stars Jodie Whittaker and Peter Capaldi, Harry Potter and The White Lotus actor Jason Isaacs, Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey and Mitchell Robertson, who recently starred in Half Man as the young Niall Kennedy.

The win completes an unprecedented hat-trick for the school, following their Audience Choice Award in 2024 and their Filmmaking Champions Award in 2025. Winning in three very different categories shows the breadth of talent, creativity and dedication within the school’s filmmaking programme.

Created by 23 Year 8 pupils, Dog Days – The Final Whistle tells the story of a young boy determined to save his beloved dog after learning the animal requires costly medical treatment. When a long-kick football competition offering a £10,000 prize is announced, he sees a chance to help—but only if he can overcome his fears and succeed.

The pupils combined their passions for Gaelic football and animals to create the sports comedy, with four-legged star Marley quickly becoming a favourite among students and staff during filming.

Sean Kelly, Northern Ireland Programme Lead at Into Film, said: “Congratulations to the talented young filmmakers from St Colmcille’s High School on this outstanding achievement. Winning an Into Film Award is a remarkable accomplishment, and to do so for three consecutive years speaks volumes about the creativity, dedication and storytelling talent within the school. Their film captured audiences with its warmth, humour and heart, and they should be immensely proud of what they have achieved.”

St Colmcille’s High School Principal Seamus Hanna told the audience: “It’s important that the children dream dreams. II’s important that the children get the opportunity to share their creativity, and in a world that has become so negative and so damning on young people, it’s great that they can express themselves in such a positive way.”

Pupil Olivia, 12, addressed the huge auditorium. “Thank you for this award. We worked hard for it and want to thank you all.”

The school introduced filmmaking into the classroom following the Covid-19 pandemic as a way of re-engaging pupils after prolonged periods of isolation. Since then, film has become a cornerstone of school life, with Year 8 and 9 pupils producing original films each year and celebrating their achievements at an annual Oscar-style awards ceremony.

The programme has delivered significant educational benefits, helping pupils develop teamwork, communication, literacy, digital and creative skills while encouraging confidence and self-expression. Its success has also led to wider recognition, with the school recently receiving a nomination for the ICT Excellence Awards.

Organised by Into Film, the annual awards are made possible through the support of the UK screen industry, including Amazon MGM Studios, EON Productions, IMDb, Lucasfilm Ltd, Odeon, Paramount, Pinewood Studios, Shepperton Studios, Swatch, Universal Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery, Working Title Films and 72 Films. Into Film is supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding.

For more information, visit www.intofilm.org/awards.