Ready, set, journal!
This summer PQA is challenging YOU to make a short film about the personal moments in your life.
The theme behind this year’s competition is mindfulness. Mindfulness is about being present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, body, and world around you. It means noticing these things without judgment and accepting them as they come.
Journalling, writing down your thoughts and feelings, is a way for you to connect with yourself and this competition challenges you to create a short video journal.
This competition is open to all young people (18 or under), both non-PQA students and PQA students!
PRIZES
Two winners (one under 12 years old and one 12 and over winner) will receive a £100 voucher of their choice. 4 Runner-Ups will receive a £20 cinema voucher for the cinema of their choice . The 2 winners and 4 runner-up films will screen at the PQA Film Festival 2025 (either Sheffield or London), in November where they will receive their prize and award!
RULES
The deadline for entries is 31st August 2025.
Films should have one main filmmaker.
The main filmmaker should be the person who the film is about.
Your film should be between 30 and 60 seconds long.
Your film can be live action or animated or a combination of both.
Your film should contain a voiceover spoken by you (the filmmaker).
All entrants must be 18 or under by the date of the deadline.
You do not need to be a PQA student.
You must give your film a title, for example, “Why I Dance”.
Films do not require credits, but if you choose to, you must only include your first name.
HOW TO ENTER
Completed films should be emailed to filmandtv@pqacademy.com by a parent/guardian.
Parents/guardians should include the following in their email: the first name of the filmmaker, their age (this will not be made public), and the location of the academy they attend if they are a PQA student (this information does not impact the judges and is collected for internal engagement monitoring purposes only).
Please download the competition guide at the link below and read through the whole document before getting started!