Best Film Review: A new category at the Into Film Awards

Entries for the Into Film Awards 2026 opened back in October, and we've already had a raft of entries submitted. And this year we're pleased to announce a brand new category - Best Film Review!

We haven't run a review writing category at the Into Film Awards for a number of years now, and we're delighted to once again be recognising what we know is a hugely popular activity for young people of all ages.

Writing critical reviews of films is a fantastic means of improving young people's writing skills, freeing them to flex their literacy muscles in a way that's fun and focuses on creativity, rather than prose perfection. Review writing helps young people to develop a unique voice of their own, and gives them the chance to add a new dimension to their film watching.

Hearing an explanation of the plot is one thing, but what we'd really like young people to consider is why they liked a film - or didn't! How did the film make them feel? What was good about it, what was bad? How would they have improved the film? Those are the elements that we're looking for in Best Film Review!

All you need to enter the Into Film Awards is a free Into Film Account. Simply visit our submissions platform and follow the instructions. If you don't already have an Account, you'll be prompted to create one - don't worry, it only takes a moment!

Please note: You must be aged 20 years or over to submit an entry to the Into Film Awards. If you are aged 19 or under, please ask a parent, guardian, or educator to submit your entry. All young people aged 18 and under who have been involved in the making of a film must have a signed consent form. You can use this Contributor Release Form template to gather permissions. Read our full terms and conditions for entry.

The closing date for entries is 12:00pm on Monday 23 February 2026.

Entry Criteria for Best Film Review

Representatives from Into Film will select three reviews to nominate in this category that demonstrate some combination of strong writing skills, a good understanding of film, balanced arguments, and a writing style that simply demands to be heard.

Reviews must be of a film rated 15 or below (no 18-rated films) and can be of any type of film - short, documentary, or feature; old or new - as long as the film in question is appropriate to the author's age. We will not consider any entry where the age rating of the film exceeds that of the reviewer.

Reviews should be no longer than 300 words in length.

Remember: we want to hear what you thought of the film, so don't just recite the plot, and avoid discussing the ending or giving away big twists or reveals. Good reviews don't include spoilers.

Reviews will be judged across a combination of the following areas:

• Opinion - the review successfully conveys the author's opinion of the film
• Argument - the review successfully backs up the author's opinion with a convincing argument
• Balance - the review acknowledges both positive and negative aspects of the film
• Prose - the quality of the writing will be taken into consideration, but entrants will not be penalised due to spelling mistakes or typos.
• Flair - the review showcases the unique voice of the author

As this category is open to a wide age-range, we will take the age of the author into consideration when judging to ensure that all entrants have a fair chance of being nominated. Entries do not have to meet every aspect of the criteria above to be successful. Entries will be judged on originality and creative voice, and, where appropriate to do so, against learning goals set out in UK curricula.

In order to be shortlisted for the judges' consideration, entrants must meet the following criteria:

• Authors must be aged between 5 and 19 years at the time of submitting their review
• The review should be no longer than 300 words in total
• No AI should be used in the writing of reviews - we want to hear young people's own voices!
• Only one review should be submitted per young person we only want to see their very best work!

Appropriate content

• The film reviewed must be an appropriate certificate for the age of the author
• Do not use swearing or bad language in your reviews
• Do not spoil the ending or major twists or reveals from the film
• Reviews should not include anything that can identify the author

The Into Film Awards 2026 will take place on Tuesday 16 June 2026, at London's iconic ODEON Luxe Leicester Square. This year's host and presenters will be announced in due course, and the ceremony will once again celebrate the best and brightest young filmmaking talent from across the UK, as well as those who have supported and facilitated their endeavours.

Visit our main Into Film Awards page to find more about the rest of this year's categories and to check out previous winners and highlights from last year's ceremony.