Pupils from St Colmcille’s High School in Crossgar are preparing to walk the red carpet in London’s West End this June.
That’s because the local school is celebrating a third consecutive nomination for the prestigious Into Film Awards.
And following back-to-back successes in previous years, they are hoping to make it three wins in a row.
In 2024, students received the Best Film (12–15) award, presented by Jamie Dornan, and in 2025 they were honoured with the Filmmaking Champions Award by Elizabeth McGovern.
This year, they are nominated once again in the Best Film (12–15) category for their short film, ‘Dog Days – The Final Whistle’.
Created by 23 Year 8 pupils, this heartwarming sports comedy tells the story of a young boy devastated to learn his dog is seriously ill and in need of expensive treatment.
When a long-kick football competition, offering a £10,000 prize, returns, he sees a rare opportunity to save his beloved pet — if he can summon the courage to succeed.
The children were determined to bring their two passions into their film — Gaelic football and animals.
They auditioned for their parts and brought in superstar pup Marley, who became a bit of a celebrity in the school halls on filming days.
St Colmcille’s High School teacher Victoria Polly said: “This project gave the students the chance to get creative and develop their story.
“They took it really seriously and were able to come up with the concept as a team.”
The school introduced filmmaking into the classroom following the Covid-19 pandemic, using it as a way to re-engage students who had experienced prolonged isolation.
Since then, film has become a central part of school life, with Year 8 and 9 pupils producing their own films each year, culminating in an Oscar-style celebration event held in May.
The initiative has delivered wide-ranging educational benefits, including enhanced teamwork, improved communication and writing skills, and hands-on experience in set design, costumes and storyboarding.
Pupils also develop valuable IT skills through the filmmaking process.
This year, the school’s innovative approach has also earned them a nomination for the ICT Excellence Awards.
“As a small rural school, we’re incredibly proud that our students’ hard work and creative talent have been recognised in this way,” Victoria added.
“Filmmaking has become a vital part of our school culture, helping children grow in confidence and capability.
“It fosters teamwork, builds new skills, and inspires creativity in meaningful and lasting ways.”
Several students have gone on to pursue further studies in media and film, reflecting the programme’s lasting impact.
Sean Kelly, Northern Ireland programme lead at Into Film, said: “We are incredibly proud to see such talented young filmmakers from Northern Ireland recognised on a UK-wide stage.
“The creativity, humour and originality shown in this year’s nominations highlight the strength of storytelling coming from our schools.
“These young people have embraced filmmaking as a way to express themselves, and it’s inspiring to see their work recognised at this prestigious event.”
Five pupils will represent the school at the Into Film Awards 2026 at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in London on Tuesday, 16 June.
The ceremony will bring together leading figures from across the film industry to celebrate the creativity, storytelling, and technical achievements of young filmmakers from across the UK.
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.
