The winners of the Childnet Film Competition 2025 have been announced!
The Childnet Film Competition, attracting participants from across the UK, received entries from many talented young people who embraced the challenge of creating short films on the theme of: “It’s not your fault.” How can we support each other against online scams?
Primary Winners
1st Place – Sandown School – 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. Through slick editing and sound effects, we are shown ways we can spot the signs of an online scam and support the people around us.
2nd Place – The Sir Donald Bailey Academy – Pass it on
This film tells the story of Scam HQ and their mission to stop the clever ‘Scarlett Scammer’. Through great storytelling and humour, we are reminded to pass on our own advice and techniques to the people around us to help prevent them from being scammed online.
3rd Place – North Allerdale Development Trust – Pause: It’s Not Your Fault
Scammers can hide amongst us and can be tricky to spot, and this film uses a clever split screen technique to show this. We are shown a variety of different ways a person can be scammed and how it makes them feel, with some advice on what to do next.
Secondary Winners
1st Place – St Peter’s Catholic School – This Is Not Your Fault
Being scammed can be upsetting and you may blame yourself. This film shows the emotional impact of a scam through powerful music and camera shots. We learn how important it is to be there for our friends and to get support if you need it.
2nd Place – Wolverhampton Girls’ High School – Let’s fight back – together
Using creative settings and locations, alongside a range of camera shots, this film demonstrates how a scam can affect a young person’s wellbeing. We learn how to support others and how to report an online scam.
3rd Place – Milton Abbey School – Tyranno-Scam-Us-Rex
As the title suggests, the scammer in this film takes the form of a dinosaur! The focus is around online dating scams, and how being tricked by somebody online can feel embarrassing and infuriating. We are reminded of an important message, that it is not your fault if you are a victim of an online scam.