Six people stood on stage with a Yugo BAFTA Student Awards 2024 sign behind them
The 2024 Yugo BAFTA Student Awards Winners.

Are you a student ready to make your mark on the world of film, games and TV? Then why not enter our annual YUGO BAFTA Student Awards.

A celebration of the next generation of talented and innovative storytellers from around the globe, the student awards are a chance to showcase your work to the industry.

How do the awards work?

We ask universities to submit their best work for our members to review. Over the course of three rounds of voting, BAFTA members select the best titles across the categories of animation, live action, documentary, games, and immersive content.

A Special Jury comprised of entertainment industry luminaries also recognizes a film with the Special Jury Prize.  The recipient of this award is chosen during a private deliberation prior to the Student Awards ceremony.

Uncovering the latest global talent

The awards are all about finding and celebrating new talent.

Previously limited to universities in the US, in 2017, the event expanded to include universities from around the world. And in 2021, awards for games and immersive content were added in addition to the regular slate of awards for film in recognition of the growing industry.

Why enter?

If you are a looking to kick start your career in the creative industries this is a great place to start.

Entering is a chance to get connected with the wealth of expertise represented by the BAFTA membership, and have your work showcased to the industry. You’ll also get the chance to enjoy a program of events throughout the life of the competition that are designed to strengthen your connection with BAFTA and to support the transition into the industry.

If you get chosen as a Student Awards finalist you will also be invited to Los Angeles to participate in a number of events and programs designed to expose and introduce you to industry professionals. Plus, if you are shortlisted, reach the finals, or receive awards as part of the BAFTA Student Awards you will also be given opportunities to participate in BAFTA’s global talent development programs.

Get Inspired
See our current and past YUGO winners

YUGO BAFTA Student Awards FAQS

  • Each year, BAFTA invites over 800 schools from around the world to submit their best student projects. In 2023, we received 754 submissions from 103 schools across 30 countries, including, Argentina, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

  • Over 150 BAFTA members participate in the selection process to choose the 20 best short films in the categories of Live Action, Animation, and Documentary and the 10 best student projects in Games and Immersive (categories that were added in 2021). The Shortlist is announced online and all the filmmakers involved are immediately invited to attend virtual educational programming.

  • After three rounds of voting by BAFTA members, the finalists are chosen and announced. The finalists are made up of three animation films, three live-action films, three documentaries, three games, and three immersive experiences and all of the finalists are flown into Los Angeles for the ceremony.

    Before the finals, we invite BAFTA members, the industry, the public, and the film school community of Los Angeles to attend a week of programming including a networking mixer, an evening of live screenings of the finalists’ films, and an awards ceremony. Six awards are presented:

    • Live Action
    • Animation
    • Documentary
    • Games
    • Immersive
    • Special Jury Prize
      Note: The Special Jury is comprised of entertainment industry luminaries who are invited to the awards ceremony to deliberate in-person to present a finalist film with the Special Jury Prize.

  • Over the years, the BAFTA Student Film Awards have provided an opportunity for our members and the public to catch exceptional talent on the rise. Examples include:

    • Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) was a finalist with his short film “Fig”
    • Stephen Caple Jr., the director of Creed II, was a finalist in 2014
    • “Poles Apart” was a Shortlist participant in 2017; seven months later, it won a BAFTA for Best British Animated Short
    • 2015 winner Henry Hughes and 2018 winner Kevin Miles were both nominated for an Oscar for Short Film

With Special Thanks

Huge thanks to our  Title Sponsor at Yugo, as well as our Official Airline Partners at Delta, and Virgin Atlantic for their ongoing support. 

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The YUGO BAFTA Student Awards programme is supported by Yugo
BAFTA Partners

Yugo is the first global student housing brand and operator created to enhance students’ overall experiences throughout and beyond college life. Yugo offers a truly differentiated living experience that is environmentally and socially conscious, emotionally supportive and safe. Yugo is the operator of over 110 student living spaces located in nine countries with over 40,000 student beds in over 70 of the top cities in the world for higher education.

For further information please visit: www.yugo.com