The National Film and Television School’s (NFTS) annual Graduate Showcase, proudly supported by BBC Studios, is a celebration of the past 12 months of student made productions.
The Showcase unfolded over four days of screenings, presentations and industry meet and greets at the BFI Southbank, culminating in a graduation ceremony at Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square today (Friday 6th March).
The celebratory ceremony saw influential Casting Directors, Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig each awarded with an NFTS Honorary Fellowship. Selected annually by the NFTS Board of Governors, an Honorary Fellowship recognises individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the industry. The honour was presented to Jina and Shaheen by NFTS Chair, Sophie Turner Laing, recognising their remarkable body of creative work, alongside their long-standing commitment to the National Film and Television School. Together, they co-founded the School’s highly successful and first ever Casting certificate course, launched in 2020.
The ceremony marked the culmination of the students' training journey at the School, featuring speeches from NFTS President, David Puttnam, NFTS Chair Sophie Turner Laing and NFTS Director, Jon Wardle.
The NFTS Graduate Showcase that preceded today’s ceremony, unveiled the work of the Class of ’26, presenting more than 80 original projects from a slate spanning film, television formats, animation, documentaries, comedy, commercials and games, highlighting the creativity and technical excellence of the School’s newest graduates.
The event builds on the success of recent NFTS alumni, with projects from the Class of ’25 securing major international festival selections, including Sundance, SXSW, Annecy, Tribeca, TIFF and BFI London Film Festival. Across the week, the Showcase premiered hundreds of hours of new content to an audience of leading producers, commissioners and industry executives seeking the next generation of behind-the-camera talent.
The Showcase comes at a significant moment in the School’s history. Last month, the NFTS celebrated a major milestone as it unveiled a major new addition to its Beaconsfield campus, named in honour of legendary producer, Albert R Cubby Broccoli. The Cubby Broccoli Building, due to open in January 2027, will house new courses and introduce accessible on-site accommodation for disabled students for the first time, with investment in the expansion supported by the wider industry and government.
Students received awards at the graduation ceremony for the highest levels of achievement in production. The Industry Awards are generously sponsored by Avid, Christie, IOSH, Panalux, Sargent-Disc and for the first time this year, the NFTS welcomed Sony as a sponsor.
The following graduating students were recognised for their stellar work:
Christie
Production Management student Kato Boels was awarded the coveted Christie prize for the Most Promising Student, receiving a personalised crystal trophy alongside a prize of £1,000.
Bex Hopkins, Head of the NFTS Production Management diploma commented:
“An outstanding Production Manager and Coordinator, Kato supported graduation films far beyond her remit, often stepping into the most challenging productions and helping steady them under real pressure, ensuring crews were supported throughout and films were completed. Alongside this, she worked as a stills photographer on over 20 projects and supported countless departments in whatever way was needed, from airport runs at 3am to lifting team morale. Kato has gone further, worked harder and supported so many, making her a truly deserving recipient.”
Avid
The 2026 winner of the Avid Award for Excellence in Composing went to Composing MA graduate Tessa White. Tessa was awarded Sibelius Ultimate software.
The Avid jury commented: “The jury were particularly impressed by the artistic and developmental journey this student has undertaken over the past two years. Her growth has been marked by a clear and determined pursuit of looking to achieve work that is emotionally engaging, focused on narrative storytelling and that has a unique sonic language and sound world for each individual project she has worked on.”
The Avid Award for Excellence in Sound Design went to Sound Design MA graduate Sandro Popkhadze who was awarded Avid’s Pro Tools® Ultimate software.
The Avid jury said: “With a deep commitment to maximising the expressive power of every film, Sandro has approached each project with skill, inventiveness, precision, and passion. Their dedication to the craft has set them apart as a true artist in sound design.”
The Avid Award for Excellence in Editing went to Editing MA graduate Yujie Li who was awarded Avid Media Composer® Ultimate software.
The Avid jury said: “After great consideration, the panel felt that one editor perfectly married creative innovation and technical skill, whilst maintaining calm resilience and professionalism. Their passion for their films and stanch support for their collaborators all contribute to the reason why Yujie is this year’s award recipient.”
IOSH
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Award of £1,000 for Health and Safety Management in Film Production was presented to students for TV entertainment format, Bikini State: Zombie Apocalypse.
Prizes were handed to three graduating students, Sorcha Kahn, Jeanet Froidurot and Tamera Gathuru.
NFTS Production Health and Safety Manager Sunny Bains, commented: “The IOSH team noted that selecting a winner is becoming increasingly challenging year on year, as students continue to improve their approach to risk assessment across their productions. This is a real credit to the School and its tutors, and reflects the work that is on-going to raise safety awareness across productions.”
Panalux
Selected by a jury of 10 industry peers, the Panalux Award for Best Cinematography was awarded to Cinematography MA student Ravi Doubleday for his work on Fiction film, Small One. Ravi was awarded a generous seven-day lighting hire package.
The Panalux jury commented: “This year’s Best Cinematography award goes to an impressively confident and thoughtfully crafted film that uses deliberate, balanced framing, a beautiful palette, and elegant lighting choices to elevate a highly sensitive subject. The mature cinematography allows the performances to breathe naturally, demonstrating a profound empathy that perfectly supports the emotional weight of this deeply human story.”
Sargent-Disc
The 2026 Sargent-Disc Award was presented to two students graduating from the Production Management diploma. Shannon de Kempe and Shreya Desai displayed excellent budgeting and cost control management as well as effective reporting skills. Sargent-Disc awarded the winning students with £500 and Final Draft software.
Sargent-Disc’s Laurence Sargent commented: “This year’s Best Budgeting Award and Best All-Round Production Management Award went to two exceptional Production Management students who went above and beyond, demonstrating outstanding work. Sargent-Disc, a Cast & Crew company, is delighted to support them and our Production Management scholars and to recognise their hard work and success.”
Sony
The inaugural winner of the Sony Award for Excellence in Non-Scripted Directing went to Directing and Producing Science and Natural History graduate Cathy Ellington for Overlooked - A Silent Extinction. She was awarded a state-of-the-art FX3 cinema camera, complete with professional lens.
The Sony jury commented: “The story is thoughtfully constructed, demonstrating strong directorial control and a clear narrative vision. The film communicates the message about giraffe extinction in a well-researched and articulated way, while maintaining a delicate tone. Cathy Ellington handles the subject with sensitivity, allowing the story to unfold naturally and emotionally, much like the gentle presence of the giraffes themselves. The result is a touching and powerful documentary that delivers an important message through subtle and compassionate storytelling.”
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Congratulations to all this year’s prize-winning students and a huge thank you to all our industry partners and supporters!
Industry members can view online all the work featured as part of the NFTS Graduate Showcase 2026: nfts.co.uk/gradshow
