The annual Youth Cinema Network (YCN) Award recognizes excellence in film made by young people. Established in 2016 as a single award, it is now presented to the best films in three age groups:

• ages 0 – 14

• ages 15 – 19

• ages 20 – 27

In 2022, one more section was presented: film made in the framework of a short-term workshop.

YCN festivals nominate one film for each group, YCN members cast one vote per age group (a festival may not vote for its own nomination) and the films with greatest number of votes in each age category are declared winners. Every year the YCN awards are presented at a different festival. Starting with Wicked Wales Film festival, UK in 2016, the awards have been announced at REC, Germany (2017), Nextfilmfestival, Denmark (2018), Enimation, Slovenia / Up and Coming, Germany (2019), Camera Zizanio, Greece (2020) and Nordic Youth Film Festival, Norway (2021).

This year’s YCN Awards have been announced at Novemberfestivalen in Sweden. You can watch the whole ceremony as well as the “thank you speeches” here: https://www.facebook.com/YouthCinemaNet/videos/1096813044317768/

The winners are listed below:

Ages 0 – 14: Take Heart
Made by Lilith Jörg
Germany / animation
Nominated by FiSH - Festival im StadtHafen Rostock, Germany 

Ages 15 – 19: Runaway
Made by Wilma Sjögren
Sweden / fiction
Nominated by Novemberfestivalen, Sweden

 Ages 20 – 27: Heart Failure
Made by Will Wightman
UK / fiction
Nominated by BFI Future Film Festival, UK

Workshop category: Autonomy
Made by a group of authors
Norway / fiction
Nominated by NUFF - Nordisk Ungdom Film Festival, Norway