A film made by pupils at Ysgol Bro Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire has won Best Film at the Into Film 2024 Awards.

‘The Language of Cymraeg’ was announced the winner of the Best Film 12-15 category at a star-studded event held at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in London. 

The winning film sees children in a classroom in Wales being taught about the history of the Welsh language, from Henry VIII's attempts to ban it, to those who have fought to keep it alive. 

“We can’t believe we won!” said pupils Taran and Joseph, who were presented the award by actor Stephen Merchant. “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved; this means so much to us.”  

Talking about the film, Taran and Joseph who wrote, directed and edited the film said: “We wanted to do something personal to our country, so we decided to tell the story of the language of Cymraeg throughout history, exploring the cultural, historical and social elements of the language. The fact that it’s a film about our country and our language makes this win extra special! This is our first time in the realms of filmmaking and it’s really broadened our horizons into the creative industry.” 

Creating the film has been a passion project for the 16 pupils involved, according to Ysgol Bro Dinefwr Drama teacher, Lisa Rimmington: 

“Attending the Into Film Awards alone has been a fantastic and memorable experience for the pupils, but to win the top prize is just amazing. I want to congratulate all our pupils on their creativity and hard work, and in particular Joseph and Taran. They really put their heart and soul into this project. I can’t wait to see what our talented pupils achieve in the future.” 

The event, hosted by education charity Into Film celebrated the best and brightest young filmmaking talent from across the UK, as well as those who support and facilitate their endeavours.

Each year, the Into Film Awards are made possible through sponsorship from the UK Screen Industry Into Film is supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding.