We are delighted to share the results of this year’s PQA Winter Filmmaking Challenge, Bring Hope Home. The competition was Inspired by Charlie’s Trek, a 5-day, 140km fundraising campaign for Alzheimer’s Research UK, in honour of Charlie’s mum, Pauline Quirke MBE, who founded PQA in 2007 with her husband Steve.
The Bring Hope Home filmmaking competition invited young people to explore what hope means to them and express it through the power of film.
Our judges were genuinely overwhelmed by the quality, imagination and emotional depth shown by filmmakers aged from 6 to 17 years old. We received a wonderful range of films, from personal, heartfelt family stories to pieces tackling real issues in the world.
Each film was carefully assessed on theme, creativity and originality, storytelling, sound, cinematography, technical execution and emotional impact. The standard was truly extraordinary, and, after some tough decisions, the judges agreed on our winning and runner-up entries.
A huge congratulations to Matylda, our overall winner, from PQA Ealing, whose beautiful film captured the spirit of the challenge with warmth, creativity and emotional clarity. Her work stood out for its storytelling, visual style and heartfelt message, and we are delighted to recognise her achievement with a full year of free PQA membership.
Watch Matylda’s winning short film here: Hope Is All Around
Our three runners-up impressed the judges with their originality, technical skill, and powerful interpretations of hope. The competition was open to both PQA students and young creatives from outside the academy, and Meya’s film, Hope for Earth, stood out as one of our runners-up.
Congratulations to our winners and runners-up for their outstanding visuals and stories.
Thank You Message From Charlie Quirke Bring Hope Home Challenge
Thank you to everyone who entered, supported, and encouraged these young creatives. Their films remind us that hope isn’t just an idea, it’s something we carry with us, something we pass on, and something we can all share with one another.
PQA is dedicated to helping young people discover who they are through the performing arts. If your child is curious about filmmaking or loves bringing stories to life, our unique Film & TV classes Film & TV classes are a feature of our Main Academy, for young people aged 6-18.
See where their imagination could take them. Book a free session at an academy near you.
