Whether it's your love of performing, your passion for protecting the planet, your favourite hobby or the values that matter most to you, this is your opportunity to create a personal time-capsule film that captures who you are right now.
Imagine watching a film from your younger self in ten years' time.
What would you want to remember?
Perhaps it's the joy you feel when your favourite song comes on and you dance as though nobody's watching. Maybe it's the excitement of performing on stage, playing sport, swimming in the sea, creating art or spending time with friends and family.
You might want your future self to remember what's important to you today. Your kindness. Your confidence. Your love for animals. Your determination to make a difference. Or your belief in looking after the world around you.
Whatever matters most to you, Dear Future Self is your chance to preserve those thoughts, passions and dreams through film.
As the filmmaker and storyteller, you should feature in your film either by appearing on screen, through your voice, or both. This is a personal message to your future self, making you the heart of the story.
There is no right or wrong way to tell your story. What matters is that your film reflects who you are and what you'd like your future self to remember.
Before creating your film, please make sure you read the full Dear Future Self Summer Student Film Competition Guidelines 2026, via PQA TV’s website.
The guidelines include everything you need to know about eligibility, film requirements and how to submit your entry.
Entry deadline: Midnight on Monday 31 August 2026
We'll be selecting two overall winners:
Each winner will receive a £150 voucher of their choice.
We'll also award four runner-up prizes, with each runner-up receiving a £20 cinema voucher.
See Your Film on the Big Screen
The two winning films and four runner-up films will be screened at the PQA Film Festival 2026, where students will be recognised and celebrated for their creativity and filmmaking achievements.
Festival dates:
Winners and runners-up will receive their awards and prizes at the festival screenings.
Yes! Every academy offers one free trial session, as long as there is space available in the age group. If the group is currently full, you can join the waiting list, and we’ll contact you as soon as a place becomes available.
PQA runs for 41 weeks throughout the school year. You can find the full list of term dates on each academy’s webpage, just search for your local academy and visit its web page.
PQA provides performing arts training for children and teens aged 4–18. Our Main Academy (ages 6–18) includes three core classes:
Some academies also offer Poppets (ages 4–6), an energetic 90-minute class introducing young children to singing, dancing and acting.
PQA welcomes all children, whether they’re complete beginners or already confident performers. There’s no audition needed to join.
At PQA students in Main Academy are grouped by age, learning with other children and young people at similar stages.
This depends on where you feel your child will be happiest. Some 6-year olds are ready to join the 6-9 age group in Main Academy, others will feel more comfortable starting in Poppets.
Your always welcome to discuss what’s best for your child with your local Principal before booking your free session.