EE BAFTA FILM AWARDS 2026 NOMINATIONS REVEALED

As BAFTA unveils its 2026 nominations for Special Visual Effects, the outstanding work of UK Screen Alliance members takes centre stage

The 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards Nominations have been released, highlighting the following work from UK Screen Alliance members in the Special Visual Effects category:

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)

Industrial Light and Magic

“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)

Industrial Light and Magic
Framestore

“Frankenstein” (Netflix)

Industrial Light and Magic

“How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal Pictures)

Framestore

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

Cinesite
Industrial Light and Magic
Belo FX
Outpost VFX
Rise

The EE BAFTA Film Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, 22 February 2026.

OSCARS 2026 BEST VISUAL EFFECTS NOMINEES

Nominations for Best Visual Effects at the 98th Academy Awards have been announced, showcasing the incredible work of UK Screen Alliance members

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)

Industrial Light and Magic

“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)

Industrial Light and Magic
Framestore

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” (Universal Pictures)

Industrial Light and Magic
Important Looking Pirates

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

Cinesite
Industrial Light and Magic
Belo FX
Outpost VFX
Rise

“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Industrial Light and Magic
Outpost VFX
LIGHT

The winners will be announced at the Academy Awards, which will take place on 15 March, hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.

EE BAFTA FILM AWARDS 2026 LONGLIST REVEALED

The remarkable work of UK Screen Alliance members recognised in the 2026 BAFTA longlist

The 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards longlists have been released, highlighting the following work from UK Screen Alliance members:

Special Visual Effects

Ten of 71 films submitted for consideration are advancing in the Special Visual Effects category:

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)

Industrial Light and Magic

“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)

Industrial Light and Magic
Framestore

“Frankenstein” (Netflix)

Industrial Light and Magic

“How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal Pictures)

Framestore

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” (Universal Pictures)

Industrial Light and Magic
Important Looking Pirates

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

Cinesite
Industrial Light and Magic
Belo FX
Outpost VFX
Rise

“Superman” (DC Studios)

Industrial Light and Magic

“Tron: Ares” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Industrial Light and Magic

“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Industrial Light and Magic
Outpost VFX
Framestore

The EE BAFTA Film Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, and the ceremony will take place on Sunday, 22 February 2026.

OSCARS 2025 BEST VISUAL EFFECTS SHORTLIST REVEALED

The Academy highlights the work of UK Screen Alliance Members in Best Visual Effects Oscar Shortlist

*Jurassic World Rebirth* – Industrial Light and Magic

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced the shortlist of 10 films in the running for Best Visual Effects for the 98th Academy Awards, highlighting the work of UK Screen Alliance Members:

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)

Industrial Light and Magic

“The Electric State” (Netflix)

Industrial Light and Magic

“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)

Industrial Light and Magic
Framestore

“Frankenstein” (Netflix)

Industrial Light and Magic

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” (Universal Pictures)

Industrial Light and Magic
Important Looking Pirates

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

Cinesite
Industrial Light and Magic
Belo FX
Outpost VFX
Rise

“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Industrial Light and Magic
Outpost VFX
LIGHT

“Superman” (DC Studios)

Industrial Light and Magic

“Tron: Ares” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Industrial Light and Magic

“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Industrial Light and Magic
Outpost VFX
Framestore

The Oscar VFX bake-offs will take place from 10-11 January, where the 10 shortlisted films will be considered for the final nominations, which will be announced on Thursday, 22 January.

Oscars Visual Effects Longlist Honour UK Screen Alliance Members

The longlist of twenty Oscar finalists for Best Visual Effects has been released, highlighting the exceptional work of UK Screen Alliance members

Variety has confirmed the titles longlisted for Best Visual Effects Oscars, highlighting the remarkable work of UK Screen Alliance members across the board:

Cinesite

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

Industrial Light and Magic

For “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios)

“The Electric State” (Netflix)

“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios)

“Frankenstein” (Netflix)

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” (Universal Pictures)

“Lilo and Stitch” (Walt Disney Pictures)

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)

“Predator: Badlands” (20th Century Studios)

“The Running Man” (Paramount Pictures)

“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

“Superman” (DC Studios)

“Tron: Ares” (Walt Disney Pictures)

“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Outpost VFX

For “Captain America: Brave New World” (Marvel Studios)

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Framestore

“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios)

“How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal Pictures)

“Mickey 17” (Warner Bros.)

“Predator: Badlands” (20th Century Studios)

“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Important Looking Pirates

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” (Universal Pictures)

“Predator: Badlands” (20th Century Studios)

Belo FX

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

DNEG

“Mickey 17” (Warner Bros.)

LIGHT

“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

The Yard VFX

“Predator: Badlands” (20th Century Studios)

One of Us

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)

The Oscar VFX bake-offs will take place from 10-11 January, where 10 shortlisted films will be considered for the final nominations which will be announced on Thursday, 22 January.

Rise

“The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)

BLUE ZOO TO BE HONOURED WITH BAFTA SPECIAL AWARD

Multi-award-winning animation studio, Blue Zoo, will receive a BAFTA Special Award next month, recognising the studio’s extraordinary 25-year legacy and its significant social and cultural impact

Today, BAFTA announces that Blue Zoo will receive a BAFTA Special Award next month, recognising the studio’s extraordinary 25-year legacy in children’s media and its significant social and cultural impact. The honour celebrates Blue Zoo’s commitment to creating animation that educates, empowers, and entertains millions of children and families around the world – work that reflects BAFTA’s mission to champion excellence in content for children and young people.

As part of its year-round Young BAFTA programme – which focuses on inspiring and nurturing the next generation of creatives in film, games and TV through its initiatives, events and resources – BAFTA is honouring a studio that continuously elevates the craft of content creation for young audiences. The award will be presented to Blue Zoo’s co-founders Adam Shaw, Oli Hyatt MBE, and Tom Box, as part of a special presentation and celebratory lunch at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly on Monday 8 December 2025.

Blue Zoo was founded in 2000 by university classmates – Adam, Oli, and Tom – and has since become the UK’s largest and one of the most respected producers of children’s and family content. For 25 years, the BAFTA-winning studio has combined creativity with purpose, using art and storytelling as a powerful tool to create immersive worlds that inform and ignite curiosity.

“Receiving a BAFTA Special Award is a profound honour. From the start, we’ve believed animation can do more than raise a smile: it can teach, empower, and build lovable worlds that matter to children and families everywhere. It’s a huge pat on the back for Blue Zoo, our fantastic staff, our clients, and, by extension, to the wider animation community. This award is as much for them as it is for us. 25 years ago, we were just three lads sitting under the stairs of the student union bar, discussing setting up an animation company. We could have only dreamed of moments like this. We hope the Award isn’t just a nod to our past, but it’s a cheer for what we do next at Blue Zoo. We’ll keep giving back, and we’ll keep speaking up for children and for our sector, but most of all, we will keep making high-quality content that inspires and entertains. Thank You BAFTA.”

Oli Hyatt MBE, Co-founder and Managing Director of Blue Zoo

Featured across BBC, Netflix, StudioCanal and their own YouTube channel, Blue Zoo has brought to life numerous series including Daytime Emmy-winning The Adventures of Paddington, LEGO City: No Limits, Mojo Swoptops and their debut project, which coincided with the launch of CBeebies back in 2000, “Blue Cow” for The Story Makers. The studio is the force behind several acclaimed educational series such as Numberblocks and Alphablocks (in collaboration with Alphablocks Ltd.), which teach foundational numeracy and literacy skills to pre-schoolers. These programmes have become staples in early childhood education, widely praised for their innovation and accessibility.

Blue Zoo was the first TV and film animation studio to be B Corp certified, achieving the certification in September 2021. The B Corp certification verifies that the company meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. As part of their commitment to positive change in the world, the studio has also worked pro bono with charities to use the power of animation to highlight key social issues. These include Sinking Feeling – created for PAPYRUS UK, the charity working to prevent youth suicide – and most recently their multi-award-winning, We Campaign Because They Can’t, for the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Produced in collaboration with GOOD Agency, this series of short animations used creativity and humour to highlight environmental issues and encourage young audiences to advocate for nature.

Beyond its own productions, Blue Zoo places social responsibility at the heart of everything it does, using its position as a leading studio to champion the wider UK animation and children’s content sector through hands-on advocacy. This vital work includes Oli Hyatt MBE’s long-standing leadership in securing and defending creative-sector tax credits and co-founding Animation UK, as well as Tom Box’s focused work on developing industry skills and training. Blue Zoo is at the forefront of lobbying for children and the industry, helping lead the national debate on funding, skills, and growth. As a key voice supporting progressive industry initiatives such as The Young Animator of the Year UK Competition, NextGen Skills Academy, the Children’s Media Foundation, and of course Animation UK initiatives, Blue Zoo is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the future of animation and children’s programming for a healthier ecosystem across the country.

“Blue Zoo’s work exemplifies the very best of the screen arts – innovation with impact, and entertainment with purpose. For an incredible 25 years, Blue Zoo has created worlds that educate and empower, reflecting the diversity of modern childhood and proving that animation can be a powerful tool for learning, laughter and lasting change. We are delighted to honour a studio that champions inclusivity and imagination at every level of production.”

Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA

Mastered Announce New Funding from Greater London Authority for VFX, Animation and Post.

Mastered, the the talent development agency for the screen sector, unveil their Skills Bootcamp initiative.

As new technologies transform how content is created, edited and delivered, the rate at which professionals need to upskill increases dramatically.

To help studios and professionals keep up, the Greater London Authority has committed £160k to VFX, animation and post to develop the capital’s talent, via the Skills Bootcamp initiative. Employers of all sizes can now commission bespoke programmes from Mastered on everything from mastering procedural in Houdini to experimenting with AI-enhanced 3D workflows.

“We know studios are under pressure to deliver ambitious projects while navigating new technologies and production challenges. This funding ensures senior leaders, engineers, and creative specialists can access world-class training without the usual cost barriers, keeping the UK at the forefront of innovation.”

Perri Lewis, CEO of Mastered

90%-subsidised upskilling for employees

Skills Bootcamps for professionals are short, intensive courses that wrap around your team’s existing project work, so they learn things that they can use the very next day. Curriculums are designed exclusively for each studio, so each programme fits the very unique needs of the people who take it. 90% of the costs are covered by the Greater London Authority.

Supporting junior talent – for free

Skills Bootcamps for juniors and completely free to the learners, and support a more diverse pipeline of talent into the sector.

All Spring Media are currently running a VFX production manager Skills Bootcamp to help production co-ordinators make the move up.
The JGA Group supports post-production assistants with their Get into Film and TV programme.
NextGen Skills Academy nurture juniors into roles in 3D animation and visualisation with their technical Skills Bootcamps.

If you wish to support these initiatives, please reach out to the providers to offer advice, time or opportunities for their graduates.

UK Screen Alliance Members Receive Nominations for the 2025 Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards

The shortlist of nominations for the 2025 Broadcast Tech Innovations Awards has been announced, highlighting the exceptional work of UK Screen Alliance members

The Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards 2025 are sponsored by Appear, EIZO, ERA, Gravity Media, Moments Lab, Netflix and Serious and will be held at The Brewery, London on 27 November 2025, where the winners of the 21 categories, decided by a panel of industry experts, will be announced.

The shortlist includes:

Best Sustainability Initiative

Cut the Carbon & Clear Cut, Cut the Carbon & Clear Cut

Excellence in Audio Post-Production (Non-Scripted)

Richard Gallagher of Fifty Fifty, Flintoff

Excellence in Audio Post-Production (Scripted)

Emily Nuttall, Gemma Thorn & Oliver Green of Core Post, Alma’s Not Normal

Excellence in Grading (Non-Scripted)

Wesley Hibberd & Steve Owen of Films at 59, The Wild Ones

Excellence in Grading (Scripted)

Paul Harrison of Residence Pictures, Dreamers

Excellence in VFX

Richard Frazer & BlueBolt VFX Team, A Thousand Blows
Rob Harvey, Sam Reed, He Sun, Cesar Nunes of Lola Post, Walking with Dinosaurs
The Lux Aeterna VFX Team, Solar System
David Schneider, Tallulah Baker, Jane Paton, Iain Reed, Jamie Stokes & Union Team, Black Mirror S7 – USS Callister: Into Infinity

Post Producer of the Year

Dave O’Callaghan, Residence Pictures
Liz Hird, dock10

Tech Team of the Year

dock10 Media Hub, dock10
Craig Howard, Anthony Timmons, Josh Saxton, Rebecca Chapman, Tom Dyson, Evie May Sellars, Core Post

Hoho Rights Launches New ‘Animated Classics Channel’

Folk Tales, Literary Classics and Biblical Epics Find a New Home on YouTube as Hoho Rights Launches New ‘Animated Classics Channel’

Children’s distribution and rights management company Hoho Rights (Cloudbabies, Toad and Friends), is continuing its dynamic multi-platform strategy by launching a new Animated Classics Channel on YouTube on Wednesday, 1st October which will showcase a number of landmark animated series produced by S4C in collaboration with major broadcasters including the BBC and HBO.

“For some time, a significant part of our strategy has been to find ever creative ways to bring high-quality content to new audiences on platforms with which they are increasingly familiar. Having begun my career at S4C, I am absolutely thrilled to give new life to these incredible landmark series which because of their ground-breaking animation and timeless subject matter have absolutely stood the test of time and are now accessible for new audiences to discover”.
Helen Howells, Joint Managing Director, Hoho Entertainment

Covering a range of topics including religion, literature, opera, and history, the carefully-curated collection will feature major series which were ahead of their time in terms of animation techniques. This bill includes the largest broadcasting co-production ever undertaken – Animated Tales of the World – which featured 39 stories from 39 countries and won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2001.

Appealing from both nostalgic and educational points of view, much of the content will be linked to the curricula, providing a valuable resource for both educators and students.

“These much-loved programmes hold a special place in the hearts of viewers in Wales and beyond, and we’re delighted to introduce them to new audiences on YouTube. In today’s digital world, it’s vital that quality educational content is accessible online – and we’re excited for a whole new generation to discover, enjoy, and learn from these classic animations.”
Llion Iwan, Chief Content Officer at S4C

From Britain to Europe: Animation UK Builds Bridges at Cartoon Forum

Animation UK was proud to return to Cartoon Forum last week, with Executive Chair Kate O’Connor championing the Animated UK Meets Europe initiative and advocating for a lasting role for British creativity in European markets.

The Animated UK Meets Europe programme is a vital platform for reinforcing cross-border collaboration, and an instrumental means by which to showcase British talent and foster collaboration with European partners.

“Europe is a vital partner for the UK animation sector. This initiative shines a spotlight on our distinctive talent and creative excellence, while reinforcing our commitment to long-term collaboration.”
Kate O’Connor, Executive Chair of Animation UK

Although the UK’s withdrawal from Creative Europe MEDIA prevents British producers from leading projects directly into Cartoon Forum, this dedicated platform is an essential bridge, ensuring UK stories, talent, and partnerships continue to flourish on the international stage.

This year, three UK-led projects were highlighted during a dedicated session, supported by BBC Children’s and S4C: Amelia Fang (CAKE Entertainment, UK, with DCM, Germany), Let’s Play in Tiger Bay (Hoho Entertainment and Bumpybox, UK), and The Adventures of Robin Robin (Aardman Animations, UK).

The programme also featured a roundtable led by Vanessa Chapman, with representatives from the BBC, YLE, and France Télévisions. The discussions emphasised the increasing importance of co-productions as a key strategy for securing funding and fostering creative exchange.

“The UK Meets EU initiative adds another layer of value by spotlighting UK talent and fostering stronger relationships between UK and European studios.”
Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education

Animation UK is grateful to our partners BBC Children’s and Education and S4C for their support, and to all the producers, broadcasters, and creatives who contributed to making this a strong showcase for UK animation.

The success of this year’s programme signals a positive step toward strengthening UK animation’s role in creative Europe in a post-Brexit landscape.