Smiley Movement

The Smiley Charity Film Awards 2026 Finalists Revealed!

12:00, 12 February 2026

Words by Cheyanne Bryan, Editorial and Campaign Marketing Executive, London

Here are the 2026 Smiley Charity Film Awards finalists! An award eager to  shine a spotlight on the charities and organisations whose stories have captured hearts, sparked laughter, and inspired change. 

Like every other year, this year’s selection celebrates creativity with a cause, proving that cinema can entertain while making a real difference in the world. From heartwarming shorts to bold narratives, these films aren’t just award contenders—they’re beacons of hope and humanity.

 

Under £100,000

  • Beyond Srebrenica — Inseparable: Lessons From A Nation Divided
  • Billy & Beyond — Live by Choice not by Chance
  • Bumba Foundation — Creating the Change
  • Day One Trauma — Sunburn
  • Food etc — Food etc and School Food Matters bring veg gardens and cooking to Bedford primary schools
  • KitAid — Harry Mnisi Foundation - Sports Day December 2024
  • Pill and District Food Hub — Pill & District Food Hub
  • Sunderland Headlight — Any one of us
  • Sunshine People — Let Them Hear a Kinder Voice
  • The Brent River & Canal Society — The River Remembers (What We Forget)
  • The British Porphyria Association — Empowering People with Porphyria
  • This New Ground — See our Art, Hear Our Voice
  • Trybe House Theatre — If Home Is Where The Heart Is
  • YESfest — All Together Now - For Planet Earth

 

£100,000 - 250,000

  • African Community School — Helping Hand
  • Carmarthen Youth Project — The Young Person Crisis
  • Face Equality International — Join The Fight for face equality
  • Givin’ it Laldie — Givin’ it Laldie
  • Headliners (UK) — In Charge of My Story
  • Learn to Love to Read — All about Learn to Love to Read
  • Lightyear Foundation — Fuelling Future Engineers - F1 Engineering Lightyear Labs
  • OneKind — Don't Pet Me
  • Parents For Future — Protect Our Kids' Futures
  • Power of Polo — Breaking Barriers
  • The Include Project — Eli T sings her story of inclusion: "Include Choir Angels"
  • The Surrey Hills Society — East Surrey Care Farm Project
  • Their Future Today — Love For Every Child | A short film by Their Future Today
  • Words Matter — Words Matter

 

£250,000 - 500,000

  • Ambition Lawrence Weston — 'Grow Cook and Eat Lawrence Weston' and the next generation
  • British Association for Music Therapy — What's it like to experience Music Therapy?
  • Chiva — Talking HIV: How Chiva makes medication easy to understand for children and young people
  • Criminal Justice Alliance — The Cycle
  • Icandance — Unlimited
  • Integrate UK — Butt Naked
  • It's in the Bag — Tom's Story
  • Operation Orphan — Forget-Me-Notts: Tackling Bed Poverty, One Bed At A Time
  • PDA Society — You can't see how I feel
  • Ruddi's Retreat — Ruddi's Retreat - The Christmas Advert
  • Shropshire Cat Rescue — Rudy Reporting On The Importance of Neutering
  • Simba Charity — How Do I Love You?
  • Simon on the Streets — 25 years of Simon On The Streets
  • StreetDoctors — The Fatal Question
  • Sustainable Merton — Where Food Meets Friendship: The Story of Merton's Community Fridge
  • The Robin Cancer Trust — My Big Ballsy Challenge: Running For My Brother

 

£500,000 - 1 Million

  • Carefree — Michael's Story: Change Happens Overnight
  • Centre for Ageing Better — Smashing Ageist Stereotypes with The Traitors UK's Diane Carson
  • City of Sanctuary UK — Welcome Changes Everything
  • Company Three — No Doubt
  • Dravet Syndrome UK — What is love when living with Dravet Syndrome?
  • Electric Umbrella — It’s Not A Crime To Be Different — Electric Umbrella x Hertfordshire Constabulary
  • Magic Bus UK — Before The Bell Rings.
  • Music in Hospitals and Care — Supporting communication and confidence at Carmarthen Breakthro’
  • Naturewatch Foundation — A Tail of Two Dogs
  • PADDOCK COMMUNITY TRUST — Step by Step: The Power of Community
  • Rethink Food CIC — National School Pantry Network
  • School in a Bag — School in a Bag Palestine Refugee Children Appeal
  • Sussex Cancer Fund — Not Just A Story
  • Swindon Carers Together —- Give Me A Break
  • THE LILY FOUNDATION —- What it takes
  • The Elizabeth Foundation —- Just like any other child
  • The Haemophilia Society —- Making Waves: The Gozo-Malta Swim
  • The Migraine Trust — Migraine Means
  • Twinning Project — Turning lives around
  • Youth Careers Collective — About Youth Careers Collective

 

£1 - 2.5 Million

  • Auditory Verbal UK — First Day
  • Bipolar UK — Maybe it's bipolar?
  • British Hen Welfare Trust — Celebrating two decades of hen rehoming
  • Care & Repair Cymru — Improving Homes, Changing Lives | 45 Years of Care & Repair in Wales
  • Changing Faces UK — Letter to my Younger Self
  • Code Your Future —- My Future
  • Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home — Leaving a gift in your Will to Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home
  • Equation — Why you should ask about domestic abuse
  • Grief Encounter —- Ease the Pain-Luca's story
  • MedicAlert UK — Give the gift of confidence
  • Micro Rainbow —- Who's There?
  • National Prison Radio —- Connection
  • Rays of Sunshine — Cissy's Rays of Sunshine journey
  • Read For Good — The Magic of Stories
  • Resource Alliance — Courage to Care
  • Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity —- The role of a Roald Dahl Nurse
  • SAFE! — Limbo
  • Staffordshire Women's Aid — Celebrating 50 Years of Staffordshire Women's Aid
  • Teens Unite Fighting Cancer — George - Living with and beyond a brain tumour
  • The Electrical Industries Charity — Celebrating 120 years of the Electrical Industries Charity
  • Welsh Refugee Council —- What if it was you?
  • Women in Sport —- Dear Sport: A Break-up Story

 

£2.5 - 5 Million

  • ADSS — Reaching the Underserved: Our work with the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara
  • Beat, the UKs Eating Disorder Charity — Eating disorders can affect anyone
  • Cardiac Risk in the Young —- Clarissa’s Campaign for Young Hearts
  • Catalyst Support — Steven's Story - A personal experience of Cuckooing
  • Chickenshed — New Botanics
  • Child Bereavement UK — Room for an elephant
  • Epilepsy Action —- If I Told You
  • Humanists UK —- Introducing Faith to Faithless: Helping people leaving high-control religious groups
  • Kinship — In the same boat
  • LGBT Foundation — Pride in Ageing 2025
  • LIVES — No Night Is Silent
  • Providence Row —- 165 Years - The story of Providence Row
  • Rainbow Trust Children's Charity —- 'A very very big difference'
  • Re-engage — Out of the Quiet...
  • Resuscitation Council UK — Power in our hands
  • Safer London —- Time to Listen
  • Social Enterprise Kent —- SEK Breast Cancer and Screening Awareness Campaign
  • Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS) —- We Hear You
  • The Pankhurst Trust (Incorporating Manchester Women's Aid) — Kate's Story: Transforming The Lives of Children In Refuge
  • Winston's Wish —- Ask Me: Education - supporting bereaved students

 

£5 - 15 Million

  • Action Medical Research —- Eva's story
  • Big Give —- Prue's Recipe for the Perfect Christmas
  • Blesma The Limbless Veterans —- Not Heroic: Human
  • Born Free —- Wildlife Heroes Episode One: Berket Girma, A Story About Rescue
  • Brain Tumour Research —- What Does Hope Mean to You?
  • CORNWALL HOSPICE CARE LIMITED —- Cornwall Hospice Care | 45 Years
  • Caudwell Children —- My Potential, My Way
  • Combat Stress —- The Road to Recovery: One Soldier's PTSD Journey
  • Contact —- Contact Ealing: On the side of families with disabled children
  • Cure Parkinson's —- A Question of Time: help find a cure for Parkinson's
  • Friends of the Earth —- It's Not 'Just Business'
  • Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance — Operation Airbase: Coming to a town near you
  • Haven House Children's Hospice —- Through their Eyes
  • Make-A-Wish Foundation UK —- Charlie's wish to be a magician
  • MicroLoan Foundation —- Susan's story : Holiday Campaign 2024
  • Shooting Star Children's Hospices — A Little Light
  • St John's Foundation —- I've Still Got It
  • Thames Valley Air Ambulance —- Here for you, however the story ends
  • The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) —- TCV I Dig Trees - join the movement...
  • The Drinkaware Trust —- It's okay to talk about drinking with Chris Kamara
  • The Robert Dangoor Partnership for Living Kidney Donation — Is it inside you to save a life?
  • Together for Short Lives —- One more trip down the river
  • Treetops Hospice —- Busting Myths: Hospice Care
  • ellenor —- Snowglobe moments

 

£15 - 50 Million

  • Aberlour Children's Charity —- Aberlour Children's Charity Poverty Relief Appeal
  • Arthritis UK —- What is it really like to live with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)
  • Children with Cancer UK —- Always By Your Side
  • Demelza Hospice Care for Children — Daisy's story
  • Dementia UK —- Open conversations about dementia | Sylvia and George
  • GamCare —- GamCare National Gambling Helpline: Britain-wide Campaign 2025
  • Havens Hospices —- What makes a friend for life?
  • Help for Heroes —- The Veterans War - Fighting for Peace
  • LOROS Hospice — Ryan's story
  • MS Society — Jasmine's Story | Living with Progressive MS
  • Mountbatten Isle of Wight — The Letter
  • Prostate Cancer UK — Don't Fear Your Foe
  • RAF Benevolent Fund —- One day's service, a lifetime of support
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities UK — Still Fighting - Harry's Story
  • Samaritans —- Help bring someone’s future back
  • SeeAbility - The Royal School for the Blind — Ten times more likely
  • ShelterBox —- Imelda Staunton's Christmas gift fail | Give a gift that means something
  • Southern Hospice Group —- We're here for you. Will you be here for us?
  • Young Lives vs Cancer —- Sam’s Story: A Journey through Cancer

 

Over £50 Million

  • Action for Children —- Driven by love, we take action for children
  • Alzheimer's Research UK —- Together. For A Cure. Now.
  • British Red Cross —- Signs of Hope - British Red Cross
  • Canal & River Trust —- Birdwatcher
  • Cats Protection —- If cats could talk, what would they say?
  • Comic Relief —- Hero Community Health Workers
  • Community Integrated Care —- Best Lives, Bolder - What Strategy Means to Me
  • Crisis —- Francois' story
  • MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH) —- Stop the Snowball
  • Migrant Help — Unfair Jobs Fair
  • NSPCC —- Reality
  • Oxfam GB —- No More Radio Silence
  • RSPCA - England & Wales —- Alesha and Roy
  • Save the Children UK —- Don't Mention the Children
  • Sense —- Sense Awards 2025 - Person of the year
  • Sightsavers —- Equal Together
  • St John Ambulance —- Hi Viz Stress Vest
  • The Donkey Sanctuary —- Stolen Donkeys, Stolen Futures
  • Waythrough —- You Can Save A Life

 

Longform Under £500,000

  • Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust —- My Thyroid and Me: A Young Person's Cancer Story
  • Cavernoma Alliance UK —- Michael's Story - Supporting a loved one with cavernoma
  • Climb2Recovery —- Climb 2 Recovery
  • Larsen’s Pride —- What is Proton Beam Therapy?
  • Music In Mind —- Voices Of Hope And Peace
  • Richmond's Hope —- 'In Their Own Words'
  • STEAM Co. —- #OurRailway200 - Using our past to inspire all our children's futures and provide lasting legacy for the #Railway200 anniversary celebrations
  • Scoliosis Support and Research —- Living With Scoliosis
  • The Compassionate Friends —- Take That Step
  • The Who is Hussain Foundation — Hussain: Inspiring Generations
  • UK LSD Collaborative —- Hadid and I
  • We Can Kick It — Charity Walk to All London Premier League Stadiums!

 

Longform £500,000 - 5 Million

  • Buglife — Coal Spoil Connections - the legacy (a short film by Rodrigo Bera)
  • Cash For Kids — Finding Hope
  • Children’s Heart Surgery Fund —- Because of Carin
  • City Harvest London —- The New Normal, London’s Free Food Culture: From Emergency to Everyday
  • ESDAS - EAST SURREY DOMESTIC ABUSE SERVICES —- 'From Darkness to Light: A Survivor’s Journey’ – When you’re ready, we’re here
  • Fife Society for the Blind T/A Seescape —- Visions of Hope - 160 Years of Seescape's Journey in Fife
  • Heart Church — 10 Years of Heart Church || Documentary
  • MND Scotland — Bereavement Support Services | MND Scotland
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew —- Comoros: The Lost Palm
  • Rural Media Charity —- Jordan Stephens & the Breaking Out Boys – The Interview
  • Suicide&Co —- Heirlooms
  • The Amber Foundation — Three lives, three decades - celebrating 30 years of transforming the lives of young people experiencing homelessness
  • World Villages for Children — Irmas: The Life of the Sisters of Mary

 

Longform Over £5 Million

  • Brooke Action for Working Horses and Donkeys —- From Skin To Skincare: The Shocking Truth Behind The Donkey Skin Trade with Dr Scott Miller
  • Chance To Shine Foundation Ltd —- 20 Years of Chance to Shine
  • Dementia UK —- A pub conversation about dementia with Tommy and Andrew
  • Environmental Justice Foundation —- Adrift: Senegal’s coastal crisis and the deadly route to Europe
  • Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust —- Essex & Herts Air Ambulance presents: Navigating grief after sudden and traumatic loss
  • Greenpeace UK —- From The Sea We Came
  • North East Autism Society —- Hidden Barriers: Autism and Airports
  • Prior's Court —- The Long Road; Stories of love, hope and autistic young people with complex needs
  • RSPB —- Return
  • SSAFA The Armed Forces Charity —- Project Fire & Ice

 

International Impact

  • E.D.I. Madagascar —- Madagascar : The beauty and challenges of a Great Island from a Luxembourg perspective
  • First Nations National Guardians Network (NGN) —- Guardians of Lake Babine
  • Grupo Mulheres do Brasil —- Fios de Encontro - Threads of Connection
  • Life for a Child —- Life for a child 25
  • Niños en Alegría —- Juntos por la educación / Together for education
  • Save the Children International —- Every Baby Deserves More Than Survival
  • Seal Rescue Ireland —- Leave Seals Alone
  • WeProtect Global Alliance —- Protect Us
  • Wildlife SOS —- My Sweet Paro - Remembering a Matriarch

 

Corporate Cause

  • Argyll & Bute Health and Social Care Partnership —- Young Carers and Children's Rights in Argyll & Bute
  • Audible — Audible x Artbox London: Talking Art
  • Big Issue — Issues We Face
  • Carbon Neutral Britain — The Carbon Neutral Britain Movement
  • Climate KIC — Walkable Cities
  • Dukes Education —- Pupil Earth Summit 2025
  • Dulas —- Dulas donates life-saving cold chain to Zion Clinic in Uganda
  • Lez a Lez —- Lez a Lez - Threads of the Earth – Reviving Tenerife Lace in the Heart of Brazil
  • Lush Cosmetics —- Behind the Scenes of Lush Advent Calendar 2025: Shruti
  • Mectizan Donation Program —- Mectizan Donation Program: 5 Billionth Celebration
  • Medical Research Council —- Medical Research Council: The Power To Dream
  • Modulaire Group —- World Engineering Day
  • Next PLC —- The LOROS Hospice Elephant Trail: How Art, Community, and One Elephant Changed Lives | A NEXT Story
  • Royal College of Nursing —-This is Nursing
  • Sky Sports —- The Bob Willis Fund Saved My Life (Blue For Bob Day 2025) 
  • Southampton Football Club —- WHITE RIBBON DAY | We Speak Up...
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