Students at Milton Abbey School have taken third place in a national filmmaking competition after impressing judges with a short film exploring the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
image Childnet International
The Blandford-based school was awarded third place in the secondary category of the 2026 Childnet Film Competition, which attracted entries from schools across the UK.
This year’s competition challenged young filmmakers to create short films on the theme ‘Smart tech, safe choices – exploring the safe and responsible use of AI’. Entries were judged by a panel including representatives from the BBC, BBFC, Disney and the Motion Picture Association, alongside young people.
Milton Abbey’s film follows a teenager who turns to an AI chatbot for advice on speaking to someone they like. As the story unfolds, the character becomes increasingly isolated, highlighting the importance of maintaining genuine human relationships rather than relying on artificial intelligence for personal interactions.
The judging panel praised the film’s creativity and storytelling. Presenting the award, Emilie Anthonis, President of the Motion Picture Association, described it as ‘an exceptional example of visual storytelling about the important topic of how young people tackle issues with AI.’
image Childnet International
As one of the competition’s prize-winning entries, the students received professional filmmaking equipment and their film will receive BBFC classification, allowing it to be screened in cinemas across the UK.
Will Gardner OBE, Chief Executive of Childnet and Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, said: ‘The Childnet Film Competition has shown yet again the real impact that creativity can play in online safety education. These films not only showcase the young people’s filmmaking skills, but also show the power of their voice in creating high quality learning materials.
‘Safer Internet Day 2026 found that almost all (97%) children and young people of all ages from 8 to 17 have used AI in some form, with many using AI online on a weekly, and even daily, basis. With this in mind, educating young people about the safe and responsible use of AI has never been more important, and seeing the amazing creations from all of our finalists and entrants showcases just how effectively film can play a part in this.’
The Childnet Film Competition has been running for 17 years and challenges young people to create films that educate their peers on online safety. This year’s competition was supported by the BBFC, Disney and the Motion Picture Association.
