The top winners of the 2026 Manchester 48 Hour Film Project were crowned at the awards ceremony held at Vue Printworks. Team The Red Dragons took 1st Place for Best Film with “The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane,” earning a spot at the global Filmapalooza festival.

A breakdown of the top competition placements includes:

• 1st Place (Best Film): “The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane” by The Red Dragons
• 2nd Place: “Her Move” by Rain Check Pictures
• 3rd Place: “A Lobster Tale” by AA Films
• Audience Favorite: “The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane” by The Red Dragons

For a full list of category awards and runners-up, or to check out upcoming 2026 challenge dates, you can visit the 48 Hour Film Project – Manchester official page.

Best Film

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2. Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
3. A Lobster Tale by AA Films
4.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
5.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday

Best Writing

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
3.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
5.   A Lobster Tale by AA Films

Best Editing

1. Winner: A Lobster Tale by AA Films
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday
4.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
5.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures

Best Directing

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
4.   MEDIUM HARD by WR
5.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures

Best Cinematography

1. Winner: Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
4.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
5.   A Lobster Tale by AA Films

Best Sound Design

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
3.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
4.   A Lobster Tale by AA Films
5.   Allocation by Chicken Noodle Soup

Best Original Musical Score

1. Winner: A Lobster Tale by AA Films
2.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
3.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
5.   The Architect by The Wolves

Best Acting in a leading role

1. Winner: Catfish by Happy Wednesday (Sara Kettman)
2.   MEDIUM HARD by WR (Philip Shuan McGuinness)
3.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons (Bobby Sirrah)
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures (Omaymah Habti )
5.   A Lobster Tale by AA Films (Agnes Homer)

Best Acting in a supporting role

1. Winner: Her Move by Rain Check Pictures (Steve Titley)
2.   MEDIUM HARD by WR (CJ Fawn)
3.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday (Liam Jedele )
4.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons (Alysia Dyke)
5.   Keep It In The Family by Last minute productions (Tom Morgan)

Best Acting Ensemble

1. Winner: MEDIUM HARD by WR
2.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday
3.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
5.   Keep It In The Family by Last minute productions

Best Make Up

1. Winner: Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
2.   MEDIUM HARD by WR
3.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
4.   A Lobster Tale by AA Films
5.   Keep It In The Family by Last minute productions

Best Use of Character

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
4.   Allocation by Chicken Noodle Soup
5.   Keep It In The Family by Last minute productions

Best Use of Prop

1. Winner: The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
2.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
3.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
4.   A Lobster Tale by AA Films
5.   Keep It In The Family by Last minute productions

Best Use of Line

1. Winner: A Lobster Tale by AA Films
2.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
3.   MEDIUM HARD by WR
4.   The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
5.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures

Best Use of Genre

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
5.   Keep It In The Family by Last minute productions

Best Costume / Wardrobe

1. Winner: The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   MEDIUM HARD by WR
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
5.   Allocation by Chicken Noodle Soup

Best Social Media Campaign

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
5.   The Architect by The Wolves

Audience Choice Award

1. Winner: The Magical Mystical But Never Mundane by The Red Dragons
2.   The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
3.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday
4.   Her Move by Rain Check Pictures
5.   Keep It In The Family by Last minute productions

Best Marketing Campaign

1. Winner: The Mechanics of Love by Digital Daydreams
2.   Borrowed Tomorrow by Phoenix Films
3.   Catfish by Happy Wednesday
4.   Snap Shot by Reels On Reels
5.   A Lobster Tale by AA Films

The 48 Hour Film Project returned to different cities across the year, challenging local film teams — from beginners to professionals — to create a short film in just one weekend.

In Manchester, city producers Nicholas Barnard and Danielle Bennett, with support from Michael Bennett, welcomed 12 teams to the challenge.

The competition kicked off on Friday 15 May, when teams drew their genres and received the required film elements. Every Manchester entry had to feature a character named Donna or Donovan Macintosh, an architect, the line “When in doubt, trust your gut,” and a shoelace.

From there, the race against the clock began. Teams had just 48 hours to write, shoot, edit and score their films.

For full story and more about the films and teams click here.