Imagine His Majesty the King, Sir David Attenborough, Theo James of The Gentlemen, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Yanuni all under one roof at the same festival awards.
A remarkable blend of royalty, conservation, Hollywood charisma and powerful storytelling shared the same champagne carpet at the 2026 (8th) Big Syn International Film Festival (BSIFF26) awards ceremony, held at London’s iconic Curzon Soho on 6th Nov.
As the world’s biggest sustainability film festival, BSIFF has reached more than 60 million people across 120 countries. Led by OSCAR, BAFTA and Emmy award winners alongside leaders from sustainability, policy and media, the festival uses the power of storytelling to inspire action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The awards celebrated films that go beyond entertainment to drive meaningful change. From environmental protection and social justice to mental health, inclusion and innovation, the winning films demonstrated how visual storytelling can help audiences understand the interconnected challenges facing society and the environment to inspire positive action.
The festival awards brought together productions from major broadcasters including the BBC, ITV and SKY, alongside more than 100 charities, independent filmmakers, underrepresented creators and filmmakers from Ukraine. The festival also partnered with Leonardo DiCaprio and Richard Ladkani’s Yanuni, featuring the acclaimed film in its Global Impact Showcase to help amplify its mission to support Amazon rainforest conservation.
The founders of the festival, Dr Ragini G Roy and Dr Sourav Roy remarked, “We congratulate all participants and winners of BSIFF 2026, who have joined this unique global platform and are helping the world connect the dots of 360 degrees sustainability through the power of relatable films – creating positive changes for the planet and its people.”
More than 30 films received awards across a wide range of categories including Sir David Attenborough’s Wild London, the BBC’s TechXplore: Tokyo Deaflympics presented by Paul Carter, Sky’s Kids Investigates: World. War. Me., and ITV’s Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge featuring His Majesty King Charles III.
The awards also recognised outstanding brand and impact storytelling from organisations including Bupa, LIXIL SATO, and HCL Foundation, whose films highlighted issues ranging from mental health and sanitation to community transformation and sustainability.
Charity films from Blue Marine Foundation, The Diana Award, Soil Association, BookTrust, Younger People with Dementia, Made By Dyslexia, LGBT Foundation, John Lyon’s Charity, Beat Eating Disorders, British Hen Welfare Trust, Unseen UK, Kids Inspire, Lightyear Foundation, Carefree and SATEDA showcased the impact of the charity sector across Planet and people, Mental health, Human rights, DEI, animal welfare, Arts and culture, Care and dignity, Health and wellbeing, Youth empowerment and Children’s welfare, with some winning productions featuring high-profile supporters including Theo James and Stephen Fry.
One of the evening’s standout winners was Uncopyable, a beautifully crafted short film by Granidea Agencia and the National Association of Exporters of Cocoa Beans and Industrialists of Ecuador. The film won the prestigious 2026 Piccadilly Lights Spotlight Prize, earning a full screening on London’s world-famous Piccadilly Lights.
As the first international recipient of the award, Uncopyable highlights the cultural, economic and social importance of natural cacao production in Ecuador, demonstrating how sustainable industry can protect both heritage and livelihoods. A powerful film from Bipolar UK was named runner-up for the award.
Beyond the coveted trophies, winning films have earned an extraordinary platform. On 12 November at 11am, the heart of London will become a stage for their stories as they illuminate the iconic Piccadilly Lights, Europe’s largest screen, before thousands of tourists, commuters and film lovers.
In the 2026 edition, more than 650 films and over 400 charity film submissions were received from more than 120 countries, reflecting the festival’s growing global influence. The winners were selected by an esteemed Grand Jury comprising Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy award winners alongside leading experts in sustainability, business, policy and media such as Maddie Moate (BAFTA award-winning presenter), Chris Tashima (OSCAR award-winning actor, director), Elena Andreicheva (BAFTA and OSCAR award-winning filmmaker), Will Attenborough (Actor and Activist, Founder, Green Rider), Ioannis Ioannou (Global Sustainability Guru, LBS), Kim Rowell (Trustee & Board, UN Women UK, Chair, Royal Television Society Tech), Gabrielle Ginér (Policy engagement, Oxford Net Zero, University of Oxford), Paul McDonald (Professor of Media Industries, King’s College London).
Organised by the Big Syn Institute, part of the Centre for Big Synergy, a civil society organisation affiliated with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the festival continues to demonstrate that film can be a force for positive change.
The awards ceremony also featured powerful live performances from award-winning arts charities. Young performers from Impact Dance shared the stage with Marcus Taylor of The Baked Bean Charity, the neurodivergent actor known for ITV’s The Assembly. Their inspiring performances celebrated creativity, diversity and the importance of giving every voice a platform.
By placing royal stories, Hollywood-backed productions and grassroots campaigns on the same stage, BSIFF26 stood as a peerless festival that gives an equal platform to every voice, celebrating films that challenge perspectives, inspire audiences to take action and drive meaningful change to take control of their own future.
For the full list of winners, nominees and special mentions, visit the festival’s official website: https://bigsyn.org/2026-bsiff-winners/