Fantastic number of Stern & Wild filmmakers’ projects longlisted for the 2026 Griersons

We are thrilled to announce that 10 productions made by Stern & Wild clients have been longlisted for this year’s Grierson Awards. In total, 14 Stern & Wild filmmakers were involved with the selected projects which are spread over six award categories.

Three productions from our amazing filmmakers are longlisted for the Best Single Documentary – Domestic award. Firstly, the Arena documentary LS LOWRY: THE UNHEARD TAPES (Wall to Wall for the BBC) which includes a fantastic performance from Ian McKellen who lip-syncs the ‘matchstick men’ painter’s real voice from a series of newly discovered taped interviews. James Kent is the film’s Drama Director. Also on the longlist is feature documentary MOLLY VS THE MACHINES (Snowstorm Productions, Storyboard Studios, Marc Silver Ltd for Channel 4) which explores the tragic death of 14-year-old British schoolgirl Molly Russell and the dangers of social media algorithms. Marc Silver is the Director. The third project is feature documentary, THE DUNBLANE TAPES (Candour Productions for Channel 4), which tells the story of the grassroots campaign to ban private handguns in Britain following the mass shooting at Dunblane Primary School in 1996. It is co-directed by Niamh Kennedy (with Anna Hall).

MOLLY VS THE MACHINES is longlisted in a second category - Best Cinema Documentary. The film premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on 1 March this year and was released theatrically the same day. THE DUNBLANE TAPES is also selected in a second category - Best History Documentary - where it joins feature documentary FLIGHT 149: HOSTAGE OF WAR (Drum Studios for Sky Documentaries) which tells the extraordinary story of the nearly 400 passengers and crew of a British Airways flight who unknowingly landed in Kuwait just hours after the Iraqi invasion began in 1990 and were taken hostage by Saddam Hussein. The film was originated, written and directed by Jenny Ash and is exec produced by Karen Kelly.

Two projects are longlisted in the Best Documentary Series category: the four-part ATTACK ON LONDON: HUNTING THE 7/7 BOMBERS (The Garden for Netflix) and the two-part SEE NO EVIL (Passion Pictures for Channel 4). Released to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2005 London bombings, ATTACK ON LONDON provides a minute-by-minute account of events surrounding the terror attacks and the hunt to find those responsible. Duncan Coates is Showrunner and Co-Executive Producer and Stephen Franklin is Edit Producer. SEE NO EVIL details the decades of abuse by former barrister and evangelical leader John Smyth and the subsequent cover-up by senior leaders within the Church of England and other institutions. Kira Phillips is Executive Producer and Benedict Sanderson is Series Director.

Two projects are longlisted in the Best Crime and Justice Documentary category. First up is feature documentary AILEEN: QUEEN OF THE SERIAL KILLERS (BBC Studios/NBC News Studios for Netflix) directed by Emily Turner which re-examines the controversial case of Aileen Wournos, one of America’s most notorious female serial killers who was executed for the killing of seven men across Central Florida between 1989 and 1990. Also making the longlist is NAMING THE DEAD – THE BODY IN THE SAND (Wall to Wall for Nat Geographic) a brilliant episode from the six-part series exploring the work of the USA based non-profit DNA Doe Project which uses investigative genetic genealogy to help law enforcement identify and seek justice for victims of some of the country’s most confounding cold cases. Tom Beard is the Director and Ralph Perring is Series Producer.

The final two productions from Stern & Wild filmmakers longlisted for this year’s awards are AI CONFIDENTIAL WITH HANNAH FRY (Curious Films/The Open University for the BBC) and MISSION TO SPACE WITH FRANCIS BOURGEOIS (Shine TV for Channel 4) which are in the running for the Best Documentary Presenter prize. The topical three-part series AI CONFIDENTIAL investigates some of the most extraordinary stories emerging from the dramatic and often unsettling intersections of AI technology and human existence. Mark Bates is one of the Edit Producers. The two-parter MISSION TO SPACE sees trainspotter Francis Bourgeois chase his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. Jonathan Levene is Director. Good luck to Hannah and Francis in this category.

Congratulations to all our amazing filmmakers and the talented teams behind these amazing projects. Shortlisted projects will be revealed on Monday 14 September and this year’s awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday 10 November. Read more here.

Alex Thomas and the team behind 2025’s double Grierson award-winner, BIBAA & NICOLE: MURDER IN THE PARK. Photo: Hello Content @frankowski