The UK's second First Light Film Awards are to be held in London on February 25.

The awards are part of a $1.6m initiative launched in May 2001 between UK funding body The Film Council and Birmingham-based Hi8us Projects to give young people aged between 7 and 18 the opportunity to make short films on digital video.

There are nine categories including Best Live Action Drama/ Fiction, Best Silent Film, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best Comedy, Best Horror, Best Film made by under 12's, Best Film made by over 13's and Best Screenplay.

Films nominated for Awards include Spaced Out, a Leeds-made tale of triumph over sherbert-making Martians; Dancing Danielle, a Lanarkshire story about a girl who cannot stop dancing; Hamster, a Devon produced tale of a new boy blamed for the death of a class hamster; The Final, a Birmingham-based story of turmoil at a football club; Family Flavour, a comedy about a Leicester girl's dreams of success in Bollywood; and Cry Wolf, an Edinburgh tale of teenagers on the hunt for a werewolf.

Judges for the First Light Film Awards include BAFTA and EMMY winner and twice Oscar-nominated Kenneth Branagh, Ray Winstone, Jamie Bell, Samantha Morton, John Hannah, Joely Richardson, Rufus Sewell, Dougray Scott and Christopher Eccleston.