FOCAL Award Winners 2026

Photo from left to right: Ria Hebden (FOCAL Awards host), Jane Fish, Jo Griffin (R3Store Studios), Fiona Kelly, Helen Upcraft (IWM).

The annual FOCAL International Awards took place on 18 June. The event, which is dedicated to honouring the best use of archival footage across creative and cultural industries, announced its 2026 winners across various production, preservation, and personnel categories.

We are proud that Jane Fish, Senior Curator (Film), was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jane has dedicated more than 45 years to IWM, and the evening was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with colleagues and the archive industry community before her retirement.

The German Retreat and Battle of Arras wins Best Archive Restoration

IWM’s film The German Retreat and Battle of Arras (1917) won the prestigious Best Archive Restoration FOCAL International Award. The 74-minute film was restored by IWM over five years to match the original version, shown in British cinemas during the First World War.

This restored film was created through a collaboration between IWM and the University of Udine. The UK premiere was screened at BFI Southbank on 12 April 2026, featuring a new score by Laura Rossi, made possible by the support of The David Lean Foundation. 

Big Battle Films

Battle of Arras is the final part of a trilogy of feature-length films (Battle of the Somme,1916, and Battle of the Ancre, 1917) that recorded the British Army’s campaigns on the Western Front during the First World War. The films were shot by news and documentary cameramen appointed by the War Office, and are mostly an actuality account of battle, shot at or close to the frontlines. The films were seen by audiences of millions in Britain, conveying the nature of trench warfare and the bravery of the ever-stoic Tommies.

Photo from left to right: Laura Rossi (composer), Dr Toby Haggith (IWM curator), Clare Watson (IWM Head of Film)

The restoration

In the early 2000s, IWM began an ambitious project to digitally restore the Big Battle film trilogy. The aims: to create accessible, digital versions, fit for modern exhibition; to restore the films as close as possible to the nature of the originals; where necessary, to correct shot order anomalies and other archival interventions made since the films came to IWM; and to commission new music to accompany the films.

IWM films are available for public screenings 

To request a digital cinema package (DCP), or for any questions regarding IWM's collections, please contact the Image & Film Licensing team.