Hot on the heels of picking up two prizes at the 2026 Smiley Charity Film Awards, our emotional short film The Long Road has now scooped a Royal Television Society (RTS) East Award.

At a glittering awards evening on Cambridge on Friday, 3 July, SubMotion Productions won a RTS East Award for The Long Road: Stories of love, hope and autistic young people with complex needs, taking the top prize in the Promotional Film category. 

The Long Road; Stories of love, hope and autistic young people with complex needs follows the experiences of current Prior's Court young person Zac, alongside alumni Peter and Jenny, and their families, exploring the challenges, perseverance and love that shape their lives. The film has already been viewed more than 200,000 times online and picked up Gold and Bronze awards at the Smiley Charity Film Awards 2026 earlier this year.

The RTS East Awards were presented on Friday, 3 July, celebrating the best broadcast and production talent from across the East of England. Rich and Rach Prendergast, the husband-and-wife team behind SubMotion Productions, attended the ceremony in person to accept the award, where they heard first-hand from fellow attendees about the impact the film had on them.

Read Peter's mum's experience of making the film

Recognising SubMotion's achievement

Rich and Rach worked closely with Prior's Court and the families featured in the film throughout the project, capturing their stories with care and creativity.

Dan Whiteway, Marketing & Communications Manager at Prior's Court: "Sensitive, inquisitive and dedicated are the three words I'd use to describe how Rich and Rach approached The Long Road from start to finish

"They took real care to understand our young people and our community, and that comes through in every part of the finished film. We're incredibly grateful for everything they gave to this project, and this award is thoroughly deserved recognition of their talent.

Read Jenny's dad's experiences

"Our thanks to the families of Zac, Peter and Jenny for sharing their stories, to The Linden Allotment and JubyLee Bakes for allowing us to film at their sites,”

The RTS East Award adds to a growing list of accolades for The Long Road, and is a proud moment for everyone at Prior's Court who contributed to the film. 

Learn about other Prior's Court families' experiences