Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
As the year begins to draw to a close after a hard-working first term in the classroom for teachers and educators and students alike, we want to help you wind down. With the season upon us, schools across the UK can turn their attention to celebrating the end of term by streaming festive favourites and feel-good films on Into Film+.
From festive classics to feel-good favourites, there's a film for everyone in the films highlighted below, including feature-length and short films, for both primary and secondary students. Titles range from heart-warming hits we enjoy year-after-year, to new releases, animated shorts and even festive archive films from the BFI, so you're sure to find something to enjoy with your students! Plus - refer a friend to Into Film+ and you'll both be entered in our prize draw! Find out more below.
All films are matched with supplemental film guides and resources to inject some festive cheer and fun into your learning this end of term. Plus, if you're a state school in England that's funded by the Department for Education, you'll have access to Into Film+ Premium, which offers even more films with which to foster the festive spirit!
We also have film guides and resources to help bring an extra dimension to watching these titles in the classroom, as well as the return of the Into Film Festive Quiz with brand new, exciting questions to engage your students.
Last year we loved seeing how your clubs and classroom screenings were getting into the festive spirit, so don't forget to share which seasonal films and activities you'll be engaging with this December with us on X (formerly Twitter) at @intofilm_edu!
Still craving more festive favourites? Our Christmas, Humbug! playlist playfully explores the excitement and nuances of Christmas through humour, pathos, song, and resolution, using relatable examples in much-loved festive films and highlighting a range of Christmas traditions.
As you dust off your fairy lights, dig out your stocking and un-bend your twinkling star for the top of the tree, the only thing left to do to really get you in the festive mood is cosy down and watch a festive film!
The Into Film Team
Get into the festive spirit with Into Film+
Feature films
A Christmas Carol (2009) (PG)
Jim Carrey plays multiple roles in Robert Zemeckis' computer animated version of what is surely the most enduringly popular Christmas story of them all, in which a miserly old man is visited by three ghosts at Christmas, with life changing results. Charles Dickens probably never dreamt his tale would one day look like this!
Elf (PG)
This hilarious modern classic has captured the imaginations of children and adults alike, with perhaps no festive film released this century matching it for heart or popularity.
Home Alone (PG)
A John Hughes classic that's as funny and charming today as it ever was, with Macauley Culkin giving one of the most iconic child performances of all time as the innovative 10 year old who goes up against two bumbling crooks.
It's a Wonderful Life (U)
One of the most beloved films of all-time, It's a Wonderful Life continues to tug at the heartstrings and affect audiences more than six decades after it was first released. A classic in the true sense of the word.
The Grinch (2018) (U)
Benedict Cumberbatch lends his distinctive vocals to this computer animated version of Dr. Seuss' imaginative story that sees a mean-hearted green creature discovering the true meaning of Christmas.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (U)
An all-singing, all-dancing take on Charles Dickens' classic tale, which features esteemed actor Michael Caine as the only human actor among a cast of hilarious and chaotic muppets.
The Polar Express (U)
Another digital animation from Robert Zemeckis, this visually arresting film sees Tom Hanks take on multiple roles and provides a magical journey to the North Pole and the heart of Santa's operation.
Tokyo Godfathers (12)
This fast-paced and funny anime from Japan is about a homeless trio who discover an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve.
Klaus (PG)
A gorgeously animated Christmassy film that teaches that one act of kindness leads to another, as a hopeless postal worker recruits a reclusive toymaker to boost his deliveries.
Sing 2 (PG)
This sequel to the wildly popular original sees musical theatre manager Buster Moon and his friends attempting to convince reclusive rock star Clay Calloway to come out of retirement for a brand-new show.
Elemental (U)
This dazzling adventure from Pixar follows two wildly opposing elements as they meet in Element City and begin to become drawn to one another, despite their differences, leading to a story that to a love story that gently touches upon themes of immigration and the difficulties of assimilation, showing audiences that society can succeed through understanding and collaboration.
Jungle Cruise (12)
Like Pirates of the Caribbean before it, this adventure is based on a Disney theme park ride, and sees Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson star as a riverboat captain who plies his trade giving tours down the Amazon, until he becomes embroiled in an adventure to find the mythical Tree of Life.
Yesterday (12)
A struggling musician wakes up after an accident to find that he is the only person in the world who remembers The Beatles in this entertaining fantasy that fuses the joy of music, with important topics such as the cost of super-stardom and respecting intellectual property.
Short films
The Snowman and the Snowdog (U)
Made to celebrate the 30th anniversary of beloved classic The Snowman, this short uses the same charming, hand-drawn animation style to tell a sweet, wintry story about a boy mourning the death of his pet pooch, who decides to rebuild him out of snow.
Robin Robin (U)
This is a funny and heartfelt short animation, accompanied by catchy musical songs, that discusses themes of family, belonging and growing up, as a sweet little robin, raised by a family of mice, is surprised to find out about her true nature.
Partridge in a Bear Tree (Unclassified)
This English language short comes from a Welsh production company called Cloth Cat Animation, and is a beautifully animated film with a beautiful musical score by award winning Composer Kirsten Evans. The perfect short film for a cosy winter's day.
2025: The Long Hot Winter (Unclassified)
This satirical mockumentary that conducts interviews with Londoners during the winter heatwave of 2025 is full of funny moments, but dispersed throughout are reminders that this is a reality that could very well be on the horizon. 2025: The Long Hot Winter tackles a vital subject in an entertaining fashion and is a perfect accompaniment to lessons about climate change and environmentalism.
Arthur Christmas (U)
How does Santa deliver so many presents in a single night? The answer's revealed in this computer-animated fantasy from Aardman that gives an imaginative and hugely amusing twist to the magic of Christmas.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG)
This warm family drama recounts the story of how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, establishing many of the holiday traditions we know today in the process. Entertaining and educational, the film opens up the creative process, highlights issues around social inequality, and captures something of the life of one of our greatest authors.
Happy Feet (U)
A young emperor penguin who can tap dance - but not sing like the rest of his community - is cast out into the wilderness where he meets a whole range of characters and seeks to understand his place in the world.
BFI Archive Shorts
Christmas is Coming!
This selection of special archive shorts celebrates the joys of Christmas. From early cut-out animation to the first filmed version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, these shorts are a perfect way to start the festive season in the classroom. The films are also a great introduction to early filmmaking, with silent shorts and some of the first cinematic storytelling techniques included here.
How Do I Get Started?
To access Into Film+, all you'll need is an Into Film Account - it's completely free, and only takes a moment to set up. Into Film+ is free to use for all UK state schools that hold a valid Public Video Screening (PVS) Licence from Filmbankmedia.
Filmbankmedia PVS Licences are paid for on behalf of schools by all local authorities in England and by some local authorities in both Wales and Scotland. Into Film NI cover the license cost for some schools in Northern Ireland. For further information on licensing in your locality please see our FAQs.
If you're a state school in England that's funded by the Department for Education, you will automatically have access to Into Film+ Premium, which offers an extended catalogue of 500+ titles. Find out more about Into Film+ Premium in our FAQs.
If you don't have a PVS Licence, or aren't already covered, then a licence can easily be obtained from Filmbankmedia.
Filmbankmedia
Filmbankmedia licenses and distributes film and TV entertainment to many groups and is the licensing authority we work with to ensure schools, libraries and youth groups have the permissions to screen films from our catalogue.
* Screenings for an entertainment or extra-curricular purpose require a PVS (Public Video Screening) Licence from Filmbankmedia. State-funded schools in England are covered by the PVS Licence.
Into Film and the Into Film+ streaming service is supported by the UK film industry through Cinema First and the BFI through National Lottery Funding, thanks to National Lottery players. Since the very first National Lottery draw in 1994, public support - raised directly through National Lottery ticket sales - has funded more than 670,000 projects, raising more than £46 billion for good causes.
