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April is here along with an abundance of highly anticipated new releases in cinemas. We've picked out the most engaging, educational and entertaining films suitable for young audiences. Read on to discover the latest documentaries, live-action features, animated worlds, and genre-bending cinematic experiences available across the UK this month.
A hugely popular video game gets taken to a whole new level, where creativity is the key to survival. We delve into the working-class background of distinguished Welsh actor Richard Burton. An animated fable helps broach the sensitive topic of the Holocaust. A British coming-of-age drama invites us to live in the moment. The six wives of Henry VIII reclaim their identity in a musical extravaganza. A penguin brings unexpected cheer to a school in Buenos Aires. Supernatural forces lurk in the shadows in a new period thriller. And a documentary sequel explores how a radical conservation method restores life to damaged lands.
A Minecraft Movie (PG) - in cinemas 4 April
Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time, gets a live-action BLOCKbuster debut on the big screen. Four misfits dealing with their own ordinary lives are pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld, a bizarre magical wonderland where everything is cubic. To get back home, they have to master this world while embarking on a quest, reconnecting with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative - the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world. A fun-packed film to inspire teamwork and activate your imagination.
Mr. Burton (12A) - in cinemas 4 April
This biographical drama explores the early life of Welsh actor Richard Burton, known as Richie Jenkins in his youth. As a teenager, Richie lives with his older sister and her husband in Port Talbot as their boozing father, a miner, doesn't want to look after them. Despite the pressure to leave school and earn money, Richie's teacher Mr. Burton sees potential in him. Under his mentor's tutelage, Richard discovers that there might just be a world beyond the life of manual labour he's been born into and come to expect, but must find his voice - both literally and figuratively - in order to do so.
The Most Precious of Cargoes (12A) - in cinemas 4 April
This French-language animation is a gentle and accessible fable that nevertheless does not shy away from the horrors of the Holocaust. A woodcutter and his wife live in poverty and misery in a snowy forest. Nearby, trains roll past taking people to a concentration camp. One day, the woodcutter's wife finds a baby in the snow by the train tracks and decides to adopt her. The woodcutter is angry at first, believing as many locals do that the child is of the "Heartless" people. But slowly, his own heart melts, and he discovers that he'll do anything to protect her.
Last Swim (15) - in cinemas 4 April
It's A-Level results day, and British Iranian teen Ziba plans to spend the day celebrating with her friends. She's expecting to get top grades to study Astrophysics at university, so what better way to mark the occasion than by watching a once-in-a-lifetime meteor shower on Primrose Hill. But her careful itinerary of organised fun gets derailed after a dreaded phone call from her doctor, and Ziba decides to throw caution to the wind. Together with her gang and new guy Malcom, she learns to embrace the present. However, there's one more twist of fate waiting for them all.
Six The Musical Live! (12A) - in cinemas 6 April
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived - but make it a musical. In this live recording of a hit West End show, the six wives of King Henry VIII step out of the shadow of their infamous husband and reclaim their own narratives. Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr come together in a singing competition, also arguing which of them had the worst fate. But through song, the Tudor women also find empowerment and unity. This revisionist take on historical events brings a fresh prospective to issues surrounding gender and politics.
The Penguin Lessons (12A) - in cinemas 18 April
This feel-good comedy is based on the true story of Tom Michell, a British teacher who accidentally adopts a penguin while teaching at a boarding school in Argentina during the 1976 coup d'état. Initially grumpy and detached, Tom starts looking at life in a new way, thanks to the bird that he rescues and who won't leave him alone. As political tension in the streets becomes serious, and as students and staff at the school also face challenges, the presence of the endearing penguin somehow brings about much needed positivity and change.
Sinners (15) - in cinemas 18 April
From director Ryan Coogler (whose previous films Black Panther and Creed are available to watch on Into Film+) comes a genre-twisting thriller set in the Jim Crow era of the 1930s. Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers Smoke and Stack return to their hometown in the Deep South to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Combining African American folk magic, music abandon and unsettling supernatural powers, the film also addresses primordial fears and themes that resonate with contemporary sensibilities.
Escape from Extinction: Rewilding (12A) - in cinemas 22 April
A follow up to the 2020 documentary exploring international efforts to preserve animal species (available to watch on Into Film+) this new film delves into rewilding, a method of sustainable conservation that has gained increased attention in recent years. This innovative and brilliantly natural approach aims to restore natural ecosystems and increase biodiversity by minimising human impact. Showcasing rewilding projects from all over the world, the film features experts in the field who explain the impact of climate change and offer hope for the future.
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 700+ 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.
The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.
