Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
We are delighted to reveal that - just in time for the new school year - we have added eight new feature films to Into Film+, the only free* and rights-compliant film streaming service for UK schools. The new additions are a mix of new releases, old-school favourites, and films that tie in with calendar dates that fall during the coming Autumn term. They cater for young audiences of all ages and cover a variety of subjects, and each have an accompanying resource to spark further discussion.
The new additions are:
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 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.
Into Film and the Into Film+ streaming platform is supported by the UK film industry through Cinema First and the BFI through National Lottery Funding, thanks to National Lottery players.
* Screenings of Filmbankmedia's films for an entertainment or extra-curricular purpose require a Public Video Screening Licence (PVSL) from Filmbankmedia. State-funded schools in England are covered by the PVSL.
The Latest Releases on Into Film+
Onward
Disney/Pixar's animation about two elven teenage brothers - living in a fantastical world that has put magic aside in favour of technological advances - initially received only a brief theatrical release before the pandemic caused cinemas to close. However, it has since become a hit with children of all ages and features themes around family within an exciting quest storyline.
The film guide for Onward is most relevant for students aged 7-11 and explores subjects such as PSHE education and art & design, with activities around magic spells and creating your own fantasy character.
White Riot
Released into cinemas in September 2020, White Riot was one of many titles that didn't receive the attention or audience it deserved due to the ongoing uncertainty around health and safety which we've all experienced through the last 18 months. Now, we have an opportunity to give this terrific documentary the platform it deserves: the film is a perfect fit for young audiences, providing an accessible way into topics around racism and the role of the arts in British history.
The film guide for White Riot is most relevant for students aged 14-16 and explores subjects such as politics, history, film studies, and music, with activities exploring anti-racist organisations and musicians.
Black History Month (October)
Do the Right Thing
We have two new titles for Black History Month in October, one a seminal Film Studies text from US auteur Spike Lee, Do the Right Thing follows a diverse Brooklyn community over 24 hours as tensions run high on the hottest day of the year.
The film guide for Do the Right Thing is most relevant for students aged 16+ and explores subjects such as film studies, citizenship, history, and politics, with activities around political ideology and the rise in representation of police brutality on screen.
A United Kingdom
Another film perfect for Black History Month is a more modern British production from Amma Asante. A United Kingdom uncovers the true story of a controversial romance between a Botswanan king and a white British woman in the late 1940s.
The film guide for A United Kingdom is most relevant for students aged 11-14 and explores subjects such as history, politics, and citizenship, with activities around the post-World War Two period in Britain and further research into Ruth and Seretse's lives.
If you want to explore Black History Month further, there are a selection of titles already available on Into Film+, including Belle, BlacKkKlansman, The Hate U Give, Selma, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
World Space Week (Mon 4 - Sun 10 October)
Arrival
Arriving in time for World Space Week (Mon 4 to Sun 10 October) is Arrival, a fascinating sci-fi about language, communication, and cooperation between countries. When alien spaceships land in numerous locations across the world, it's a race against time to develop a shared language with the creatures and to find out what they want.
The film guide for Arrival is most relevant for students aged 14-16 and explores subjects such as film studies and citizenship, with activities exploring alien landings and composing out-of-sequence short stories.
Other titles related to Space Week that are already available on Into Film+ include E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Hidden Figures, The Martian, and A Wrinkle in Time.
Into Film Favourites
School of Rock
As students return to school, what better title to celebrate the occasion than School of Rock? It sees Jack Black star as a rock musician who pretends to be a teacher so that he can pay his rent, and who is passionate about wanting to teach the kids about music. With nearly 6,000 reviews on the Into Film website, School of Rock remains an incredibly popular title despite approaching the 20 year anniversary of its release!
The film guide for School of Rock is most relevant for students aged 11-14 and explores subjects such as music and PSHE education, with activities around different genres of music as well as the role it plays in students' lives.
We Bought A Zoo
Aimed at a similar age group to School of Rock - upper-primary and lower-secondary students - We Bought A Zoo is another film on our catalogue which continues to be much-viewed. It tells the remarkable true story of a family who buy a new house - which has a zoo attached! - after the death of their wife and mother, as they seek to rebuild their lives.
The film guide for We Bought A Zoo is most relevant for students aged 7-11 and explores subjects such as PSHE education and art & design, with activities around zookeeping and designing a poster for the zoo's reopening.
Home
Finally, for our youngest audiences, Home is an alien invasion animation full of colourful comic characters. The story follows a tribe of small purple aliens who are on the run and decide to relocate to Earth - but one of the aliens, named Oh, finds himself unable to fit into his community's conformist ways.
The film guide for Home is most relevant for students aged 5-7 and explores subjects such as PSHE education and art & design, with activities around adjusting to new surroundings and designing a poster for planet Earth.
Keep an eye out for further titles which will be added to the platform throughout the year, and in the meantime, for more features and short films on Into Film+, browse our extensive catalogue and decide what films are going to be your next screenings.
