Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
Since 2012, the Sundance Institute has been bringing its world-renowned film festival from the arid deserts and natural beauty of Utah to the more sprawling cosmopolitan city of London, putting a spotlight on up and coming filmmakers whose films aim to tell important and essential stories from around the world. A champion of independent cinema, the Sundance Institute has been responsible for giving a platform to some of the most important films of the modern era, from Jordan Peele's Get Out to Damian Chazelle's Whiplash, both available on Into Film+.
Now, in 2024, Sundance London Film Festival returns to Picturehouse Central between Thursday 6 and Sunday 9 June, giving British audiences the opportunity to view some hugely anticipated films before their release further down the cinema calendar. Our Curation team at Into Film have picked their top recommendations for the festival, with a select focus on films that have ties to the school curriculum or hold a special interest for young audiences. Alongside these films, we have also included a similar title that you can find on our curated streaming service Into Film+.
Rob Peace (14+)
Based on a true story, this biopic explores the difficulties faced by Black men in a society that is not set up to allow them to thrive. As a young boy growing up in an impoverished Black New Jersey neighbourhood, Robert Peace sees his beloved father accused of the murder of two women and sent to jail. As he grows into a young man, his genius and gift for scientific studies becomes apparent and, with the backing of his loving mother, he is accepted into the prestigious school Yale to study and begin a new life. However, his father's incarceration and his cultural background remain an important part of Rob's life and he struggles to balance the world of academia with the troubles faced by a young Black man in late 20th century America. With the cost of his father's legal fees continuing to rise, Rob must turn to a life of petty crime to keep his world from imploding.
If this sounds like your kind of film then be sure to check out Hidden Figures on Into Film+
Didi (16+)
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Sean Wang, Didi is his autobiographical fiction feature debut, a coming-of-age comedy about being a first-generation teenager in the US. Set in the summer of 2008, 13-year-old Chris is a Taiwanese-American boy who is trying to find his place in the world alongside his family, friends, and classmates. With his father working away in Taiwan, he lives with three women - his Mandarin-speaking mother and grandmother, and his older sister Vivian who is set to leave for college at the end of the summer - and finds them each overbearing in their own way. His social circle is no easier to navigate, either in person or online, as he seeks to navigate the complicated new world of social media. Whether it's his best friend Fahad, his crush Madi, or his new gang of skateboarders that he films, Chris must decide exactly who he is and if he's prepared to own it in this authentic, funny, and heartfelt ode to adolescence.
If this sounds like your kind of film, be sure to check out Lady Bird on Into Film+
My Old Ass (16+)
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you met your future self? What questions would you ask, what questions would you avoid? For self-assured teenager Elliot, this situation becomes a reality when, on her 18th birthday, a drug-induced trip ends with her lying under the stars, talking to her 39-year old future self. After the two Elliots share an emotional night discussing everything they can think of, younger Elliot wakes up to find a number in her phone that allows her to keep communicating with her future self. However, the one piece of advice that she does not expect is to stay away from a boy called "Chad" right when Chad walks into her life. This heartfelt indie comedy, with a star-making performance from Maisy Stella, examines the fears many young adults have about their future whilst also encouraging us all to live in the moment.
If this sounds like your kind of film, be sure to check out Eighth Grade on Into Film+
