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To celebrate this year's LGBT+ History Month in February, we've curated a list of some of the best LGBTQ+ titles available to stream in the classroom on Into Film+ to celebrate this year's theme, Activism and Social Change.
We've teamed up with experts and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community to offer their knowledge from across the lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace spectrum. These crucial contributions inform how we can bring people's stories to light, to not only educate and inspire young people across the UK, but to spark and normalise peer-to-peer discussion around this subject.
Into Film+ is our free* streaming service for schools, and offers 700+ curated educational films, exclusive additional content and teaching resources and guides, supporting educators to feel confident in bringing important LGBTQ+ topics and discussions into the classroom, not just across the month of February, but throughout the year.
Showing young people LGBTQ+ films and media in the classroom is only going to create a more positive and open environment for self-exploration and self-expression. If my teachers had access to and utilised the resources and films that are on offer, I probably would've had better mental health, greater understanding of myself, and I wouldn't have had to hide myself around peers who don't understand what it means to be LGBTQ+
Into Film Award winner Ben Hodge, whose film '1 Year' charts his journey as a transgender student
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How can you use film to celebrate LGBT+ History Month?
Into Film+ is our free* streaming service for schools, and offers a 700+ of curated educational films, exclusive additional content and teaching resources, guides and training, supporting educators to feel confident in bringing important LGBTQ+ topics and discussions into the classroom, not just across the month of February, but throughout the year. Join the 27,000 teachers in the UK using film as an educational resource this LGBT+ History Month.
The collection of films below recognises the activists - individuals, organisations and movements - that have achieved so much change in the constant and complex struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. Film plays a key role in supporting and fostering this social change within the UK education system, and in highlighting that there is still a lot more work to be done towards equality.
Some of the great films in our list include the powerful documentary Are You Proud?, award-winning features such as All About My Mother, The Color Purple and The Imitation Game, and 1 Year, a youth-made short film by Into Film Awards winner, Ben Hodge. You can use these films, film guides and classroom activities to lead assemblies, start conversations and educate and inspire your learners.
The films listed below range from feature films, to shorts, and documentaries, and explore themes such as gender identity and representation, gay and lesbian rights, discrimination, coming out, self and social acceptance. Each of the films has an accompanying film guide to help teachers highlight the key topics, while some titles include exclusive additional content to aid discussion, with voices from Stonewall, The Terrence Higgins Trust, and Brook exploring and supporting the film's themes. You can create your own Highlights and Playlists - making it easier than ever before to tailor your lessons around the films you're teaching, enhancing both engagement and learning outcomes.
Please note: some of the films and resources in this collection include sensitive content. We recommend that educators watch or read all elements of films/content prior to using them in the classroom, and to follow their school's safeguarding protocol if a student is triggered or makes a disclosure as a result.
Feature films
Tomboy (U)
Tomboy is a French-language film sees a youngster named Laure move to a new neighbourhood in Paris, where they begin to explore gender fluidity, choosing to instead go by the name Mickaël, and striving to navigate their new identity around others.
Topics and themes explored: gender identity, fluidity and representation, sexuality, family, friendships, growing up and anti-bullying.
Love, Simon (12)
Love, Simon tells the story of Simon, an ordinary schoolboy with a close family and tight group of friends who he is struggling to come out to. You'll also find two videos from Into Film young reporters which looks at the themes of friendship within the film, and also the film as a book adaptation.
On Into Film+, Love, Simon is accompanied by a film guide and two exclusive pieces of content from Stonewall, who provide an introduction and a closer look into the film's themes.
Topics and themes explored: being gay in secondary school, sexuality, coming out, acceptance, friendship, coming-of-age.
Philadelphia (12)
When high-flying lawyer Andrew Beckett is sacked from his big-league law firm after his bosses learn he has contracted the AIDS virus, it seems he has nowhere to turn for help. Philadelphia is a compelling and moving legal drama that beautifully documents an era of great human tragedy that eventually gave way to hope and optimism about the future.
On Into Film+, Philadelphia is accompanied by a film guide and an exclusive video from The Terrence Higgins Trust, who provide an introduction and a Q&A regarding misinformation about AIDS/HIV.
Topics and themes explored: HIV, AIDS, homophobia, human rights, gay rights, sexuality.
The Imitation Game (12)
This British biographical film tells the true story of British mathematician Alan Turing, who proved instrumental in code-breaking during World War II, but who was later prosecuted because of his sexual identity.
On Into Film+, The Imitation Game is accompanied by a film guide and an LGBTQ+ assembly resource.
Topics and themes explored: gay rights, sexuality, discrimination, LGBTQ+ history, historical figures.
Tokyo Godfathers (12)
This Japanese anime explores gender identity from an Eastern perspective, as a middle-aged alcoholic, a teenage runaway and a former drag queen form a trio of homeless people surviving as a makeshift family on the streets of Tokyo.
Topics and themes explored: gender representation and identity, foreign language, community, friendships, family.
Are You Proud? (15)
Featuring pioneering and rising activists in the UK, this energetic documentary looks at how far the LGBTQ+ movement has come since the decriminalisation of homosexuality, and is a good introduction to human rights and activism, while also being a valuable resource on UK history.
The Color Purple (1985) (15)
Adapting from the classic novel, this drama from director Steven Spielberg is a beautifully shot, life-affirming tale of personal triumph, love and hope.
Pride (15)
Set in 1984, Pride sees an unlikely alliance forming, as a group of gay rights activists offer their support to striking miners.
On Into Film+, Pride is accompanied by a film guide and two exclusive videos from our very own film curation experts.
Topics and themes explored: gay and lesbian activism, democracy, politics, equality, family, friendships, community.
Pariah (15)
Pariah is a film about a Brooklyn-based Black teenager who is juggling conflicting identities, and risking friendship, heartbreak and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.
On Into Film+, Pariah is accompanied by an exclusive video from Brook, who provide an introduction and take a deeper dive into some of the key issues explored in the film.
Topics and themes explored: gay and lesbian rights, sexuality, sexual identity, gender identity and fluidity, racial equality, discrimination.
Tangerine (15)
Shot exclusively on an iPhone, this extraordinary piece of filmmaking tells the story of Los Angeles-based transgender street worker, Sin-Dee, who is released from a short stint in prison. Upon release, she learns that her boyfriend has been unfaithful to her, and embarks on a journey to find and confront him. This is a low-budget film with a lot of humour and a touching message.
Topics and themes explored: trans representation, gender identity and representation, race.
All About My Mother (15)
This Spanish-language drama follows Manuela, a mother who decides to relocate to Barcelona after her son's sudden death, where she sets out to look for her son's father, who has since transitioned.
On Into Film+, All About My Mother is accompanied by a film guide to help you explore the film and its themes with your learners.
Topics and themes explored: trans representation, gender identity and representation, acceptance, family, friendships, love and relationships.
Rope (PG)
Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful drama in which two men host a dinner party after committing what they believe is the perfect crime.
On Into Film+, Rope is accompanied by a film guide to help you explore the film and its themes with your learners.
Topics and themes explored: LGBTQ+ representation
Monster (12)
A Japanese drama told from three different perspectives centring around a troubled schoolboy.
Topics and themes explored: ethics, family, growing up, child safety and film directors.
Nimona (PG)
Based on a graphic novel, ‘Nimona' is a beautifully animated story about friendship, courage, and how appearances can be deceiving.
Topics and themes explored: graphic novel & comics, friendship, magic and animals.
Documentaries from the Educational Recording Agency
Jamie: Drag Queen at 16 (Unclassified)
The inspiration behind the hit stage musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie (as well as the film adaptation of the same name) this is an inspirational story about a gay teenager who yearns to become a drag queen.
Topics and themes explored: gender representation and identity, sexuality, coming-of-age.
Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay (Unclassified)
Pop star and actor Olly Alexander, who has lived with anxiety and depression since his teenage years, looks back on the homophobic bullying he experienced at school, and how this has continued to impact him in his adult life, as well as engaging with youth groups and diversity workshops in schools. With a powerful message advocating for more positive LGBTQ+ inclusion in sex education in schools, this documentary is a powerful, moving and inspirational call to encourage everyone to talk more openly about their mental health and think about the consequences of bullying behaviour.
Topics and themes explored: mental health, gay rights, homophobia, community.
Transitioning Teens (Unclassified)
This investigative documentary follows activist Charlie Craggs as they meet transgender teenagers and hears about their experiences.
Topics and themes explored: trans representation, gender representation and identity, growing up.
Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me (Unclassified)
Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley visits some of the most homophobic countries across the Commonwealth to explore how gay athletes are facing persecution.
Topics and themes explored: gay rights, homophobia, human rights, gay activism, discrimination.
Lily: A Transgender Story (Unclassified)
This documentary covers five years in the life of a transgender teenager in rural Wales.
Topics and themes explored: trans representation, gender representation and identity, growing up.
Leo: Becoming A Trans Man (Unclassified)
This documentary is about a 16-year-old trans boy's journey into embodying his gender identity.
Topics and themes explored: trans representation, gender representation and identity, growing up.
LGBTQ+ Short Films
Short film can be a great way of using film in the classroom when you don't have the time to watch a full-length feature. Into Film+ includes a number of short films that explore a variety of LGBTQ+ stories and narratives.
In addition, Into Film+ also boasts several short films from Peccadillo Pictures, including Closets, Silly Girl, Happy & Gay, An Afternoon, Run (A)way Arab and Sign. Peccadillo is an award-winning UK film distributor of Art House, LGBTQ+ and International Cinema.
1 Year - An award-winning youth short
1 Year is a short film made by young filmmaker Ben Hodge, and follows his personal experience of transitioning. Ben's inspiring film won Best Documentary at the 2020 Into Film Awards.
We reached out to Ben, who had this to say about the importance of having LGBTQ+ films and resources available in the classroom: "Showing young people LGBTQ+ films and media in the classroom is only going to create a more positive and open environment for self-exploration and self-expression. In school, if my teachers had access to and utilised the resources and films that are on offer, I probably would've had better mental health, greater understanding of myself, and I wouldn't have had to hide myself around peers who don't understand what it is to be LGBTQ+. Encourage conversations about what that means as well as what self expression and understanding looks like - it will really create a more inclusive community within your school".
Resources and Training
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.
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.
