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The BFI London Film Festival not only offers audiences previews of the biggest and most anticipated upcoming cinema releases, but also the chance to discover hidden gems from some of the most creative storytellers from around the world.
The 68th edition, which came to a close last week, featured a programme of 253 titles. Here are our top picks of the most inspiring, educational and all-round enjoyable films suitable for young audiences, as chosen by our three curators Michael Prescott [MP], Steven Ryder [SR] and Charlotte Micklewright [CM]. Look out for some of these features arriving in UK cinemas in the next twelve months including free screenings for school groups as part of our very own Into Film Festival.
The Wild Robot - suitable for students aged 7+
Already being talked about as one of the best animated films of the year, this children's book adaptation strikes a perfectly tuned balance between heartwarming, thrilling and wisecracking. The story begins with a newly built robot crashlanding on a remote island. Roz the robot yearns to fulfil her programmed function of assisting people, but the local animals, accustomed to fending for themselves within their ecosystem, view her with distrust all except for a wily fox and an orphaned gosling who needs to learn how to swim and fly. The robot in turn must discover her true nature in the wilderness. [CM]
The Wild Robot is in cinemas now. Find your nearest free cinema screening of The Wild Robot as part of the 2024 Into Film Festival here, including special events.
If you like the sound of this... you may also like The Iron Giant on Into Film+. This beloved classic is about another misunderstood robot who crash lands from out of space and is befriended by a child.
Endurance - suitable for students aged 11+
This dual-narrative documentary is an exploration-within-an-exploration: archive footage which has been restored to astonishing effect tracks the original journey of Ernest Shackleton and his crew in 1915 as they attempt to reach the South Pole, while in the modern day a team of investigators seek to find his shipwrecked vessel, Endurance. The historical expedition which took place over a century ago is brought to life with modern technology and is juxtaposed with a team of modern-day equivalents to Shackleton and co. as they use advancements in science to undertake an incredible mission of their own which will dazzle students of Science, Geography, and History. [MP]
Endurance is in cinemas now.
If you like the sound of this... you may also like Fire of Love on Into Film+. This awe-inspiring documentary, full of incredible archive footage, tells the story of a husband and wife team of volcano explorers.
Blitz - suitable for students aged 11+
Steve McQueen's wartime drama, set across a day in September 1940 when Britain's cities were being bombed, opened this year's festival. It tells the story of a young boy, George, who is reluctantly evacuated from London and sent to live in the countryside by his mother after a frightening incident in the city. Despite her desire for him to be safe, George refuses to obey the orders he's been given and sets off on an adventure to find his way back home. This fresh perspective on Britain's communities adapting to wartime life offers greater representation of society and its attitudes compared to previous films on the subject. [MP]
Blitz will be released in cinemas from 1 November 2024.
If you like the sound of this, you may also like Their Finest on Into Film+. This heartfelt drama follows a female scriptwriter who makes propaganda films to raise the spirits of British communities.
That Christmas - suitable for students aged 5+
Adapted from three children's books by beloved writer Richard Curtis, That Christmas is set to be a new festive favourite with families all around the country. It tells various interconnected stories that take place over Christmas in a quiet British seaside town on the Suffolk coast. Danny must adjust to a different sort of Christmas with his overworked, recently-divorced mum, while twins Sam and Charlie confound Santa's plans for presents, and a number of the town's parents find themselves stranded as Christmas Day approaches! Made by the recently-formed British studio Locksmith Animation (following up their first film, Ron's Gone Wrong), this is a festive treat about community spirit. [MP]
That Christmas will be released in cinemas from 29 November 2024 and released on Netflix from 4 December 2024.
If you like the sound of this, you may also like The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales... on Into Film+. This French language film is comprised of three stories, one set at Christmas, and all involving a cast of cute farmyard animals!
Grand Theft Hamlet - suitable for students aged 14+
This often hilarious, and strangely poignant, documentary poses a question so audacious and yet so simple that it's hard to believe something like it hasn't been attempted before - is it possible to stage a Shakespeare play in an online game? Made during the pandemic and taking place entirely within the world of Grand Theft Auto 5, Grand Theft Hamlet follows two actor friends as they cast, rehearse and finally perform Shakespeare's Hamlet in this digital landscape, discovering much about themselves along the way. A mixed-media treat. [SR]
Grand Theft Hamlet will be released in cinemas from 6 December 2024.
If you like the sound of this... you may also like 10 Things I Hate About You on Into Film+, another unconventional re-telling of a Shakespeare story, this time taking place in an American high school and following the characters of The Taming of the Shrew.
Nickel Boys - suitable for students aged 14+
This drama set during the Jim Crow era is shot in a first-person point-of-view, immersing the viewer into a highly cinematic experience. Elwood is an intelligent and idealistic African American sixteen-year-old, who through a miscarriage of justice ends up at a brutal reform school. Elwood is appalled by the exploitation and abuse taking place and wants to do something about it. His friend Turner is more sceptical about their chances, but at the same time his sunny friendship brings light into Elwood's life. The film explores a difficult chapter in the history of Civil Rights while remaining remarkably tender and accessible. [CM]
Nickel Boys will be released in cinemas from 3 January 2025.
If you like the sound of this... you may also like Harriet on Into Film+. Also based on historical events, this rousing film similarly spotlights a woman's fight against exploitation and injustice.
Superboys of Malegaon - suitable for students aged 11+
Based on a true story and set over two decades, this feel-good drama and love-letter to filmmaking tells the story of a group of friends who live in Malegaon, India - a small town reached by a six-hour drive from Mumbai. Malegaon has its own cinema that has been struggling under pressure from the local authorities, leading employee and film-enthusiast Nasir, and his ragtag friendship group, to begin making their own action films, which soon become a local phenomenon. Ideal for Film Studies students who want to delve into practical work, this is a moving and humorous film about following your artistic passion, no matter what your circumstances may be. [SR]
If you like the sound of this... you may also like Supa Modo on Into Film+. This Kenyan drama sees a village come together to make a young girl's dream of becoming a superhero come true when she is diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Ellis Park - suitable for students aged 14+
Warren Ellis is one of Australia's most beloved musicians and composers, assembling a career of pioneering songs, collaborations and compositions for film. In this compelling documentary, we learn more about his journey as a musician, the influence of his father on his life and, most strikingly his passion for conservation. Travelling to the wildlife sanctuary that he co-founded in Indonesia, Ellis' disarming charm and unique outlook on life sheds a new light on the importance of caring for nature when it is struggling to fend for itself. [SR]
If you like the sound of this... you may also like Akashinga: The Brave Ones on Into Film+, a documentary short about a trained group of female rangers who protect endangered animals from poachers.
The Shadow Scholars - suitable for students aged 14+
Patricia Kingori studied hard for her sociology degree and was the youngest Black woman to become an Oxford Professor. But she has discovered that even at this prestigious university, some desperate students pay online ‘shadow scholars' to write their essays and dissertations for them. Most of these skilled ghostwriters can be traced to Kenya, where a lack of opportunities for highly qualified graduates has led to the proliferation of this multi-billion-dollar industry. Exploring issues around post-colonialism, economics, technology and ethics, this intriguing documentary will be a thought-provoking watch for students navigating their own way through the education system and careers. [CM]
If you like the sound of this... you may also like A Moving Image on Into Film+. Blending the boundaries between fact and fiction, this film dives into the changing culture and economics of an area and the displacement it causes.
