Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
Discover eight new films on Into Film+ that have previously only been available on Netflix, thanks to our partnership with the streaming service and distributor. Among this special selection of Netflix original titles that you can now watch for free* in the classroom is the hit British animation Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, along with more stop-motion marvels and vibrant children's films about bravery and community.
Plus, new films in German, Spanish and Arabic language, inspiring sports dramas based on true stories, thought-provoking portrayals of war, and award-winning screen adaptations of literary works. For each of these new additions to the Into Film+ catalogue there is a film guide specifically designed to help learners link the content of the stories with topics that they are learning about in the classroom and encountering in life. We are also pleased to share new film guides to accompany the viewing of four previously added Netflix titles.
My Father's Dragon
From the makers of Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells (also available on Into Film+), this vibrant adaptation of the 1948 children's novel centres around Elmer, a young boy who finds himself living in a new city with his struggling mother. After displaying an act of kindness towards a stray cat, the boy is transported to Wild Island, a tropical paradise that is home to an array of colourful and curious beasts, including a funny dragon called Boris who needs a friend.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 7-11 and supports subjects including Literacy and PSHE Education, in addition to highlighting themes surrounding friendship, growing up, magic and poverty.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
This sequel to Chicken Run, the egg-cellent The Great Escape-esque animation, picks up the story of Ginger, Rocky and their feathered friends after escaping Tweedy's farm. Now settled in an idyllic bird sanctuary, Ginger and Rocky have a chick called Molly, who longs to explore the outside world. Molly decides to take matters into her own hands and venture to the nearby chicken "fun-land", meaning her parents and the rest of the chickens must band together and confront their past in order to save her.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 7-11 and supports subjects including Design & Technology, in addition to highlighting themes surrounding family, growing up and inventions.
Nimona
Next, a celebration of friendship, courage, and diversity that explores how appearances can be deceiving. In a Middle-Age-inspired high-tech kingdom, Ballister Boldheart is the first commoner to become a knight in his kingdom, but during the knighting ceremony, his sword malfunctions and kills the queen. Going into hiding, he meets a red-haired teenage girl named Nimona who resolves to become his sidekick. While Ballister is initially reluctant to accept her help, Nimona's shapeshifting abilities prove to be both a blessing and a burden.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 7-11 and supports subjects Art & Design and PSHE Education, in addition to highlighting themes surrounding graphic novel & comics, friendship, magic and animals.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
The director of Pan's Labyrinth (also available on Into Film+) offers up another dark fairy-tale but with a lighter touch in this highly-accessible stop-motion animation that revisits the classic story of Pinocchio. A lonely woodcarver named Geppetto makes a puppet out of pine to remind him of his son who died. A magical fairy brings the puppet to life and names him Pinocchio. But war is looming, and the puppet gets caught up in a wild adventure that will take him far away from his beloved father.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 7-11 and supports subjects including Literacy, in addition to highlighting themes surrounding family, life and death, war, historical periods and visual arts.
The Beautiful Game
Based on a true story, this heart-warming sports drama looks at homelessness, mental health, and the importance of having friends and second chances. Former youth football trainer Mal is scouting for talented footballers to play in the Homeless World Cup when he meets Vinny, a young man who has fallen on hard times. After being introduced to Mal's "dream team", he eventually agrees to join the squad on their trip to Italy for an international tournament, where Vinny's rocky past begins to resurface.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 14-16 and supports subjects including Citizenship and Physical Education in addition to highlighting themes surrounding sporting events, poverty and family.
The Swimmers
This refugee drama is inspired by the real experiences of professional swimmers Sara and Yusra Mardini. Growing up in Damascus, Syria, the sisters hope to one day compete in the Olympic Games. But as war breaks out, they are forced to leave their home and travel to Europe as refugees. The sisters must draw on all their strength to keep going, even diving into the Mediterranean Sea to save fellow migrants from a sinking boat. But when they finally reach safety, their challenges are not yet over.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 14-16 and supports subjects including Geography and Physical Education in addition to highlighting themes surrounding sporting events, refugees and immigration, gender representation and family.
Society of the Snow
Also based on actual events, this Spanish-language film examines the resolve of the human spirit. It's 1972, and a plane carrying 42 passengers including a rugby team crashes in the remote Andes mountains in South America. Incredibly, there are some survivors, but as the conditions worsen, and they suffer through avalanches, sickness and further loss, the group turns to spirituality, philosophy and comradery to strengthen their hope that they may one day be rescued.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 16+ and supports subjects including Religious Education and Film Studies in addition to highlighting themes surrounding ethics, friendship and historical events.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Adapted from the landmark anti-war novel about World War One, this German-language film revives one of modern history's most important stories. In 1917 at the height of The Great War, a seventeen-year-old soldier named Paul Bäumer is conscripted into the German army to fight on the front lines. He and his friends march towards their fate with patriotic excitement, spurred on by the promise of heroism and glory. However, on reaching the frontline, they discover the true horror of war and its impact on the human psyche.
The accompanying film guide is designed to engage learners aged 16+ and supports subjects including Citizenship, History and Film Studies in addition to highlighting themes surrounding ethics, World War One and politics.
Newly added film guides
These titles join the six titles we've previously added from Netflix. Four additional film guides are also now available to download for these titles, two of which are suitable for primary school learners and two for secondary school.
With discussion points relevant to Literacy, History and Art & Design, the film guide for the adventure story The Sea Beast also highlights themes surrounding monsters, travel & exploration and family. The film guide for Christmas-themed film Klaus also supports Literacy, as well as Design & Technology and Citizenship in addition to encouraging discussions on festivals & celebrations, community and folklore.
The short documentary Audible about deaf teen athlete can now be enjoyed alongside a film guide that supports PE and PSHE Education, engaging 11-14-year-olds with themes including sports, disabilities and inclusion, mental health and school. And the film guide for doomsday satire Don't Look Up relates the film to subjects including Citizenship, Science and Politics and prompts further reflection on mass media, fame and consumerism and the environment.
* 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.
Into Film and the Into Film+ streaming service is supported by the UK film industry through Cinema First and the BFI through National Lottery Funding, thanks to National Lottery players.
