Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
As the school year kicks into gear, we are happy to announce an invigorating batch of titles for students and teachers to dig into throughout the school year. Broadway musical adaptation Dear Evan Hansen leads the way with its themes of mental health and ethics whilst animation also takes centre stage with the classic Prince of Egypt next to the more modern and comedic Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. With documentaries covering a range of topics such as the worlds of dog training and extreme rock climbing too, there are new titles for all age groups with accompanying film guides built to guide classroom discussion and explore new themes and ideas.
Dear Evan Hansen
After his classmate dies from suicide, a teenage boy tells a lie suggesting they were close friends when in reality they barely knew each other. But after Evan's speech at his fellow student's memorial goes viral and he becomes a beacon of hope for kids his age struggling with their mental health all around the world, he wonders whether continuing the lie is for the greater good.
With Mental Health Awareness Week taking place from 2-8 October and the stage musical's run on the West End set to end later that month, this is a timely addition to Into Film+ which will allow audiences all around the UK to access a hugely popular and relevant adaptation for young audiences.
We also have an exclusive Q&A recorded in 2021 at the time of the film's theatrical release featuring cast member Nik Dodani, director Stephen Chbosky, and Jane Caro from the Mental Health Foundation, hosted by broadcaster/campaigner Gina Martin, in which they explore the themes of the film.
The Prince of Egypt
This classic DreamWorks animation tells the biblical story of Moses and his quest to free his people from slavery in Ancient Egypt. Taken in by the Pharaoh's family, Moses is raised as nobility, but when he finds out the truth about who he really is he rallies to the people's cause, following a message from God.
With beautiful design and a fantastic original soundtrack, this is a rare depiction of religion on screen for a primary audience.
Teen Titans Go! to the Movies
In this lively adaptation of the popular animated TV series, the DC Comics superhero team are off to Hollywood. Their leader, Robin, is determined to finally step out of Batman's shadow and into the spotlight with their very own movie. But in order to be recognised as a relevant crime-fighting squad, they need to find a nemesis.
While superhero movies for a slightly older, teenage crowd have dominated cinemas over recent years, this smart and funny riff on the genre for younger audiences is every bit as colourful and creative, playfully tackling its setting and characters.
Pick of the Litter
Five adorable Labrador puppies from the same litter are taken through training in their quest to become guide dogs for the blind and partially sighted. Primrose, Patriot, Potomac, Poppet, and Phil are each adopted by owners and put through their paces to see which has the necessary skills and appropriate personality for the crucial role.
This accessible, entertaining, and educational documentary highlights an underrepresented area of society and explores the many fascinating elements of the process in training guide dogs.
An Inspector Calls
When an enigmatic inspector turns up at the Birling residence, the upper-class family are immediately concerned. It turns out that a young woman in their industrial town has committed suicide and each of them have a connection to her, with many secrets and truths to be revealed.
This classic English text - originally premiered as a play by dramatist J.B. Priestley in the 1940s - is a much-studied work across the UK as part of the English Literature GCSE curriculum, and its themes around class, age, and social responsibility remain as relevant as ever.
The Queen
Directed by Stephen Frears, this engaging drama focuses on a fateful event in modern history, the death of Princess Diana. The Queen imagines the private moments of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her interactions with Tony Blair in the aftermath of this tragic incident.
With the Queen celebrating her 70th anniversary as the nation's monarch earlier this year and public interest in the royal family never greater through shows like The Crown (from the same writer, Peter Morgan), this fascinating drama provides a great introduction for young people discussing the monarchy.
Free Solo
Free solo climbing is the activity of ice or rock climbing without the use of any safety equipment (such as ropes or harnesses), and unlike bouldering involves climbing above safe heights, thereby making it one of the most dangerous sports in the world. Alex Honnold is one of the world's foremost free soloists, and in this documentary sets out to climb the seemingly unconquerable El Capitan rock formation which stands at over 3,000ft.
Free Solo was a smash-hit at the box office and won Best Documentary at the Academy Awards. It became a word-of-mouth sensation, with climbers and non-climbers alike fascinated by the central challenge, the incredible imagery, and the enigmatic protagonist at the heart of the film.
Official Secrets
This British thriller tells the true story of GCHQ analyst Katharine Gun who, in 2003, became a whistleblower related to the impending invasion of Iraq. Stunned by a memo she's received which reveals the US and UK's intention to blackmail other countries into supporting their resolution for war, she takes a huge risk by leaking the information to the press.
Given the huge number of political controversies that have occurred in recent years, Official Secrets and its exploration of modern democracy remains incredibly relevant. It also allows for discussions around the ethics of whistleblowing and provides an accessible and engaging way into discussing the events leading up to the Iraq War.
Land of Mine
This underseen German language film tells the story of teenage prisoners of war in Demark who are forced to clear land mines after the end of World War II. The German boys must serve the Danish Army and remove mines buried by the Nazis on the country's west coast despite the volatile, unpredictable, and dangerous nature of this activity, as well as coping with the hostility of their hosts.
Land of Mine is an incredibly tense viewing experience which puts young people at the forefront of the story and poses questions around ethics, as well as being a great title for those studying German.
