Ten Stories for Ten Years: The Into Film Festival

04 Sep 2024

3 mins
Into Film Festival Attendees
Into Film Festival Attendees

The Into Film Festival is the world's largest free film festival for young people. For some, it's the first time they've ever been to a cinema. In addition to thousands of screenings, we run special events with industry partners, including talks, panel discussions and Q&A sessions with actors, directors and behind-the-scenes crew. Our aim is to highlight the educational value of a cinema visit and inspire a life-long love of film.

Below, Linda Cramer, a teacher at St Mark's Catholic School in Hounslow, London, explains why the Into Film Festival is so important to her school.

"In 2015 I took 34 Year 12 students to a Suffragette screening and Q&A session at the Regent Street Cinema in London. I wanted to use the event as a case study of an independent UK film for our Y12 AS Media.

For the majority of students, this film would never have been on their radar, but the event tied in perfectly with our study of the film industry. Watching Suffragette in such a beautiful historic venue, and the Q&A session afterwards with actor Romola Garai and screenwriter Abi Morgan afterwards, was invaluable.

For the majority of students, this film would never have been on their radar, but the event tied in perfectly with our study of the film industry.

Linda Cramer, Teacher at St Mark's Catholic School in Hounslow, London, on the value of the Into Film Festival

During the Q&A, the students heard about all the different roles involved in the production process, including less visible roles such as producer, and found the continually evolving process of writing a screenplay really interesting. They were directly able to use the information from the session in their AS Level exam.

The event led to further discussions about inequality and how the themes of the film are still relevant today. The resources that accompanied the screening were also very useful; I gave them to our PSHCE coordinator who used them across the school for sessions on equality.

The students really enjoyed the whole experience and it has made them more receptive to watching films that initially may not have appealed. Visiting the cinema is also quite expensive for them but the Into Film Festival is free, and provided a fantastic opportunity to see a film they wouldn't normally see in an amazing venue they wouldn't usually visit."

Bookings for the 2024 Into Film Festival open on the morning on Tuesday 10 September.

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