Cop26: A Moment for Change

01 Nov 2021

8 mins
Chasing Ice - Doc Academy
Chasing Ice - Doc Academy

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties or 'COP26' (31 October - 12 November 2021) is officially underway in Glasgow, with the aim of accelerating action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. 

Those goals have focused extensively on keeping the planet's temperature from rising any higher than 1.5C and considering that it has already reached about 1.1C, the conference represents a crucial opportunity to make more radical commitments and prevent further climate catastrophe.

Young people are and will be at the centre of this effort so it is essential that they are provided with an engaging and accessible way of understanding the issues at hand. Our curated collection of film lists, resources, film guides and titles to watch on Into Film+ can do just that as well as our new Into Film Awards category, 'Changes for a Better World', which allows your students to engage with environmental issues in a creative way. Check out all that below, together with some of the brilliant work that Into Film Scotland have been conducting.

For a broad starting point, you can either head to our Climate Change theme page or our Respect for the Environment film list.

Into Film+ Titles

If you're looking for something more specific, our free* streaming service for UK schools, Into Film+ features the exceptional feature film, The Biggest Little Film, which is accompanied by a tailored film guide. Meanwhile, four additional short films can be used to great effect if you want to learn about climate change through film but are more limited on lesson time and/or if you want to introduce your students to a wider array of topics, from the modern plastics industry to the effect of sea pollution.

Resources and Film Guides

Next up, our Learning team have brought together their favourite environmental resources that cover the widest possible range of ages. Eco Explorers, Protect Our Planet and Big Picture Project - A Beautiful Planet cater to primary school pupils, with the latter encompassing slightly older students as well. Meanwhile, our recent partnership with Doc Academy gave our secondary school audiences access to free, easy-to-use resources around award-winning documentary film. Two films within that - Chasing Ice and Thank You for the Rain - are particularly insightful here and feature tailored resources for both English and Geography teachers across all secondary ages. Finally, make sure to explore our 2040 Film Guide2040 offers a more optimistic and practical perspective on the fight to tackle climate change and is a title that we loved enough to programme as the launching event of our 7th Into Film Festival.

Into Film Awards

After a virtual ceremony in 2020 and a brief hiatus in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Into Film Awards returns for 2022 and we have a brand new category for all those feeling motivated by Cop26. 'Changes for a Better World' asks young people to consider the environmental crisis, and to look ahead to the future and imagine the changes they want to see and create, whether big or small, personal or society wide. Find out more about how to enter on our Into Film Awards main page and discover some filmmaking resources to help you get started on our recent Awards launch article.

Into Film Scotland

With Glasgow hosting Cop26, our team in Scotland have truly gone the extra mile in annoucing three new partnerships that will give young people in Scotland and around the world a say in the future of their planet. Following on from the original Nepal: Camera Sika project in 2019, Into Film Scotland have teamed up with Chhaproma Studios in Nepal to film a documentary about Connecting the Climate Challenge; a major initiative pairing primary and secondary schools in Nepal and Scotland to learn from each other's lived experiences and join forces to tackle the climate crisis. Meanwhile, the documentary filmmaking competition, 'Camera Sika X Road to COP26 Climate Change Films' aims to give a voice and a platform to young voices. The films, which cover everything from farming to plastics, have been viewed online over 2 million times, and the celebratory online screening of all the final films on 20 November can be viewed here. Finally, Additional Support Needs students at Drumchapel High School will work with a filmmaker to produce a short film inspired by COP26 which will screen at schools across the country.

* Screenings of Filmbankmedia's films for an entertainment or extra-curricular purpose require a Public Video Screening Licence (PVSL) from Filmbankmedia. State-funded schools in England are covered by the PVSL.

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