Highlights from the 2023 Into Film Festival

The 2023 Into Film Festival took place between 7-24 November, and helped us to mark our 10th anniversary. The Festival was a fittingly brilliant and impactful celebration of the power of film and the big screen experience. Check out some highlights evidencing the positive effects and unforgettable experiences of the Festival in the video above.

The Festival opened with special screenings of two fantastic new documentaries in Tish and Your Fat Friend. Along the way we also hosted special pupil premieres of two new blockbusters, The Marvels and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, before the Festival closed with pupil premieres of Aardman sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

Elsewhere, this year's Festival had a particular focus on careers, and one special screen industry event saw a Young BAFTA showcase taking place at BAFTA's headquarters in central London. Actor and screenwriter Taz Skylar (Boiling Point) joined us for a highly engaging and inspirational talk, while CG Supervisor Amanda Johnstone-Batt joined us from ILM to shine a light on the many facets of this exciting sector.

"I think career events like this one are incredibly important", said Skylar. "There's a gap with education, where a lot of educational establishments have a barrier to entry. Depending on where you come from, what you've studied, what you've been through, it can be difficult to pass that barrier. These kinds of events are a great way to start bridging that gap."

"You never know what you might need to get from a given thing until you show up. And the Into Film Festival is a great thing that has no barrier for entry where you can just show up and see what you take from the day."

Johnstone-Batt showed a dazzling highlights reel featuring many of the films that she and ILM have provided effects for, and then went on to discuss her role in more detail, using recent sci-fi film The Creator for specific examples. In particular, her explanation of how different school subjects can lead to a career in the effects industry highlighted that it really can be an option for anybody. For instance, an understanding of the human body - perhaps someone with a passion for dance - could easily end up a key person on a VFX team, offering vital insight into how to make the movements of a CGI person appear genuine. It's important for young people to understand that whatever their strengths or areas of interest, there will be a niche for them within the film industry.

Meanwhile, earlier in the Festival we were thrilled to be joined by director Molly Manning Walker for a screening of her film, How to Have Sex. Dealing with issues around sex and consent, Manning Walker's film is an incredibly important one, and we were delighted she was able to join us for a post-screening Q&A, especially in front of an exclusively teenage audience, for whom the film is sure to resonate most with. "I wanted to make a film from all angles that essentially promotes kindness", explains Manning Walker. "I wanted men to recognise themselves in the characters and understand that there are some times when you really need to speak up."

One of the most important facets of the Into Film Festival is that it provides an opportunity for children who might not otherwise be able to visit the cinema to enjoy the big screen experience - some for the very first time. We programme free screenings and events across the UK, and are mindful to include areas where many are experiencing real hardship. "I have recently been working with a couple of schools who are in areas of real deprivation in Warrington", explained Nuvvy Sibia, who works with young people as part of OnSide Warrington Youth Zone. "To hear that some of their children hadn't even left their local area, let alone left Warrington, was heart-breaking. Of the six students attending, only ONE had ever been to a cinema before. The energy on the mini bus that morning was one of excitement and wonder, and the faces on the young people as they entered the Cineworld complex was impossible to describe."

While we always strive to provide pupil premieres and screenings of contemporary films, the Into Film Festival is also a terrific forum for showcasing older films; ones that young people today may not be aware of, or be likely to ever watch. "It was really good to get out of my comfort zone and watch an older film", said one sixth form student from Greenford High School in London, after a screening of Powell and Pressburger classic The Red Shoes. "I hadn't heard of Powell and Pressburger previously, but I was really surprised as to how much I enjoyed that film, and also how modern it felt. I didn't expect to be so in touch with it. That was really impressive."

We couldn't be happier to have had over 330,000 attendees, at 2,500 screenings and events, across 500 cinemas during the 2023 Into Film Festival. Keep an eye out for more fantastic free screenings across the UK coming in early 2024!