Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
May is Local and Community History Month, an occasion to increase awareness of local history, promote history in general to the local community and encourage all members of the community to participate.
This UK-wide celebration is an initiative of the Historical Association, and you can take part by streaming archive films for free* in the classroom. From home movies to travelogues, short fictions to public service announcements, we've selected titles that feature different parts of the country, offering a window onto their past.
Wales
For young audiences, local history can become even more relatable if told from the perspective of someone their own age. We have recently added a series of 1950s short films to Into Film+ showing the day-to-day lives of children across the UK, including A Letter from Wales. The town of Llandwrog, its local school, the family-run farms and nearby sea-rescue services are seen through the eyes of a young boy, shedding light on what it was like to be part of that community.
England
The point of view of children is also the focus of Jemima + Johnny, an archive fiction filmed and set in Notting Hill in London exploring the history of the capital's multicultural communities. And from city life to rural spaces: the importance of community spirit is promoted in the post-war advert Agricultural Holiday Camps, and The Lancashire Way depicts an idyllic escape to the countryside alongside the local history of Manchester, Blackpool and Bolton.
Northern Ireland
Community can also mean family and school, and recognising the historical importance and challenges of these structures can help inform what communities need as a whole. Dah Dit Dah is an archival film set in Belfast, in which a twelve-year-old girl navigates the tension between her homelife and the outside world, also offering an insight into 20th century broadcasting technologies.
Scotland
From Scotland with Love is an evocative montage of archival footage that illustrates the shared experiences of Scottish people throughout the 20th century, highlighting how work and leisure forged tight-knit communities. Similarly, extracts from the documentary Living Proof show communities in East Lothian coming together through activism against climate change. A Letter from Ayrshire is another film postcard from the past, delving into the home county of Robert Burns.
Communities across the UK
Community history can be found not only by exploring the local, but also through music, culture and shared experiences. I'm British But… documents how people with both British and Asian heritage have contributed to ever-evolving UK communities. The importance of neighbours, society and collective remembrance is also celebrated in the documentary Lost Connections, created in collaboration with twelve moving image archives from across the country in response to the Coronavirus lockdowns, showing how exploring the past can shape our outlook on our local community in the present.
Please note: Film is a powerful tool for learning, helping to develop critical thinking, empathy, and an understanding of different perspectives. Our films have been selected with consideration to age-appropriateness, safeguarding, the curriculum and statutory and non-statutory guidance to schools. Some of our films and resources include sensitive content which is highlighted in the guidance that Into Film provides with each film. Educators should carefully watch or read all elements of any content and must ensure they are following their own school's policies and guidelines prior to using films and resources in the classroom or in after-school clubs. The final decision to use any film or resource sits with teachers, who should decide what is appropriate for their students using their professional judgement and their knowledge of their students, their school context and their community. Teachers must follow their school's safeguarding protocol if a student is distressed or makes a disclosure as a result of the use of any film or other content.
How Do I Get Started?
To access Into Film+, all you'll need is an Into Film Account - it's completely free, and only takes a moment to set up. Into Film+ is free to use for all UK state schools that hold a valid Public Video Screening (PVS) Licence from Filmbankmedia.
Filmbankmedia PVS Licences are paid for on behalf of schools by all local authorities in England and by some local authorities in both Wales and Scotland. Into Film NI cover the license cost for some schools in Northern Ireland. For further information on licensing in your locality please see our FAQs.
If you're a state school in England that's funded by the Department for Education, you will automatically have access to Into Film+ Premium, which offers an extended catalogue of 700+ titles. Find out more about Into Film+ Premium in our FAQs.
If you don't have a PVS Licence, or aren't already covered, then a licence can easily be obtained from Filmbankmedia.
Filmbankmedia
Filmbankmedia licenses and distributes film and TV entertainment to many groups and is the licensing authority we work with to ensure schools, libraries and youth groups have the permissions to screen films from our catalogue.
* 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.
The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.
