Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
It's the beginning of the new school year and that means a new edition of our 'Calendar Dates in Focus' series, which showcases important calendar dates in the upcoming half term where film can prove useful or even essential.
Our round-up below provides a quick and simple snapshot of our best material for each date but we'll be exploring many in greater depth as they approach. For other dates, we're simply flagging them as important ones to have on your radar.
September
- International Literacy Day (8 September) - Our many training opportunities for teachers can help engage with literacy uniquely and creatively, including a Writing Fiction and Poetry Through Film online course and a Raising Literacy Through Film webinar in November. Our filmmaking courses such as One-Shot Filmmaking for Primary and Curricular Filmmaking for Secondary can also be a really exciting way of consolidating literacy learning (they're just as effective in engaging with the rest of the dates on this list). Finally, our Into Film Festival review writing competition offers a great way for young people to combine literacy and the cinema going experience.
- Roald Dahl Story Day (13 September) - The film adaptations Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, and James and the Giant Peach are available on our streaming service, Into Film+, alongside additional resources and exclusive interviews. The Roald Dahl on Film resource also provides some great cross-curricular activities for 5-11-year-olds.
- Recycle Week (17 - 23 September) - This year's theme is 'Let's Get Real'. Encanto: Recycle the Rhythm is a great resource here and takes students aged 5-11 on an inspiring journey of creativity and teamwork through music, arts, PSHE and English and literacy education.
- Youth Mental Health Day (19 September) - Organised by charity stem4, which supports positive mental health in teenagers. Youth-made films allow young people to explore mental health issues in a relatable and accessible way, and both our 'Moving Minds' resources - Exploring Mental Wellbeing and Building Resilience - provide just that. The 'Moving Minds' projects paired groups of young people with professional filmmakers to explore mental health issues of their choice, and you can facilitate the same activity in your own classroom using the above resources and final films. Beyond that, our Mindfulness Through Film online course and the complimentary webinar in November can give real insight into how film watching and filmmaking can be used to introduce mindfulness principles and exercises.
- European Day of Languages (26 September) - Our new round-up article looks at some of our favourite European language short and feature-length films available on Into Film+. It features titles from across nine languages including French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Danish, Welsh, and Scottish and Irish Gaelic.
October
- Black History Month - Our new Black History & Experiences programme just launched on Into Film+ with the aim of embedding a variety of Black topics in the curriculum, not just during this month, but throughout the whole school year.
- World Space Week (4 - 10 October) - This year's theme is 'Space and Sustainability'. We have a variety of resources that can bring this fascinating subject to life including Big Picture Project: A Beautiful Planet for 7-14-year-olds, Hidden Figures: Pretty Curious for students aged 11 and above, and BFI Sci Fi: A Trip to the Moon for 11-14-year-olds.
- World Teachers Day (5 October) - In the lead up to such an essential date, we're excited to announce that the BFI is recruiting a new teacher network for Ethnic Diversity in Film Education, with the aim of using film to help the curricula more accurately reflect our ethnically diverse society. Head to their website for more details on how to get involved.
- National Poetry Day (6 October) - This year's theme is 'The Environment'. Our Writing Fiction and Poetry Through Film online course is once again hugely relevant and beneficial here.
- World Mental Health Day (10 October) - This year's theme is 'Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority'. Head to the Mental Wellbeing hub for all of our films, resources and articles around the crucial topic. We'd particularly encourage you to explore Digital Wellbeing (11-16) and I'm the One - Health and Wellbeing for 11-14-year-olds, which uses a youth-made short to explore mental health, anti-bullying, prejudice and acceptance. Once again, our Mindfulness Through Film online course for teachers is now open for enrolment as well as bookings for a complimentary webinar in November.
- International Day of the Girl Child (11 October) - Girlhood (Bande De Filles) is available on Into Film+ and is a spirited coming-of-age story that follows a teenager growing up in a housing estate on the outskirts of Paris. Despite some difficult subjects, this film also captures some of the exuberance of youth and is a perfect one to show your students on this date. It is accompanied by our Girlhood: The Soundtrack of Youth resource, which explores healthy relationships, and the film also features in the Black Star: Identity resource.
In other October news, look out for a new resource around the film People vs Climate Change later in the month. The documentary follows seven members of the UK's first ever Citizens' Assemby on Climate Change and is a great way to study environmental topics, both generally and in the lead up to COP27 in November.
Please note - some of the above resources are also available in Welsh and you can find out more detail about these on the relevant resource page or by messaging Into Film Cymru at cardiff@intofilm.org
Noder darperir rhai o'r adnoddau hyn yn Gymraeg a gellir dod o hyd iddyn nhw ar y tudalennau adnoddau perthnasol. I wybod mwy neu am gymorth, ebostiwch cardiff@intofilm.org
