Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
As the new year begins, cinemas are in full bloom with a hugely diverse slate of January releases that will appeal to schools, film clubs and students across the country.
A richly imagined historical drama with Shakesperian connections opens alongside a much more recent historical account of 20th century footballing drama. Adventures taking place in countries as far away as Japan and Australia are also released whilst biopics about boxers and filmmakers take different, but vibrant, approaches to painting portraits of their subjects. With even more to be unearthed this January, make the cinema a part of your resolutions as a fresh year begins.
Saipan (15) - in cinemas 2 January
This pulsating drama recounts the infamous bust up between Ireland captain and star player Roy Keane and the team's manager Mick McCarthy during the 2002 Irish World Cup campaign in Japan and South Korea. As well as its eccentric character performances and intriuging personal conflict, this engaging sports drama also deals in themes of leadership, national identity and personal values that may be a great window into passionate classroom discussion.
Hamnet (15) - in cinemas 9 January
This adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's best-selling 2020 novel, in which William and Agnes Shakespeare meet, fall in love, and then must cope with the tragedy of losing a son, has been receiving wide acclaim during its film festival run in 2025. Richly realised, hugely emotional and adapted faithfully from the novel, the central performances have been touted as some of the best of the last twelve months whilst the Shakespearean links, including a period-accurate performance of Hamlet, lend themselves well to English Literature studies.
Discover more Shakespeare-inspired films and stage-to-screen adaptations available to watch for free* on Into Film+.
Giant (15) - in cinemas 9 January
Set against the backdrop of 1980s and 1990s Britain, this is the inspiring and almost impossible story of the British-Yemeni boxing sensation Prince Naseem "Naz" Hamed, beginning with his roots as a young boy in Sheffield, where he faced ostracisation and racism from the boxing world, through to his prize fight at Madison Square Garden where he was recognised as a World Champion. The heart of the film lies with the relationship between Naz and his trainer, Brendan Ingle, whose guidance not only helped propel this underdog story but also helped in shaping a young man's personal growth.
Rental Family (12a) - in cinemas 16 January
Phillip is an American actor who moved to Tokyo seven years ago to star in a toothpaste commercial and has been picking up acting gigs as the ‘token white guy' ever since. One day he is contacted by an agency that brings convincing performances straight into the real lives of lonely people seeking validation or fulfilment, by proving actors to play roles such as supportive friend, funeral mourner, or even stand-in groom. But when he is asked to pretend to be the father of an 11-year-old girl to enable her to enrol into a prestigious school, his growing emotional attachment and the ethics of helping people through performative acts challenge his ongoing journey to understand Japanese culture and his own relationships.
Nouvelle Vague - in cinemas 30 January
In 1960, French film-critic-turned-director Jean-Luc Godard released a film that would usher in a new evolution of the medium, etching his place in film history forever. His film, À Bout de Souffle (Breathless) (available to watch for free* on Into Film+), is the quintessence of the French New Wave - stylish, avant-garde yet wildly entertaining. In Nouvelle Vague, American director Richard Linklater tells the making of Breathless by echoing the very style that it was initially filmed in, a crafty and clever nod to the annals of film, paying homage to the ornery Godard's vision whilst also telling the tale of this fascinating progress in cinema history.
Kangaroo - in cinemas 30 January
Inspired by true events, this heart-warming Australian family film follows former TV personality Chris Masterman, who becomes stranded in a remote Outback town near Alice Springs. After hitting a pregnant kangaroo with his car, he meets Charlie, a 12-year-old Indigenous girl, and together they embark on a meaningful mission to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned kangaroo joeys. Compassionate and light, this film explores wildlife conservation, animal care, and the importance of understanding and respecting Australia's unique ecosystems and Indigenous cultures.
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.
