Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
With spring and the end of term just around the corner, we've curated a collection of uplifting feature films that you can enjoy with your learners in the classroom. Get in the mood for the longer, brighter evenings to come and begin to unwind towards the end of another busy term by treating your learners to a well-earned cinematic treat!
Films in our curated collection can be streamed directly into the classroom and feature titles suitable for both primary and secondary audiences. The list includes Disney's live action Lilo & Stitch, the visually dazzling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, space-faring Pixar hit Elio, and for older audiences, Okja, from Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon Ho, which follows a teenage girl as she must rescue the genetically modified "super pig" that she raised.
Each of the films included in our list has an accompanying film guide to help teachers highlight the key topics, lead assemblies and start conversations with your learners. You can also create your own Highlights and Playlists - making it easier than ever before to tailor your lessons to use film, enhancing both engagement and learning outcomes.
If you're a state school in England that's funded by the Department for Education, you'll also have access to Into Film+ Premium, which offers an even wider selection of films to enjoy before the spring holidays.
Join the 40,000 teachers in the UK using Into Film + as an educational resource.
Primary
Lilo & Stitch (2025) (PG)
This riotous live action remake of the joyful 2002 Hawaiian-set Disney animation is about the friendship between a lonely child and a fugitive alien.
Elio (U)
Tapping into universal themes such as dealing with loneliness and the search for connection and belonging, this feel-good Disney Pixar film inspires curiosity about space, science and citizenship, as a space-crazed human boy finds himself on a cosmic misadventure and a journey of self-discovery, making friends and negotiating with alien lifeforms.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (PG)
This new version of the beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the first to cast actual teenagers in the main voice roles, and adopts a dazzling and unique animation style to tell its chaotic story of brotherhood and acceptance.
Zip and Zap and the Captain's Island (U)
This Spanish-language adventure film has a heartfelt message about the importance of family, while acknowledging the sometimes strained dynamic between parents and their growing offspring, as the two brothers land on a remote island and find a children's home with no rules, but also a mystery that awaits them.
Missing Link (U)
This visually stunning animation explores themes of displacement and loneliness whilst proving that sometimes family can be found in the most unlikely of places, as an ambitious explorer discovers a talkative, lonely creature, beginning an adventure that takes them to a mythical land.
Little Shop of Horrors (PG)
This weird, wonderful musical parodies 1950s science fiction, and follows a florist who's in love with his assistant and happens to have a 50-foot, man-eating, singing plant growing in his basement. With amazing puppetry, dark humour and catchy songs, this remains a musical theatre favourite.
Spellbound (PG)
In a magical kingdom, a brave princess goes on an adventure to save her parents after a mysterious spell turns them into monsters in this fantastical animation which has deeper themes around family relationships and growing up.
My Father's Dragon (PG)
From the Irish animation studio that made Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, this vibrant adaptation of a classic children's novel celebrates themes including courage and friendship, as a lonely boy is transported to a mystical island filled with colourful creatures and makes friends with a dragon who is in need of help.
Wicked (PG)
This award-winning adaptation of the stage hit is a magical musical extravaganza, delving into the backstory of how The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good were once friends at the same school.
Secondary
Okja (15)
This one-of-a-kind eco-thriller from Bong Joon Ho is about a super pig bred over a decade as part of a corporate experiment, its teenage girl owner, and the activists out to rescue it.
Love and Friendship (U)
This sharp, comedic adaptation of Jane Austen novella Lady Susan is a sparkling, witty introduction to the daringly irreverent language and tone that Jane Austen honed in her later novels.
Belleville Rendezvous (12)
This minimal dialogue animation about a little old lady who sets out to rescue her cyclist grandson after he goes missing during the Tour de France.
Celebrated for its intricately hand-drawn mise-en-scène and oddball comedy, this unique film is regarded as a cult classic and is a must-see for students exploring arthouse cinema and different animation styles.
Short films
Lazy Bloom (Unclassified)
In a peaceful world inhabited by lazy creatures called Blobs, Zip the hyperactive Blob is just trying to fit in, despite their unique attitude toward life. This vibrant and lively short animation is an ode to those who struggle to fit in and a particularly accessible and sincere exploration of what it can be like to live with ADHD.
I Am a Pebble (Unclassified)
This beautifully animated short is heart-warming story about family and loneliness, and sees a young otter living with three mossy stones that resemble her lost family.
Neighbourwood (Unclassified)
This is a comedic animation about finding solutions to problems in the unlikeliest of places, as a wise old owl is desperate for some peace and quiet, only to find that the woodpecker next door has other ideas.
Capybaras (Unclassified)
This beautifully animated fable about community can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, as a family of capybaras must leave their habitat when a hunter begins to close in, leading them to seek refuge with a group of mistrustful chickens.
Lotte Reiniger: The Fairy Tale Films (Unclassified)
In the early 20th Century, German animator Lotte Reiniger pioneered a unique animation style using cut-out silhouettes, or shadow puppets, to bring popular fairy tales to life. These simple yet striking creations have a magical and folklike quality, much like the Brothers Grimm stories that they depict.
This collection features some of short films that she and her husband Carl Koch produced when they came to live in the UK to flee Nazi Germany. They showcase a range of techniques using colour, black and white, non-dialogue storytelling, voice-over narration and classical music tracks, and promise to enchant and inspire young audiences and artists.
The Gruffalo (U)
Animated with an artful combination of model work and CGI, this is a slick and charismatic treat featuring the beloved rhyming narration of Julia Donaldson's book in full.
The Scarecrows' Wedding (U)
Based on a picture book by beloved children's author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, this is a joyful tale about loyalty, love and respect that sees two scarecrows are planning the perfect wedding, only for things to get out of control when one of them strays a little too far from the farm.
A Minecraft Movie (PG)
This hugely popular adaptation is a true 21st century film, fusing video games and cinema together in a unique fashion when a mysterious portal transports a group of strangers to a peculiar land that thrives on creativity, they embark on a quest to find their way home.
The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
A reformed big bad Wolf and his friends are made to assist an all-female group of bandits in one final law-breaking mission in this wickedly funny and action-packed sequel that explores themes of redemption, stereotypes and friendship.
Strange World (PG)
When their community's energy source begins to diminish, a family of farmers find themselves adrift in a fantastic new world full of strange creatures in this colourful and inventive throwback to the great science-fiction adventures of old that's as much about family bonds and the environment as it is about adventure.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG)
A lonely daydreamer retreats into elaborate fantasies to escape his unexceptional existence in this long-awaited, second screen version of the 1930s short story.
Rise of the Superheroes (Unclassified)
This documentary tells the story of superhero culture on screen and in wider society from the origins of rivals DC and Marvel Comics in the 1930s through to the present day.
Superman (2025) (12)
Featuring thrilling action, heart-warming emotion, and particularly enjoyable contributions from trusty Superdog Krypto, this new version of the iconic hero launches a new chapter in the DC Universe.
The Fall Guy (12)
This action-comedy is about a stuntman who must save the day and win back his love after a film shoot is thrown into chaos by the disappearance of its star. This is a celebration of the art of stunt work, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a big blockbuster film.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (12)
This latest instalment of the sci-fi franchise takes a deeply moral look at societal structures and the lessons of history, showcasing impressive visual effects and edge-of-your-seat action sequences as a young ape strikes back against a tyrannical leader to free his kind and help a human girl.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (15)
A Chinese immigrant becomes entangled in a multi-verse spanning adventure that could have devastating consequences for her family and beyond in this Academy Award-winner with a unique sense of humour and a deep understanding of fractured familial relationships. It's a film that gets to the heart of the matter in the most improbable of ways.
Sinners (15)
The most Oscar-nominated film in history sees two former criminal brothers launch a juke joint in Jim Crow's Deep South. While the threat of the Ku Klux Klan looms over the festivities, an even greater danger lurks in the darkness waiting to be let in, as African American spirituality, transcendental blues music, and an ancient supernatural evil draw together in this genre-twisting thriller.
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 with Into Film+?
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 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.
