Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
Looking for thematic days to link to your lessons? Our termly Calendar Dates round-ups highlight the most significant days on the horizon, and provide useful links and resources to help you explore them using film in your classroom.
From a wide selection of film titles available for free* with the Into Film+ streaming service, to brand new resources and training and CPD opportunities, delve into some key dates throughout the remainder of 2025, including Black History Month, World Mental Health Day, and Recycle Week.
Below, we've covered the main dates coming up across the 2025 autumn/winter term to help you plan and structure your lessons ahead of the winter break. As always, the information and links below are an easy, at-a-glance way of knowing what's coming up, but we'll also be exploring some in more detail closer to the dates themselves.
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 on Gender Questioning Children (draft, for consultation) for schools and colleges in England. 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.
The new school year
With schools across the UK returning for a new academic year in August and September, our Back to School: Transition assembly helps educators support young people with the transition between primary and secondary school.
For teachers looking for training, our Start your Teaching Career with Film course uses the concept of film narrative to support teachers at the start of their own classroom story to create exciting learning experiences with film, while our Relationships on Film course may be useful given updated guidance around this topic introduced recently.
September
International Literacy Day (8 September)
Celebrated since 1967, the annual International Literacy Day aims to remind policy-makers, practitioners, and the public of the critical importance of literacy in creating a more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society. This year's theme is Promoting literacy in the digital era.
We recently created a new trio of Talking about Trailers resources, which encourage young people of all ages to examine the latest promotional material for upcoming films, considering how stories are constructed, developing their oracy skills, and supporting the learning of new vocabulary and the development of new skills, including media literacy.
Our online training opportunities for teachers include Teaching Literacy Through Film, which can help you support young people to engage with literacy in a unique and creative way. Meanwhile, a Raising Literacy and Oracy through Film webinar is taking place on 24 September - enrol now to explore exciting approaches to teach literacy through film and find a range of engaging activities to try out with your learners.
Youth Mental Health Day (19 September)
Organised by stem4, the UK's leading digital mental health charity for children and young people, Youth Mental Health Day this year's theme, Share Support, encourages young people and those around them to connect, share, and access clinically-informed mental health resources.
Created in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, our Mindfulness through Film online course includes a variety of film-based strategies to enable you and your learners to confidently engage with mindfulness. Tap into the mental health benefits of mindfulness, such as enhancing focus, promoting self-regulation, increasing resilience, and improving interpersonal skills.
Our Mental Wellbeing page collects together a whole host of films available to stream with Into Film+, classroom resources and discussion guides, training opportunities and articles, all focused on the theme of mental health and wellbeing.
National Coding Week (19-25 Sept)
For those educators of a more technological persuasion, the theme for this year's National Coding Week is centred around Artificial Intelligence (AI), and aims to highlight its growing significance in various sectors and underscore the need for a broader understanding and proficiency in this cutting-edge technology.
Our Robots and Artificial Intelligence film list brings together a number of films that explore these issues, from The Iron Giant and Wall-E for younger audiences, to more provocative mature titles like Blade Runner and Ex_Machina.
International Week of Deaf People (22-28 Sept)
This year's theme is No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.
Brand new to stream with Into Film+, Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change sees the award-winning deaf actress - and recent Into Film Awards host - presenting a powerful and personal documentary exploring the deaf experience and highlighting the creativity and expressiveness of BSL.
Recycle Week (22-28 Sept)
Recycle Week is an annual celebration of recycling across the nation, galvanising the public to recycling more of the right things, more often.
Our Climate Change Across the Curriculum resource uses film to help secondary school teachers integrate climate education across a range of subjects, including science, D&T, maths, and English, and ensuring that climate change is explored in a relevant and interdisciplinary way.
For educators, our Sustainability Through Film online course explores how film can engage learners in important conversations about sustainability and empower them to use filmmaking to amplify their voices on what matters to them.
European Day of Languages (26 September)
Marked annually via the European Commission, this day celebrates he rich linguistic diversity of Europe, as well as linguistic diversity as a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding, and the importance of lifelong language learning for everyone. This year's theme is Languages open hearts and minds!.
Our Modern Foreign Languages film list offers a selection of titles that will see learners engaged by characters, stories, and representations of different cultures, as well as absorbing how languages including Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Arabic and Italian are spoken.
October
ADHD Awareness Month (October)
The mission of ADHD Awareness Month is to educate the public about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). This year's theme is The Many Faces of ADHD.
Our Future Storytellers resource looks at two youth-made animations that were made by young people with symptoms of or a diagnosis of ADHD, exploring the major features of the condition to help understanding and acceptance.
In addition, Lazy Bloom is a 5 minute short available to stream with Into Film+; a vibrant and lively animation that is an ode to those who struggle to fit in and an accessible and sincere exploration of what it can be like to live with ADHD.
Black History Month (October)
This year's theme for Black History Month is Standing Firm in Power and Pride, which calls on us to look at the resilience and brilliance of Black communities in Britain while also facing up to the barriers that still exist.
Brand new to the Into Film+ catalogue is Black Hollywood: They've Gotta Have Us, a three-part documentary series which tells the story of Black creatives in Hollywood. Also available is Chevalier, an inspiring biopic exploring Black composer Joseph Bologne, who rose to fame in 1700s France despite being met with constant racism. A film that raises the profile of a pioneer who broke boundaries in both music and society.
In addition, Our Black History Heroes is a children's series in which young people talk about inspirational Black figures from throughout history that they consider to be heroes. Each episode is only 2 minutes long, making them a perfect conversation starter.
For older learners, our Till: Mother of a Movement resource uses the recent film about the infamous lynching of a young Black boy named Emmett Till to provide historical context around racism in the United States, including Jim Crow and the civil rights movement, and offers an extended writing task which provides ideal exam practise for GCSE history and English language.
Meanwhile, our Black Lives Matter page houses an additional and extensive collection of films, resources and articles related to this crucial area.
World Space Week (4-10 October)
World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. This year's theme is Living in Space.
Our Universe Explorer resource is based on recent Disney film Elio, which sees a young space-fanatic find himself whisked away to outer space where he becomes Earth's sole ambassador at a galactic council. The resource uses the theme of space to send young learners on an imaginative voyage through our galaxy and beyond, helping them develop key life skills across oracy, leadership and relationship building.
Elio is also showing in cinemas for free across the UK as part of this year's Into Film Festival.
For older learners, The Martian is available to stream with Into Film+ and is a perfect film to demonstrate the challenges of living in space, as an astronaut accidently gets left behind on Mars and must survive months in the harsh environment until he can be rescued. Few films have such a reverent and joyous attitude towards the wonders of science.
World Mental Health Day (10 October)
This year's theme is Access to Services - Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies. The theme highlights the importance of people being able to protect their mental health whatever they're going through, because everyone deserves good mental health.
Available to stream with Into Film+ is short animation Missing Migrants, an accessible 3 minute animation about the struggles of reconnecting the families of migrants with their loved ones who have gone missing along their journey.
Beyond that, our Mindfulness Through Film online training course can give real insight into how film watching and filmmaking can be used to introduce mindfulness principles and exercises into the classroom - and also provides strategies that teachers can use to manage their own mental wellbeing.
Explore our Mental Wellbeing page to find an extensive collection of films, resources and articles around this crucial topic.
Hallowe'en (31 October)
As the spooky season approaches, why not skip the 'trick' and just treat your learners to a playlist filled with depictions of all kinds of monsters - from the scary, to the cute and cuddly - and explore the multi-faceted nature of some monsters and how they're depicted in film.
In addition, our Hallowe'en and Horror film list provides even more spooky films to entertain and educate young audiences; from exciting myths and legends, to notable horror adaptations from the world of literature.
Monsters
This playlist features highlights from the films The Nightmare Before Christmas (2015), Song of the Sea (2014), Smallfoot (2018), Luca (2021) and...
Highlights4 Highlights
Age Group8–12 yrs
Duration12
November
The Into Film Festival (7-28 November)
The Into Film Festival is back for 2025, and bookings are now live!
Taking place between 7-28 November, this year's Festival will see over 3,000 screenings and events take place across more than 600 venues, across the whole breadth and depth of the UK.
Bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't delay, as many events will book up very quickly. And remember - the Into Film Festival is entirely free!
Remembrance Sunday (9 Nov) and Armistice Day (11 Nov)
Remembrance Sunday is a national opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.
Our 1917: Bravery and Brotherhood resource uses Sam Mendes audacious real-time, one-shot film 1917 to tackle English literature and English language, comparing the film with a Wilfred Owen poem to explore the presentation of time in the two texts using a range of film analysis techniques.
Meanwhile, our World War One and World War Two film lists contain a host of films that can open up history in remarkable ways, finding the humanity amidst unfathomable carnage, promoting discussions around the events themselves, demonstrating why they must never be forgotten and illuminating the lessons we must all continue to learn from what took place.
Anti-Bullying Week (10-14 November)
This year's theme is Power for Good, which aims to empower children and young people to use their Power for Good to speak out, support others, and build a world where kindness wins.
Our Anti-Bullying film list contains a number of films for both primary and secondary audiences that explore issues around bullying, and that help teach young people how to act when they notice bullying behaviour, either against themselves or others.
For secondary educators, our Wellbeing: Anti-Bullying training will develop your confidence in tackling conversations around bullying, and explore how to positively express thoughts, voice and understanding through a short filmmaking task.
World Kindness Day UK (13 November)
Kindness Day UK is a nationally recognised day for the celebration of kindness in society and day to day life. Individual acts of kindness are encouraged on this day annually.
Our Ultimate Princess Celebration: Kindness Quest resource takes students aged 5-8 on a PSHE-led quest to help deepen their understanding of what it means to be kind, brave and to help others, while our Mindfulness Through Film online course will help teachers of secondary students explore how film watching and filmmaking can be used to introduce mindfulness principles and exercises.
Transgender Awareness Week (13-19 November)
Transgender Awareness Week is a week when transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the trans community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.
Aimed at young people 15+, our Gender, Sexuality and Trans Inclusion resource uses five short films to help young people explore healthy relationships and have respectful conversations about sexuality and identity.
Discover! Creative Careers Month (10-14 Nov in Scotland / 17-21 Nov in Wales)
Discover! Creative Careers Month is a call to arms to employers and individuals across the sector to provide young people aged 11-18 with direct encounters with industry through in-person and online events at workplaces.
We're recently announced that, following a competitive tender process, Into Film will be leading the Discover! Creative Careers Week programmes in Scotland and Wales across 2025-26, delivering a wide range of exciting activities, including industry visits and workshops, online and in-class talks, and careers events at the Into Film Festival.
December
World AIDS Day (1 December)
Held every year on 1 December, World AIDS Day is a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS. In the UK, more than 105,000 people are living with HIV. Globally, an estimated 38 million people live with the virus. More than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS related illnesses over the past 40 years, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.
Philadelphia is a powerful drama made in 1993 - back when it was daring to make a Hollywood film about this topic - and follows a top lawyer who is sacked when his firm discovers he has contracted AIDS, forcing him into a court battle where he is represented by a homophobic attorney. The film is available to stream for free with Into Film+, and is accompanied by a film discussion guide to help you further explore the themes of the film.
Christmas
For those teaching literature, our 19th Century Literature on Film resource looks at Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and the 1999 film adaptation starring Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge. It suggests ways in which film adaptations can be put at the heart of the study of a novel.
And for those who want a lighter approach to the festive season, The Muppet Christmas Carol is available to stream with Into Film+ and offers a very different take on the same material.
And since A Christmas Carol is such a prominent text around Christmas time, have a read of our article that explores The Man Who Invented Christmas, a film that depicts how Dickens' wrote his 1843 classic and in doing so invented many of the Christmas traditions and iconography that we enjoy today.
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 600+ 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.
