Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
We are delighted to highlight ten new films now available on Into Film+ Premium, the extension to our streaming service for state schools in England that are funded by the Department for Education. We have recently added more titles beyond these to Into Film+ Premium, so please browse the catalogue for the full list of available titles.
For younger audiences, exciting adventures and exploration are afoot with The Garfield Movie, A Minecraft Movie, and Strange World, which carry important messages about teamwork and respect for the environment. Unlikely heroes are called into action, both on and off a film set in The Fall Guy, and through both space and time in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Atmospheric mysteries provide thrilling brainteasers in a double bill of Agatha Christie adaptations, Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice, as well as seasonal spooks with the return of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Finally, award-winning dramas Oppenheimer and A Real Pain offer thought-provoking discussions on ethics and the legacy of the Second World War.
The Garfield Movie
A series of hilarious misadventures are in store for the beloved comic strip moggie, who will learn the value of family, courage and exploration. As a little kitten abandoned by his papa cat, Garfield is adopted by a kind human called Jon. He soon discovers the perks of pet life: lasagna, pizza, and lazing around all day. But the orange tabby and his canine friend Odie's comfortable routine is interrupted by the sudden appearance of brawny alley cat Vic who is none other than Garfield's long-lost father. Vic is on the run from a seriously vicious feline and needs Garfield and Odie's help to pull off a wild heist.
A Minecraft Movie
Adapted from the best-selling video game of all time, this fun-packed live-action film inspires teamwork and activates the imagination. Brother and sister duo Henry and Natalie have recently moved to a new town, where they meet the owner of a failing video store called Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison. The three of them are accidentally pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre magical wonderland of where everything is cubic. Along with other lost individuals, they must find a way to get back home while also embarking on a quest, reconnecting with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative - the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.
Strange World
While this Disney animation also takes us into a fantasy world, it draws important parallels with the realities of our own planet, offering discussion points on how we treat the environment. During an expedition, young explorer Searcher Clade discovers a powerful plant that is a source of energy and brings it back to his village. Twenty-five years later, the village thrives on the plant's energy, and Searcher lives as a farmer with his wife Meridian and son Ethan. When the energy begins to fail, Searcher is sent to investigate, travelling to territories that have remained unexplored other than by Searcher's own father, who went missing. The family thus embarks on a thrilling journey through a mysterious world filled with strange creatures and hidden truths.
The Fall Guy
Offering behind-the-scenes insights into the film industry and its professions, this action-packed comedy is an ode to some of the secret heroes of blockbuster movie-makings: stunt performers. Colt Seavers is a stuntman with one too many injuries acquired in the line of duty. Called out of retirement, he finds himself once more on a set with film director Jody, with whom he was once romantically involved. When the star of the show Tom Ryder goes missing, it's up to Colt to track him down, unexpectedly calling upon all his stage-fighting and car-chasing skills to deal with the shady underworld that Ryder has been mixed up in.
Death on the Nile
Into Film ambassador Sir Kenneth Branagh both directs and stars as Hercule Poirot, the self-proclaimed world's greatest detective, in this intriguing and star-studded sequel to Murder on the Orient Express (available on Into Film+). This time, the mustachioed sleuth finds himself investigating a suspicious death on a riverboat steamer travelling down the Nile in Egypt. Poirot must gather together all of the prime suspects, including a wealthy heiress and a recently married couple on their honeymoon, in order to deduce who may be responsible. With gorgeous views of the Egyptian landscape, this is an adaptation of one of most beloved murder mystery novels.
A Haunting in Venice
In a further Hercule Poirot adventure, the intrepid investigator is dragged out of retirement to solve the case of a seemingly supernatural murder, this time in the eerie setting of Venice. Reluctantly agreeing to attend a séance at the home of an opera singer, who is grieving for her daughter Alicia, the Belgian detective's initial objective is to expose the medium as a fraud. But in a shocking twist of events, one of the guests is murdered: could this be connected to Alicia's own death? Based on ‘the queen of crime' Agatha Christie's story 'Hallowe'en Party', this chilling and intriguing tale is spooky literary adaptation at its finest.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Another spooky centrepiece of this batch of new additions is the comedy-horror follow up to Tim Burton's 1980's Beetlejuice, a resonating case study for the phenomenon of long-delayed sequels reviving cult classics. It's been many years since Lydia Deetz and her parents were almost spooked out of their home by a ghastly poltergeist. An unexpected family tragedy brings Lydia and her own moody teenage daughter Astrid back to the old house. When a portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened and Astrid is kidnapped, Lydia is forced to summon Beetlejuice, the hilarious and revolting bio-exorcist who haunted her youth, to help save her daughter.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Expanding the massive Marvel Comics Universe, this superhero adventure features the origin story of Rocket, the highly intelligent and skilled racoon that belongs to the ragtag family of intergalactic antiheroes. At their base on Knowhere, the Guardians of the Galaxy are attacked by order of the vengeful High Priestess Ayesha. Rocket is critically wounded, and the team discovers a kill-switch implanted in him by bioengineering company called Orgocorp. As Rocket's life flashes before him, we dive into his past, when he was experimented on as a baby raccoon by the leader of Orgocorp, who aimed to create a utopian society of enhanced animal lifeforms. The Guardians must act quickly to find the override code and save their friend.
Oppenheimer
One of the most striking and highest-grossing biopics of all time, Christopher Nolan's portrait of J. Robert Oppenheimer confronts the ethical dilemmas faced when science and politics collide, merging dazzling yet terrifying images of mass destruction with a deeply personal story. Through a non-linear narrative, the film explores how the American theoretical quantum physicist became known as "the father of the atomic bomb", from his time working at the secret Los Alamos laboratory with a team of scientists during the Second World War - strained by his entangled love life and struggles with guilt and hubris - to the subsequent political fallout after his invention changes the course of history forever.
A Real Pain
This funny, moving, and provocative drama explores the ethics of how we engage with history and travel. Benji and David Kaplan are adult cousins who were once close when they were growing up. They embark on a heritage tour of Poland, where their late grandmother lived until forced to flee during World War II. Seeking to connect with both their shared family history and each other, their contrasting personalities nonetheless spark several disagreements. Together the tour group visits several historical sites, including a concentration camp, led by a knowledgeable guide from Yorkshire. This film sensitively addresses generational trauma while also acknowledging petty, awkward, and even farcical aspects of human nature in the face of serious subjects.
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.
