Film Education’s National Schools Film Week

As ever, York schoolchildren will be among those going to the cinema free of charge during Film Education’s National Schools Film Week. The festival’s goal is to support classroom teaching by providing schools with a “powerful experience for their students” that links directly to elements of the curriculum, supported by an online library of resources related to individual films and more generic topics.

“Essentially it’s an extension of the classroom,” says festival director Nick Walker.

“Our hope is for teachers and students to feel massively engaged in the festival, as it’s an incredible opportunity not only to build the adventurous, film-loving audience of the future but also to develop the kinds of passion in young people more likely to make them more receptive to this collectively experienced art form.

“This is achieved by in-cinema talks and online resources, which give teachers the tools to encourage students to explore and understand new cinematic worlds.”

More than 473,000 students and their teachers attended the festival last year and this year’s event will involve 2,500 screenings at 570 cinemas between Thursday and October 21 in the 16th year of the festival.

In York, Vue Cinemas at Clifton Moor, Reel Cinemas in Blossom Street, City Screen in Coney Street and the University of York’s department of theatre, film and television, at Baird Lane, will all be participating in the festival.

Vue Cinemas will show Kung Fu Panda 2 3D on Thursday; Social Network next Tuesday in a sensory impaired accessible screening; and The King’s Speech on Wednesday.

Reel Cinemas will present Despicable Me next Monday and Winnie The Pooh next Tuesday, while general manager Tony Clark will introduce a series of shows with ten-minute talks at City Screen, beginning with Ponyo on Thursday. Friday’s film will be Primary – Animals United; next Monday, Max Minsky & Me; next Tuesday, Made In Dagenham; next Wednesday, Catfish; next Thursday, Tree Of Spirits; next Friday, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules.

At the University of York, Professor Andrew Higson, head of the theatre, film and television department, will give a 20-minute introductory talk before Thursday’s screening of Route Irish.

National Schools Film Week is the fulcrum of Film Education’s activities, which reach more than two million children aged four to 19 years each year, regardless of economic, cultural or social background.

Charles Hutchinson, The Press’s arts reporter, will present a Meet The Critics introduction to next Wednesday’s 10am screening of The King’s Speech at Vue Cinemas, where he will discuss the craft of film reviewing.