Film festival arrives in Leamington

Film Education, a charity that provides teachers and schools with curriculam-based film resources, is bringing its 17th National Schools Film Week to the Apollo and the Spa Centre Studio cinemas from Monday.

The festival’s aim is to support classroom teaching by providing schools with a sensory experience, supported by an online library of resources related to individual films and more generic topics, for their pupils that links directly to elements of the curriculum.

Last year 470,000 children and their teachers went to screenings as part of the festival - and this year, there will be 2,500 screenings at 570 cinemas across the UK.

Festival director Nick Walker said: “The festival seeks to create a greater awareness and understanding of cinema based on the concept of relationships and dialogues in a variety of films, address issues of cultural exchange and raise awareness among teaching professionals of the use of film across the school curriculum.

“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.”

Lizzy Biggs, reception teacher at St Paul’s Primary School in Leamington, said: “Film Education screenings are a great opportunity for follow-up literacy work. The school will also design a poster for the Young Film Critic competition.”

Film shows begin on Monday at the Apollo in Portland Place with a sensory-impaired and autism-friendly screening of Dr Seuss’ The Lorax (U). On Tuesday the cinema will show a sensory-impaired screening of Brave (PG), while on Wednesday children can see War Horse (12A), Astro Boy (PG) on Thursday and a sensory-impaired screening of Ice Age: Continental Drift (U) on Friday.

The Spa Centre Studio in Newbold Terrace will screen Mirror, Mirror (PG) on Monday October 22, The Muppets (U) on Tuesday October 23 and Hugo (U) on Wednesday October 24.

Film Education launched in 1985 and now each year, more than two million schoolchildren have access to its activities.

Teachers can book tickets to screenings online, where further details are also available.