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• FILMCLUB RESPONSE TO THE FILM POLICY REVIEW 16 January 2012

  FILMCLUB, whose aim is to enrich young people’s lives through regular access to a diverse curated catalogue of quality international and British film, is pleased to see a number of its recommendations included in Lord Smith’s Film Policy Review.
  
  FILMCLUB welcomes the importance placed in the Review on education and the recommendation that a curated engagement with film be made available in every school. FILMCLUB has found that a regular weekly interaction with film helps young people interpret the world around them and represents memorable learning. Our evaluations have found it also increases communication skills, literacy, confidence, engagement with school and motivation to learn. 
  
  The current infrastructure of a digital platform to support film clubs in schools has proven to be a low cost method of delivering cultural engagement at scale.  We would like to see the recommendation for a coordinated approach to explore and enjoy film build on activity that has been proven to be effective. 
  
  There is firm evidence that if young people are encouraged to engage with film on a regular basis they will become consumers of film in adult life. FILMCLUB - which currently has close to 250,000 young people meeting each week to watch, discuss and review film – has seen a dramatic impact on audience development. The recommendation in the Review, which calls for the widest possible range of audiences to have access to a broad and rich range of film, is therefore welcomed.
  
  “We are excited about the opportunity the Review presents for the role of film in education and the recognition that this should be available in every school in the UK. FILMCLUB is nurturing a new generation of passionate film-hungry young people who will act as vital consumers and audiences contributing to the positive health of the UK film industry and exhibition sector. We look forward to working with the BFI and other industry partners to deliver the goals of the Review." - Mark Higham, FILMCLUB Chief Executive
  
  You can download the full report here, and read more from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) about the report here.
  
  For further information, please contact Sam Wainstein, on sam@filmclub.org (0207 288 4520 / 07814 004 691) or Charlie Wainwright on charlie@filmclub.org (0207 288 4520 / 07540 667 059)
  
  Notes to Editors
  
  About FILMCLUB 
  
  Education charity FILMCLUB has grown from a 25-school pilot in 2007 to reach 250,000 members across 7,000 schools in the UK. Created by educationalist Lindsay Mackie and filmmaker Beeban Kidron, FILMCLUB assists schools to set up film clubs providing young people access to a curated catalogue of films from across the world and from over 100 years of cinema, with education and social impact. Free to all state schools, FILMCLUB transforms lives by providing weekly screenings, online reviewing, industry events and hands-on support to engage, challenge and open new avenues for informal learning. Teachers receive the support they need to introduce pupils to the world of film, creating a memorable experience with proven academic benefits.
  
  FILMCLUB patrons include filmmaker Mike Leigh and actors Emma Thompson and Michael Sheen, with funding received from the Department for Education and The BFI Lottery Transition Fund for Audience Development.  FILMCLUB operates with the support of various other film organisations, including: LOVEFiLM, the UK’s largest online DVD rental company, which provides access to their film catalogue.
  
  FILMCLUB is a registered charity (Number: 1136558) 
  
  FILMCLUB Impacts
  
  FILMCLUB has reached its ambitious targets of growing to 7,000 schools by March 2011. Independent research on FILMCLUB show the following impacts (data comes from the 1,369 teachers that took part in the independent evaluation) which chime with a number of Government priorities, in bold):
  
  FILMCLUB is helping to create stronger communities within schools with
  
  - 88% of teachers saying that FILMCLUB helps give school a community feeling and
  - 91% say it increases participants' enjoyment of school.
  - A recent OFSTED report said “The hugely successful film club has a major impact on helping students to develop and share their beliefs, cultures, and information about their religions and experiences".
  
  FILMCLUB is helping improve literacy and communication skills with over half of teachers saying FILMCLUB improves participants’ reading and writing skills.
  
  - Some 77% of teachers hold discussions after the film and
  - 87% go on to say that the FILMCLUB experience enhances participants’ ability to share and debate their conclusions with others.
  
  FILMCLUB is driving faster and deeper improvements in deprived and disadvantaged areas and helping with closing the gap in achievement between the rich and the poor with
  
  - 93% of teachers say that FILMCLUB opens access to culture for those who may not otherwise benefit from cultural experiences,
  - 81% say that FILMCLUB integrates isolated or disengaged children,
  - 89% that it is effective at engaging pupils with special educational needs and
  - 91% that it is effective at engaging pupils facing other barriers to learning.
  
  FILMCLUB is assisting in raising achievement by engaging children and increasing their interest in learning. This is reinforced by
  
  - 94% of teachers say film clubs are effective at engaging pupils that do not take part in other activities.
  
  Ipsos MORI Research
  
  FILMCLUB has an important role to play in nurturing an audience for a diversity of films, ensuring young people today are active film consumers tomorrow.  This includes developing a passion for film in cinema as well as for film consumption across other channels and platforms. As it would take decades to assess the impact of FILMCLUB on cinema going, FILMCLUB commissioned Ipsos MORI to survey over 2,000 adults across the UK to look at the long term impact of watching films when young on cinema going as later on in life and found that:
  
  - if you watched films on TV reasonably frequently as a child you were more than twice as likely to go to the cinema reasonably frequently as an adult
  - if you watched films at the cinema as a child you are three times as likely to go as an adult
  
  This shows for film, what is generally accepted in music and other forms of entertainment, that building and sustaining an affinity when young leads to an increased consumption as an adult.

• EDUCATION CHARITY FILMCLUB LAUNCHES NEW SEASONS FOR ANTI-BULLYING WEEK 04 November 2011

  To help teachers explore issues surrounding bullying this Anti-Bullying Week, November 14th, the education charity FILMCLUB is launching two thought-provoking seasons of films - one for primary and one secondary - in which bullying is a major theme.
  
  Hand-picked by experts and accompanied by detailed guides and discussion points, the selection includes classics such as 'Lord of the Flies' (1963 version), Ken Loach's 'Kes' and Hollywood comedy-melodrama 'The Women' - as well as more recent titles such as 'Bridge To Terabithia' and documentary 'American Teen'.
  
  Members will be encouraged to watch, discuss and review the films following research which shows that watching and discussing films with their peer group is a highly effective tool for developing young people's emotional intelligence. In a recent survey of club leaders 96% agree that attending FILMCLUB helps children understand different social and emotional issues and 87% say participation in the scheme enhances participants' ability to share and debate their conclusions with other students.
  
  Sherry Adhami, Director of Communications, Beatbullying: Charity Beatbullying has welcomed the idea of schools using film to help tackle bullying: "Bullying effects so many children and young people, our research shows in fact 1 in 3 have to deal with abuse and harassment everyday - this is unacceptable. This is why we are so pleased to be working with Filmclub to help spread the anti bullying message. We hope young people across the country will enjoy these films and work towards helping and assisting their peers."
  
  Feedback also suggests that as well as promoting discussion and debate about the subject, school film clubs can actively help to reduce bullying by boosting children's confidence and enabling those on the fringes - who are more likely to be bullied - to feel included. 82% of club leaders say the scheme - which unlike most other clubs is available to everyone, regardless of age or ability - integrates isolated pupils:
  
  Jean-Paul, Teacher, London: "FILMCLUB reinforces the school's approach of avoiding artificial year group divisions, and this community feeling helps to reduce bullying and isolation."
  
  Rowan, teacher, Belfast: "FILMCLUB crosses all boundaries of class, age and ability... Children of all ages and abilities engage with each other. This doesn't happen in any other club and is very good for their self esteem."
  
  Launched in 2008 by Beeban Kidron and educationalist Lindsay Mackie, FILMCLUB is free to all state schools and offers young people the chance to watch, debate and review the very best in cinema. Now working in 7000 UK schools, it is promoting new avenues of learning in an informal setting and helping to transform the lives of almost 250,000 children each week. Teachers and pupils are able to select from thousands of classic and popular DVD titles available to order via the website through partner LOVEFiLM, arranged in special seasons to appeal directly to young people and covering every genre and era of movie-making. Members are encouraged to post their reviews on the website, with 6,000 reviews uploaded each week and prizes awarded for the best ones. Other benefits include access to film industry events and talent through the unique "Close Encounters" programme of in-school VIP visits, webcasts, screenings and workshops.
  
  For Beatbullying information and wristbands visit http://www.antibullyingweek.org/
  For more information on how to get help and support about bullying visit www.cybermentors.org
  
  FILMCLUB's 'Beat Bulling' Season is as follows:
  
  
  Words Can Hurt: Anti-Bullying Season 2011 (Secondary)
  1. Lord of The Flies (1963) (PG)
  2. American Teen (2008) (15)
  3. Tomboy (2011) (U)
  4. The Elephant Man (1980) (PG)
  5. The Women (1939) (U)
  6. Tormented (2009) (15)
  
  Words Can Hurt: Anti-Bullying Season 2011 (Primary)
  1. Cinderella (1950) (U)
  2. The Ant Bully (2006) (U)
  3. Bridge To Terabithia (2007) (PG)
  4. Kes (1969) (PG)
  5. Toy Story 3 (2010) (U)
  6. La Belle et La Bete (1946) (PG)

• FILMCLUB INITIATIVE LAUNCHES IN WALES 26 May 2011

  Welsh government Education Minister Leighton Andrews, filmmaker Beeban Kidron, actor Michael Sheen and screenwriter Andrew Davies welcome roll-out of new scheme to Welsh schoolchildren
  
  Young people in Wales can now broaden their cultural understanding and literacy by exploring the world of films through education charity FILMCLUB, which launches nationwide on Thursday May 26th.
  
  With Michael Sheen as its Welsh Ambassador, FILMCLUB is backed with grant assistance from the Welsh Government and supported by the Film Agency for Wales in its work in helping schools set up and run film clubs where young people can watch, discuss and review a diverse range of films from around the world. Research into the impact of the scheme - which already runs in over 7,000 schools in England - shows it has substantial education and social benefits and a significant impact on literacy. 80% of leaders say FILMCLUB increases members' critical skills and over half that it improves their reading and writing skills. Over 6,000 reviews are uploaded onto the website every week, many from youngsters who have never before wanted to write.
  
  Beeban Kidron, Film Director and FILMCLUB Co-Founder said: " I am absolutely delighted that Leighton Andrews and the Welsh Assembly have invited FILMCLUB to roll out to schools in Wales. The educational outcomes of our members are a great privilege to behold and we are looking forward to see the same outcomes and engagement in Welsh children as we have seen up and down the country in England. It's wonderful to have the support of so many Welsh film makers and film organisations including Michel Sheen, our Ambassador for Wales - he is a consummate actor and a star of the highest order and he cares passionately about giving children from his home nation the opportunities that are embodied in the Filmclub offer."
  
  Following a hugely successful pilot with 15 Welsh schools and support from leading figures in the Welsh film industry, FILMCLUB - which is free to all state schools - will be made available to Welsh schoolchildren in 800 schools over the next four years. The introduction of Welsh film seasons will showcase the Welsh contribution to cinema, adding to the already diverse range of movies on offer to FILMCLUB schools via the interactive website (www.filmclub.org). Seasons also feature the works of Welsh filmmakers including actors, directors and producers, highlighting their importance to the successful movie history of the UK and allowing young people to see Wales on screen in some of the finest films ever made. A special Welsh blog section with bilingual FILMCLUB news is being introduced for Welsh members.
  
  Launching the initiative at Cantonian High School in Cardiff will be Leighton Andrews, Welsh Government Minister for Education and Skills, Welsh screenwriter Andrew Davies (Brideshead Revisited, The Tailor of Panama), and FILMCLUB co-founder and filmmaker Beeban Kidron (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason).
  
  Leighton Andrews said: "This innovative project is working to expand the literacy skills and personal development of young people, which is a key commitment of the Welsh Government. I am therefore delighted that we have supported the roll-out of this scheme, giving young people across Wales access to the benefits of film."
  
  Michael Sheen said: "It's brilliant that now, not only will young people have access to a broad and inspiring range of films, they will also be able to understand Welsh culture in the context of the wider world."
  
  Immediately after the launch 50 pupils from Cantonian High will enjoy a special FILMCLUB screening of the hit film 'Africa United', which will be introduced, in person, by its director, Debs Gardner-Paterson.
  
  Founded in 2008 by Beeban Kidron and educationalist Lindsay Mackie, FILMCLUB offers young people the chance to watch, debate and review the very best in cinema. Through weekly screenings, online reviewing and close links with the film industry, the scheme is promoting new avenues of learning in an informal setting and is having a transformative impact on the lives of children. FILMCLUB members and teachers will be able to select from thousands of classic and popular DVD titles available to order via the website through partner LOVEFiLM, arranged in special seasons to appeal directly to young people and covering every genre and era of movie-making. The website also contains tips for members to discover new films and features over 650 hand-picked 'FILMCLUB Recommends' titles, selected by Danny Leigh - BBC Film 2010/11 host and former FILMCLUB Film Manager - as well as discussion topics, film guides, blog posts and FILMCLUB and industry news.
  
  Members will be encouraged to post their reviews on the website, with prizes awarded each week for the winning review and additional prizes for students who submit a review in the Welsh language. Other benefits include access to film industry events and talent through the unique "Close Encounters" programme of in-school VIP visits, webcasts, screenings and workshops.
  
  FILMCLUB is funded in Wales by the Welsh Government, with additional support from HSBC, and is supported by the BFI and LOVEFiLM. FILMCLUB is partnering with the Film Agency for Wales, Academi, Arts Council of Wales, It's My Shout and the Film Education Network to develop a rich programme tailored to Welsh schools.
  
  Chief Executive of the Film Agency for Wales, Pauline Burt adds: "With our support, dedicated education and exhibition specialists do much to develop audiences through formal and informal education, stimulating an appetite for specialized, cultural and non-mainstream films. Indeed, children today learn through pictures as well as words. Here is an opportunity for everybody, not just the stars, to learn and have fun."
  
  FILMCLUB is holding a series of free start-up sessions for teachers across Wales. Sign up at filmclub.org/blog/cymru or call 020 7288 4520.
  
  - Ends -
  
  For further information about FILMCLUB please contact: beatrix@filmclub.org on 07778 917 322/ Charlie@filmclub.org on 07540 667 059 or visit www.filmclub.org

• COUNTY DURHAM SCHOOL WINS NATIONWIDE FILMCLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD 17 March 2011

  School collect award at FIRST LIGHT FILM AWARDS in London's Leicester Square
  
  The Oaks School in Country Durham has beaten over 7000 UK schools to win a nationwide 'FILMCLUB OF THE YEAR' award from the education charity, FILMCLUB. Pupils and teachers were presented with their award by actors Dougray Scott (Mission Impossible 2, Desperate Housewives, Ever After) and Gugu Mbatha Raw (Doctor Who, Lost in Austen, Undercovers) at the prestigious FIRST LIGHT FILM AWARDS ceremony at London's Odeon, Leicester Square on Tuesday 15th March.
  
  The awards were hosted by TV presenter Nick Grimshaw and attended by a mix of celebrities and film industry luminaries including Sir Alan Parker, Miranda Hart, Noel Clarke, Clemence Poesy, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Ryan, Hugh Dennis and Tamsin Greig.
  
  The Oaks School is a member of the nationwide scheme FILMCLUB, launched in 2008 to set up film clubs in schools for pupils to watch, discuss and review movies from past and present. Speaking of their win, the school's Headteacher Andrea English said; "We are all delighted to have won this award. Members of our Film Club have not only enjoyed watching the films, but have also valued the time spent discussing them with friends and sharing ideas and preferences."
  
  She added; "Through the help and support of FILMCLUB I am able to introduce pupils to a wide variety of different films, from classic black and white, to more modern films. Also I have been able to educate our pupils on the necessity of age restrictions on films. Not only do our pupils upload their reviews on the FILMCLUB website, which helps them with IT skills and Literacy Skills, but many of our members also work towards gaining AQA unit awards for their reviews. I would like to thank FILMCLUB and our school's coordinator Reagan for giving me the support to pass my passion on to my members."
  
  Dougray Scott commented, "It's great to be involved in this event at the First Light Awards and I was very happy to present an award to FILMCLUB because films are a very important part of our lives, to tell great stories." He also commented on why he believes watching films is so important for young people:
  
  "When I was a kid I watched all sorts of movies with my dad. It's inspirational and you see people from different parts of the world, not as dissimilar to you as you perhaps thought. It can also help break down prejudices and social barriers, and it's incredibly exciting to go to the cinema and watch these wonderful stories unfold before your eyes that you can engage with emotionally."
  
  The Oaks Secondary School is a special needs community school based in Country Durham, and serves an area of considerable deprivation where 42% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The Oaks was chosen as FILMCLUB of the Year from a shortlist of 9 outstanding clubs, picked from the organisation's 7,000 member schools.
  
  It won the award due to the club leaders' extraordinary energy, commitment and dedication running two weekly film clubs regularly screening great movies from The General to Hotel Rwanda, and supporting 50 online members - who between them have uploaded 218 film reviews to the charity's website (www.filmclub.org) Pupils of all ages and abilities participate in the scheme at The Oaks, making full use of the unique, curated website of thousands of age-appropriate films from all round the world, and film is firmly embedded in all areas of the curriculum.
  
  FILMCLUB is a nationwide education charity, which helps schools set-up and run film clubs, giving young people the chance to watch, debate and review the very best in cinema. Offering weekly screenings of great films, which have the ability to educate and inspire, online reviewing and close links with the film industry, FILMCLUB is having a transformative impact on the lives of children. Each week 250,000 members in 7,000 schools are watching black and white movies, modern documentaries, Hollywood classics, British films and titles from around the world. FILMCLUB has just launched a new campaign, 'Power of Film' to promote learning through film and highlight the enormous impact that regularly watching, discussing and reviewing films can have on young people's lives.
  
  FIRST LIGHT helps young people from all backgrounds to develop their skills, talent, creativity, confidence and entrepreneurial capabilities, providing opportunities for young people to work with industry professionals on high quality, youth led digital media projects. Since launching in 2001, First Light have enabled over 40,000 budding creative professionals to write, act, shoot, light, direct, construct and produce over 1,000 films and media projects. First Light's productions cover a diverse range of topics and genres, and make use of accessible digital film and media technology.

• EDUCATION CHARITY FILMCLUB UNLEASHES THE "POWER OF FILM" THROUGH NEW CAMPAIGN 02 March 2011

  Some of the most moving, inspiring and thought provoking moments in film are being celebrated as FILMCLUB launches a campaign to highlight the unique and wide-reaching Power Of Film.
  
  FILMCLUB, the nationwide educational charity that helps schools set up and run film clubs, sees the impact film has on tens of thousands of schoolchildren every week, opening their eyes to new worlds and ideas. Throughout spring, the charity will be celebrating the very best of film and how it can change children's lives through its power to inspire, unite, educate, and help them better understand and express their emotions. Teachers are being invited to share with pupils the scenes judged in a recent poll to be the 'top ten most powerful all-time film moments', and through the website will have access to a number of thought provoking new film seasons covering topical issues ranging from Autism to The Monarchy.
  
  The 5000+ film reviews that FILMCLUB members write and add to the website every week show that the films that are most enjoyed are often the ones which have had a big emotional impact - comedies that keep them in a good mood for hours, dramas which have them in tears, and documentaries that made them indignant with rage - revealing the power of film to enlighten, anger, transport, mobilise or shine new light on difficult and emotive topics. The impact of providing young people with access to a rich and diverse range of films has been widely acknowledged by teachers leading film clubs:
  
  - 94% say that film clubs are effective at engaging pupils who do not take part in other activities
  - 93% say FILMCLUB opens access to culture for those who many not otherwise benefit from cultural experiences
  
  
  Commenting on the power of film, Actor and FILMCLUB Patron Michael Sheen (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) said:
  
  "I was as educated by film as I was by school. And film is a way for children to learn confidence, that their opinions matter, feel and think things about stuff and it can be different to other people, you can share opinions and you can learn from other people, and it can give you access to experiences from around the world - different kinds of lives, different kinds of living, different beliefs. It gives you a sense of a world outside of your own world. And I think it empowers children as well."