London: The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, Thandie Newton and film directors Kevin Macdonald (Last King of Scotland) and Beeban Kidron (Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason) joined forces at St Augustine's Church of England High School in Kilburn, North London, to launch an exciting new initiative which aims to bring the world of film into 10,000 primary and secondary schools across the country.
Founded by film director Beeban Kidron and educationalist Lindsay Mackie, FILM CLUB is funded and supported by the UK Film Council, the BFI, The Guardian, LOVEFiLM, Film Education, All Industry Marketing (AIM), Film Bank / PVSL and Film Distributors Association.
The heart of FILM CLUB's belief is to offer young people across the country the chance to enter the limitless world of film – which provides an engaging and exciting insight into worlds that enrich, challenge, inspire, unite and amaze. Teachers and pupils will be able to browse www.filmclub.org and access hundreds of recommended titles which include mainstream blockbusters such as Pirates of the Caribbean and specialised and foreign language films such as Cinema Paradiso. All of the films are grouped into specially devised seasons and engaging themes to help guide the teachers through the vast array of titles.
The website enables teachers and pupils to not only to order films, but also write reviews and rate movies, as well as access information about what's on at their local cinema. Nick Hornby has put together a season of his top 5 comedy films and will be answering questions online and in schools. Comedy writer, Lee Hall (Billy Elliott) is running a competition for children for their best 'film season'. Renée Zellweger has written exclusively for the website about a film that meant a lot to her as a young girl growing up.
Already FILMCLUB has a host of VIP supporters working in the film industry, Rosamund Pike, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Frears, Daniel Craig, Alan Parker, Simon Pegg, John Hurt, Nick Park, Joseph Fiennes, Daniel Radcliffe, Jo Wright, Jason Isaacs and Sienna Miller have all agreed to visit schools during the pilot phase and participating schools can request a visit via the website.
Currently in the pilot phase, FILM CLUB runs until the end of the spring term in 25 schools across Yorkshire, London, Kent, Surrey and Northern Ireland. The selected schools will run weekly after school film clubs for children of all ages, from 5 to 18. If the pilot proves popular and funding is secured the intention is to roll out FILM CLUB to a further 10,000 schools nationwide.
Launching the scheme the Chancellor, Gordon Brown MP said:
"We want every young person to be able to use their school facilities outside normal school hours for sport, arts, music or other constructive activities, and FILM CLUB is a great example of how schools can offer young people the chance to do something engaging and exciting at the end of their school day. For the first time, FILM CLUB will allow young people to watch a much wider range of films from world cinema together and discuss them in groups.
"We all know films can inspire us to think more deeply about the world around us, learn about different experiences and cultures, and think creatively about bringing our own ideas to life. The movies shown by FILM CLUB can be both entertaining and educational, but most encouragingly, they get young people talking about the issues and ideas raised, and wanting to see and learn more."
Beeban Kidron said:
"We will be able to offer FILM CLUB to all the schools in the country. And we believe that if we do that – the stories you see and hear – will not only entertain but - touch the hearts and inform the minds of a whole generation."
Recent reactions to FILMCLUB:
"W-O-W! FILM CLUB is exquisite, genius and invaluable! What a concept!" Renee Zellweger
"Thanks for setting up the film club, it's amazing" Stephen, pupil, age 10, Newport Primary School, Brough
"At our first screening half the school turned up. It was incredible!" Phil Harrison, Teacher, St Helens Primary School, Barnsley
"For me...'film clubs' in schools offer the real possibility of using movies to enrich the lives of all of our children and young people – to provide them with access to a wide range of films, movies which, at the same time as giving them pleasure, will enable them to think about the world they inhabit in entirely new ways..." Lord Puttnam.
Notes to Editors:
- FILM CLUB is a non-profit organisation supported by the UK Film Council, the BFI, The Guardian, LOVEFiLM, Film Education, All Industry Marketing (AIM), Film Bank / PVSL and Film Distributors Association with a view to ignite and inspire a love of film in young people across the UK.
- LOVEFiLM, the online DVD rental service, provides all of FILM CLUB's DVDs.
- The pilot will be evaluated in the summer term of 2007, for roll-out in the new academic year.
- To find out everything about what FILM CLUB offers schools see www.filmclub.org
For further information and photos from the launch contact the UK Film Council:
Lisa Tremble on 07814 737 824 or Caroline Nagle on 07961 157 388
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