National Schools Film Week kicks off across Scotland tomorrow and will continue until 4 November.
Run by the charity Film Education, it links free screenings of carefully selected movies to the school curriculum via online resources.
'Our hope is for teachers and students to feel massively engaged in the Festival, as it is 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,' writes Festival Director Nick Walker. 'This is achieved by in-cinema talks and on-line resources, which give teachers the tools to encourage students to explore and understand new cinematic worlds.'
Pupils and staff from Broughton Primary School, Drummond CHS and Trinity Academy are attending screenings this year. Caroline Allen, teacher at Trinity Primary School, got inolved in 2010 to give students 'the pleasure of developing their social skills through the cinema experience. Depending on the films screened, the festival can be a very good teaching tool for us as it develops the children's visual literacy'.
Any teachers still wanting to 'engage, empower and explore', or just learn more about the initiative can go to: www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org
Edinburgh highlights of this year's Festival are:
Edinburgh Cameo
Wednesday 2 November – Outside The Law [15, 138]
Introduced by Martine Pierquin, Course organiser for film and media and film tutor, University of Edinburgh [20 mins]
Edinburgh Film House
Wednesday 2 November – Abel [15, 82]
Introduced by Eva Bru Domínguez, PhD Student, Aspects of Film, Birmingham University [20 mins]
Thursday 3 November – Mirror Boy [PG, 87] In association with Africa In Motion Film Festival
Thursday 3 November – The Tree of Spirits [PG, 50] In association with Africa In Motion Film Festival
Edinburgh Cineworld
Tuesday 1 November – The Social Network [12A, 120] A ‘Meet the Critics’ introduction to film narrative by Paul Dale, Film Editor, The List [20mins]
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