Big-screen adventures inspire Newry pupils at Into Film Festival

The Into Film Festival kicked off in Newry yesterday with a special screening of Paddington in Peru at the Imaginarium, complete with a Teddy Bears’ Picnic and marmalade sandwiches.

The Into Film Festival runs until 19 November 2026, including more free screenings in Newry being held at the Omniplex.

With a total of 54 screenings and events in Northern Ireland and 8,742 free seats available, the 2026 Into Film Festival will give educators and pupils aged 5–19 the opportunity to use film as a powerful educational tool, bringing learning to life, sparking classroom discussions and supporting learning across the curriculum through engaging stories and experiences on the big screen.

Organised across the UK by education charity Into Film, the festival is the world’s largest free film festival of its kind. Sean Kelly, Into Film’s Delivery Manager for Northern Ireland said: “Our Teddy Bears’ Picnic screening in Newry is just one great example of the way the Into Film Festival offers fantastic opportunities to inspire young people through the shared experience of cinema.

By giving pupils the chance to enjoy films on the big screen, discover new stories and explore the creativity behind filmmaking, we hope to spark their imaginations and encourage a lifelong love of film and reading.” Adding another educational dimension to the festival, the Into Film Festival Review Writing Competition will encourage young people to put their thoughts into words by reviewing the films they watch.

Each winning entry will receive a £200 voucher for their class to enjoy. This year’s festival supports the National Year of Reading, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and Department of Education. The initiative encourages children and young people to Go All In on the films they love by reading into them, celebrating the important connection between film and literacy.

The link between screen stories and reading is clear: in a recent survey conducted by the National Literacy Trust, two in five children and young people (38.1%) said they were motivated to read when the reading material related to a favourite film or TV series. The Into Film Festival is supported by Cinema First and the UK film industry. Tickets are still available for selected screenings and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Waiting lists are also available. Visit www.intofilm.org/festival to find out more and book tickets.