To mark the opening of the world’s largest, free, youth film festival this week in Wales, the film education charity Into Film Cymru hosted a pupil premiere of Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch in Cardiff.
Simultaneous pupil premieres were held in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Manchester ahead of the film’s release in cinemas across the UK on Friday 9th November.
For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heart-warming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the redemptive power of kindness and the true spirit of Christmas.
Pupils from four local schools from Cardiff – Lansdowne Primary, Millbank Primary, Springwood Primary and Penarth’s Albert Primary – attended the exclusive event at Cineworld Cardiff this week. At each UK premiere, young audiences got into the festive spirit and brought donations for their local foodbanks in a bid to give ‘the gift of kindness’ and not be ‘a Grinch’ this Christmas.
The youth film festivals gives children the opportunity to try new experiences, which they may not have done otherwise.
Helen Bull, Development Manager at Cardiff Foodbank said:
“The Grinch tells the heart-warming story of the spirit of Christmas. We are grateful to the pupils attending the premiere today and to Into Film Cymru for their generosity and show of good will in helping to make this Christmas a happier event for many families in Cardiff this year.”
Now in its sixth phenomenally successful year, having welcomed nearly half a million Primary and Secondary students and their teachers in 2017, the Festival is hosted by film education charity, Into Film. It offers 3,000 free screenings and special events in over 550 venues across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland between 7-23 November.
Into Film Cymru will host 184 free screenings across 42 venues in Wales including in Aberystwyth, Bridgend, Carmarthen, Cardiff, Llandudno, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Penarth and Rhyl. The film education charity has also teamed up with Oxfam Cymru to host free screenings and a workshop based on the much-debated epic film documentary Human Flow (12A) by the internationally renowned artist and director Ai Weiwei to raise awareness among children and young people of the global refugee crisis. Other highlights during the festival will include a premiere of S4C’s Welsh language film Pluen Eiraat St Fagan, National Museum of History, Cardiff, the Christmas film Nativity Rocksand winner of the Cannes Palme D’Or, Shoplifters.
Non Stevens, Head of Into Film Cymru, said:
“Our festival offers an opportunity for teachers, lecturers, home schoolers across Wales to see the value of our work and to see the way film can breathe life into everyday learning. Last year, across the UK, we welcomed nearly half a million primary and secondary school students to the festival – 24,000 in Wales alone. We’re delighted to have pulled together such a wide-ranging bilingual programme, from blockbusters to classics, and very much hope schools will take full advantage of this fantastic opportunity.”
For further information about screenings during the festival between 7-23 November https://www.intofilm.org/festival
