CHILDREN from across Suffolk will be taking part in national schools film week next month.

CHILDREN from across Suffolk will be taking part in national schools film week next month.

Thanks to the programme, organised by Film Education, youngsters in the county will be able to watch films they enjoy while learning about important issues.

Now in its 12th year, the initiative is the largest event of its kind in Europe and last year record numbers of children watched countless current releases and classics in more than 500 cinemas.

The focus of this year's film week is The World We Live In.

There will be a range of films addressing issues including the environment, tolerance, social and racial injustice, bullying, politics, storytelling and the world young people inhabit.

A spokesman for Ipswich Film Theatre, which is supporting the initiative, said: “Ipswich Film Theatre has been a keen participant in National Schools Film Week for a number of years.

“The students are introduced to films that many might not normally see, broadening their experience and introducing them to the fact that cinema is not just the latest product from Hollywood.”

Film critic Mark Kermode added: "National Schools Film Week showcases a wonderful range of international movies, from fantasy and animation to hard-hitting political dramas and insightful documentaries, which promise to capture the imagination of young people everywhere.”

Teachers can book their free tickets online at www.nsfw.org

National schools film week will run from October 15 to 19 and will involve children from Handford Hall Primary School, St Matthews Primary School, Whitehouse Junior School, Whitton Primary School, and Westbridge pupil referral unit in Ipswich, as well as Stutton Primary School, Holbrook Primary, and Chelmondiston Primary School.

Are films a good way to teach youngsters about life? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.