Myths, Legends and Folktales
Myths, legends and folktales are a great way to explore world cultures, history, literature and art. In these film adaptations, some great stories are brought to the big screen to enhance and inspire your students' learning around this topic.
Some of these films have accompanying teaching resources available for free (we will email them to you when you book) and/or power point introductions that can be delivered in screen before the film by a member of staff subject to availability or provided to you to use in the classroom.
The Sword In The Stone (U)
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman. USA. 1963. 76 mins.
A poor orphan named Arthur who longs to be a knight's squire learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wizard called Merlin and his owl sidekick Archimedes in the path to become one of the most legendary kings in English history.
Suitability: KS1 & KS2 | Subjects: History, English
Resources Available: KS2 King Arthur lesson plan from the Booktrust
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Hercules (U)
Director: Ron Clements, John Musker. USA. 1997. 89 mins.
The son of the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it. Disney's adaptation of one Ancient Greece's most well know mythical heroes comes complete with a funky animation style and some excellent Motown inspired musical numbers.
Suitability: KS1 & KS2 | Subjects: History, English
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Jason And The Argonauts (U)
Director: Don Chaffey. USA/UK. 1963. 99 mins.
After a 20 year voyage, Jason returns home to the Kingdom of Thessaly. But in order to regain his throne, he must find the magical Golden Fleece. Jason and his crew must now reach the fleece and survive the likes of a 100 foot bronze giant, a huge venomous creature with head full of seven snakes, and a terrifying army of skeletons, all beautifully rendered in stop-motion animation.
Suitability: KS2, KS3 | Subjects: History, English
Resources Available: Introduction (subject to availability)
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Cinderella (U)
Director: Kenneth Branagh. USA/UK. 2015. 101 mins.
Kenneth Branagh's live-action retelling of the classic fairytale. A young woman is kept at the whim of her jealous stepmother and wicked stepsisters after her father dies. Forced to be a servant in her own house, Ella refuses to let anything crush her spirit. Things pick up with a visit from her fairy godmother and a chance encounter with a dashing stranger...
Suitability: KS1, KS2 | Subjects: History, English
Resources Available: Film Guide from Into Film (PSHE, English, and Literacy)
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Ponyo (U)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki. Japan. 2008. 101 mins.
During a forbidden excursion to see the surface world, a goldfish princess meets a boy named Sosuke, who calls her Ponyo. Ponyo longs to become human, but when she leaves her home underwater to go and live on the land with Sosuke, she accidentally spills a magical potion that endangers his village. A gorgeous retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic The Little Mermaid.
Suitability: KS1, KS2 | Subjects: PSHE, English, Art
Resources Available: Study Notes from Film Education
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Shrek (U)
Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson. USA. 2011. 87 mins.
After his swamp is filled with magical creatures, an ogre agrees to rescue a princess for a villainous lord in order to get his land back. Although set in the context of a medieval fairy-tale, Shrek contains plenty of modern twists and contemporary humour.
Suitability: KS1, KS2 | Subjects: History, English
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Song of The Sea (PG)
Director: Tomm Moore. Ireland. 2014. 92 mins.
Ben discovers that his mute sister, Saoirse, is a selkie - the last of a magical race of seals that become human on dry land. Together they must find her voice to free the other supernatural creatures from the spell of the Macha - an ancient Celtic goddess. With traditional Irish music and a beautiful animation style, this saga is an ode to the power and magic of storytelling.
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Suitability: KS2, KS3 | Subjects: History, English, Art
Resources Available: Film Guide from Into Film
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Secret of Kells (PG)
Director: Tomm Moore. Ireland. 2009. 75 mins.
In remote, medieval Ireland, young Brendan embarks on an adventure when a celebrated illuminator called Aiden arrives carrying a book brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest into the enchanted forest where he meets Aisling, a mysterious young girl.
Suitability: KS2, KS3 | Subjects: History, English, Art
Resources Available: KS2 History, Literacy & Art Study Notes; Introduction (subject to availability)
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
Kubo and The Two Strings (PG)
Director: Travis Knight. USA. 2016. 100 mins.
Kubo's peaceful existence comes crashing down when he accidentally summons a vengeful spirit from the past. Armed with a magical instrument, Kubo joins forces with Monkey and Beetle to battle a range of gods and monsters to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known.
Suitability: KS2, KS3 | Subjects: PSHE, English, Art
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).
The Princess Bride (PG)
Director: Rob Reiner. USA. 1987. 94 mins.
Rob Reiner's classic 1987 fairytale with a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humour, The Princess Bride remains as fresh and as entertaining today as when it was first released. A twist on the traditional damsel-in-distress tale, subverting all expectations you might have about a fairy-tale romance in a gloriously enjoyable way.
Suitability: KS2, KS3 | Subjects: PSHE, English
Resources Available: Film Guide from Into Film
Price: £4.00 per student (min 65 students) or flat £260 for smaller groups. Free for staff (1:10 ratio).