Shorts for Middle Ones - School Screening

This annual collection of short films for those aged eight and above is always a mix of animation styles and content that promises something for everyone. At times madcap, at other times very serious, there is no predicting where we will travel next. This year we have stories from Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands and more than a couple from France but each brings an element of the universal – even to those of us who have never been stuck on a runaway tram in Lisbon...

There are tales of characters that are forced to journey to strange new worlds in search of fresh starts in life, and one about a dog that is left to fend for itself and instead finds a whole new family. We learn the truth about dinosaur extinction (allegedly) and what happens to Matilda when her head is so full of knowledge her mother has to find her a spare one. And there are a couple of stories that remind us how important big screen entertainment has become to us, and how a smartphone sometimes just won’t do!

Only one of the film uses any dialogue, and that one comes with handy subtitles for those of us who don’t speak Lithuanian.

Here at Discovery, we’ve been promoting the use of short films in the classroom for a wee while now. If you’re not quite sure how these films can be used in your learning environment, please do have a look at the accompanying resource pack written for teachers by teachers and free to download below.

Dirs: Various
Various countries 2019-20 / 55m / Age 8+
Dialogue free or (in one film) Lithuanian with English subtitles

Here's more from Festival Producer, Mike Tait, on why you should watch Shorts for Middle Ones:

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