Film resource for UK schools to close; redundancy for 15 staff; National Schools Film Week to cease.

Privately funded charity Film Education is to close this week after 26 years, with all 15 full time and part-time staff made redundant.

The charity, whose supporters have included directors Gurinder Chadha, Lord Attenborough and Mark Herman as well as critic Mark Kermode, provided curriculum-based teaching resources, teacher training and cinema-based events across the UK and also ran National Schools Film Week.

According to Film Education, the closure comes after primary funder Cinema First decided not to renew its backing of the charity but instead committed support to organisations FILMCLUB and First Light, in their efforts to secure the £28 million Lottery funded BFI 5-19 film education scheme 2013-2017.

In 2012, 547,699 children and young people aged 5-19 attended the Film Education’s free in-cinema screening events and festivals. 4.4 million have attended since the inaugural event in 1997.

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