Tuning into the film

Just like your students, millions of children around the world are frustrated by the dire lack of action to protect the 
planet and their future. For these young people, who have limited opportunity to have their voices heard to affect
positive change, eco-despair can be overwhelming. 

FUTURE COUNCIL is a welcomed resource that empowers children by showing them that there is a way to influence and advise local councils, corporations and government policy on the decisions that negatively impact our natural world. In this lesson, students will be immersed in and connect with the documentary film FUTURE COUNCIL with suggested pre-viewing and post-viewing activities.

Learning objectives:

• Students will develop visual literacy skills
• Students will critically engage with a media text
• Students will understand that solutions to the problems facing people and the planet already exist, and that there is a place for young people to come up with solutions and have their voices heard.

Pre-viewing: Webinar

The pre-viewing lesson is a great one to conduct before watching the documentary in full. In this webinar presentation, MIFF’s (Melbourne International Film Festival) film-analysis expert, Dr Josh Nelson, provides teachers with resources, strategies and ideas for how to best incorporate a screening FUTURE COUNCIL into their students’ classroom-based learning.

Post-viewing: Teacher's Take-Away Resource

Now that you and your students have seen the film, these classroom ideas, activities and leads will enhance learning
and energise action in realistic and achievable ways that will boost hope. Encourage the student’s positive response to the film by planning a lesson to do an extension learning activity.

Support students to join the Future Council

Any young person aged 9-16 can join the Future Council movement. Members can participate in global meetups, connect with like-minded peers, learn from world-class experts and participate in design challenges to create a better future. Future Council also shares trusted knowledge, helpful resources and clear paths for action. It seeks to unlock wonder and creativity, whilst bringing a much needed morality to decision making.

Initially, members will be invited to co-design how the Future Council will be embedded into businesses, institutions and schools - creating opportunities for young people to collaborate on real, sustainable products and find real, sustainable solutions. If you know a young person who would be interested and inspired to be part of co-designing the Future Council with us, please encourage and support them to join. Learn more here.

Credits and acknowledgements:

This pre-viewing webinar was written and recorded by MIFF Schools (Melbourne International Film Festival) film-analysis expert, Dr Josh Nelson. The post-viewing teacher's Take-Away resource was written and developed by Dr Anne Chesher of Quadrant Media Education. Regen Studios would like to thank the generous contribution of Shark Island Foundation, The Tony Foundation | Alberts, APS Bloom Funding Circle, and our generous individual donors, for the development of this resource.