HUNDREDS of Glasgow school pupils attended a screening of climate change documentary '2040' to mark the opening of the seventh Into Film Festival.

Cited as the first film aimed at young audiences to offer a hopeful response to eco-anxiety, 2040 is part of the Festival’s environmentally-themed screenings and events throughout the Festival and is supported by UNICEF.

The film, which made its debut this morning at the Glasgow Film Theatre, explores what the future could look like by the year 2040 if humans embraced the best solutions available to improve our planet and shifted them rapidly into the mainstream.

More than 370 school pupils comprised of today's audience, from 6 Glasgow primary schools and 2 secondary schools such as St. Joseph's and St. Bridget's.

The pupils were encouraged to watch the film whilst bearing in mind the age they would be in 2040.

Kirsty Gallacher, Into Film Programme Delivery Manager, Scotland, said:

“Film is a powerful tool for learning and engagement. It’s rich in curriculum from story to screen and everything in between.

"It was very important for us to include young people, as activists like Greta Thunberg have shown us that they do have a voice and it should be heard.

"In 2040 especially, we wanted to show to the school pupils that despite the climate emergency there is still hope for our, and their, futures."

“There are still some tickets available and I would encourage teachers across Scotland to take a look at our programme to find out what’s on near them.”

Into Film Festival comprises eight strands: Mental Wellbeing and Identity, Language and Creativity, The Natural World, Exploring History, Debate, Fantasy and Adventure, Rebellion and Musicals.