From the country that gave us silver screen stars including Catherine Zeta Jones, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen, Wales has a rich history of filmmaking and storytelling.
And to celebrate the launch of the FILMCLUB scheme in Wales - the education charity and experts in films for young people has released two special seasons of films with the Welsh connection.
The first season includes ten handpicked film favourites from the nation - each one made in Wales and share insights to the country that many may not have seen before, highlighting how film can be both entertaining and educational.
The Edge of Love is based on an episode in the life of great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The drama tells of the time when Dylan and his wife became close to his old flame Vera, with scandalous consequences.
The star of the film, Matthew Rhys, said; "I think an enormous amount can be learnt from films - it’s the perfect way of being entertained and learning. I learnt a lot from films, in every aspect - historically, socially... Plus, most of the time there is some form of entertainment that comes with it."
For those wanting something more unusual, the 2008 documentary Sleep Furiously shows a less-seen side to Wales, as filmmaker Gideon Koppel traces the rhythms of life in his remote rural hometown of Trefeurig.
Submarine is a coming-of-age comedy that deals with tricky issues in a lighthearted way following Oliver, a young man with two objectives: to lose his virginity and to stop his mother from leaving his father.
FILMCLUB supporter and actor Dougray Scott commented; "I would recommend Submarine. It’s a great little independent film"
And it isn’t all about new films. Older ones in the shortlist include the 1941 classic The Wolf Man - a wonderfully atmospheric horror about a hapless American who is bitten by a wolf during a visit to his father's Welsh castle.
Not only are there some great films set and made in Wales, but many prominent and talented filmmakers hail from Wales. In the second season, FILMCLUB have chosen a selection of the best films starring some of Wales’s most famous faces, including The Elephant Man starring one of the recognised greatest living actors, Welshman Sir Anthony Hopkins, playing a doctor caring for a severely disfigured man in this harrowing David Lynch classic, Swansea actress Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Oscar-winning turn in Chicago as Velma Kelly and lavish epic Cleopatra - in which Hollywood legends Elizabeth Taylor and Welsh actor Richard Burton first appeared on celluloid together.
The films were chosen in celebration of the FILMCLUB Cymru launch, which will allow thousands of Welsh schoolchildren to join the current 250,000 membership in England to experience the magic of watching, reviewing and discussing a variety of films in their schools.
Speaking at the launch, FILMCLUB Ambassador for Wales Michael Sheen said; "I certainly learned as much from films as I did form school. Films have the power to show us different cultures and the wider world or our own country in a new light, and they can help us better understand a variety of social and emotional issues.
"And through giving members the space to discuss and write about film, FILMCLUB also offers young people a new way to debate and communicate, build confidence and develop their critical analysis skills."
Films from Wales film season:
- How Green Was My Valley (1941) U
- A Way Of Life (2004) 15
- Very Annie Mary (2001) 15
- The Edge Of Love (2008) 15
- Tiger Bay (1959) PG
- Under Milk Wood (1992) PG
- The Wolf Man (1941) PG
- Sleep Furiously (2008) U
- The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill, But Came Down A Mountain (1995) PG
- Submarine (2010) 15
Tagged in Dougray Scott Matthew Rhys