Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) has announced the full programme for its 2021 festival (Wednesday February 24 - Sunday March 7).
Screenings will be hosted on Glasgow Film’s new online viewing platform Glasgow Film At Home.
The programme contains six World premieres, two European premieres and 49 UK premieres.
Tickets will go on sale from 12 noon on Monday 18 January online. More information is available at www.glasgowfilm.org./festival.
Originally planned as a hybrid in-cinema and online festival, GFF21 will now take place online only, due to the lockdown restrictions.
Scottish highlights include:
Scottish filmmaker Anthony Baxter (Flint, GFF 2020) returns for the World premiere of Eye of the Storm, which follows one of Scotland’s most gifted painters, James Morrison, through the last two years of his life. With animation from Catriona Black and a soundtrack from Karine Polwart.
The UK premiere of Creation Stories, written by Irvine Welsh and starring GFF favourite Ewen Bremner. Creation Stories charts the rise of the infamous founder of Creation Records, Alan McGee. Directed by Nick Moran, the incredible cast includes Jason Isaacs, Suki Waterhouse and Rebecca Root.
Yer Old Faither, from Adelaide Fringe director Heather Croall receives its UK premiere. Narrated by playwright and actor Gary McNair, it explores the life of her father, Glaswegian John Croall, who moved to Australia in 1970 and bought hundreds of children into the world as a local obstetrician.
Stacey Lee’s uplifting documentary Underplayed is an intimate and revealing look at gender inequality in the electronic dance music scene, which features the city of Glasgow and local DJ Nightwave.
David Whitney’s Killing Escobar reconstructs Scottish mercenary and ex-SAS operative Peter McAleese’s mission to assassinate Pablo Escobar, as McAleese, now 78, reflects on his demons.
Bridging the Gap – Turbulence will showcase four shorts from the Scottish Documentary Institute’s emerging talent initiative including: Against the Tide; Harmonic Spectrum; Racing Stock and Venus & Mars.
Allison Gardner, CEO of Glasgow Film and Glasgow Film Festival Co-director, said: “Glasgow Film Festival 2021 may look different to previous years, but what has not changed is the quality of incredible films from across the world that we are bringing to our audiences.
“The programme is filled with gems, but a few of my highlights must include Ben Sharrock’s bewitching tale of a refugee in Scotland Limbo, charming coming-of-age romance Sweetheart, Mads Mikkelsen’s stand-out performance in Riders of Justice, stunning and compelling documentary BIG vs SMALL, and Gunda, a farmyard story of a sow and her piglets that will steal your heart.”
GFF is one of the leading film festivals in the UK and run by Glasgow Film, a charity which also runs Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT).
GFF is made possible by support from Screen Scotland, the BFI (awarding funds from the National Lottery), Glasgow Life and EventScotland.
Sambrooke Scott, Screen Scotland’s Head of Audience Development said: “Glasgow Film Festival is a beacon of light at the start of this new year.
“Despite the restrictions in place, the beating heart of what makes it great is a fantastic programme of film from around the world, with a particularly strong selection of great new Scottish work, put together by a passionate team which will excite and thrill audiences.”
Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City said: “It is a tribute to the endeavour of the entire festival team that we will all be able to enjoy the true experience of Glasgow Film Festival while staying safe.
“Film fans everywhere will be supporting the wider industry by buying tickets for this imaginative programme and I have no doubt will look forward to enjoying Glasgow Film Festival as much as ever.”
- Tickets for the programme will go on sale at noon on Monday 18 January at www.glasgowfilm.org/festival.
Titles will be available to view between 24 February and 7 March on online platform Glasgow Film At Home (https://athome.glasgowfilm.org/).
Glasgow Film’s streaming site was launched last year to provide a curated offering of titles available to watch online.
It is free to create an account and users can pre-order the GFF21 premieres they want to watch during the festival.
