Glasgow Film Fest Unveils Star-Studded Lineup with James McAvoy, Tim Roth, and Tilda Swinton

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For this year’s 21st edition, the Glasgow Film Festival has revealed its complete schedule, featuring a special “In Conversation” event with James McAvoy – a renowned actor hailing from Glasgow – reflecting on his distinguished career.

Over a span of 12 bustling days, the grandest yearly cinematic spectacle in Scotland will display an impressive lineup of 92 debuts from around the globe, comprising 39 different nations. This includes no less than 12 world premieres, as announced on Tuesday by event organizers.

The upcoming world premiere for survival thriller “Tornado,” the second film from Scottish director John Maclean (known for “Slow West”), will kick off the festival on February 26th. The story follows Kōki, a model-songwriter, who finds herself in a dangerous predicament when her father’s traveling puppet show encounters a ruthless criminal group headed by Sugarman, played by Tim Roth of “Pulp Fiction,” and his son Little Sugar, known from “Slow Horses.” In an effort to start over, Kōki decides to steal the gold from the gang’s latest heist. As a result, she finds herself in a heart-pounding adventure as she battles to escape certain death. Lionsgate U.K. plans to release the film across the United Kingdom starting May 23rd.

The festival will conclude on March 9th with the world premiere of Scottish documentary-maker Martyn Robertson’s “Make It to Munich,” which was filmed in preparation for the Euro 2024 soccer tournament.

The film tells the story of Ethan Walker, a talented teenage soccer player from Aberdeenshire who, soon after receiving a scholarship at an American university, endures severe injuries in a car accident. His injuries include multiple bone fractures, two brain hemorrhages, and a complete dislocation of his right knee. As per the plot summary, Ethan’s recovery is assisted by Professor Gordon Mackay, a groundbreaking surgeon from Glasgow. Determined to overcome his ordeal, Ethan embarks on a journey to cycle from Hampden to Munich for Scotland’s initial match against Germany during Euro 2024 – an ambitious feat considering he has only nine months since the accident. The Scotland National team also confides in him by entrusting him with carrying the match flag throughout his journey and ensuring its timely delivery before the start of the game.

Make It to Munich, courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival

One of the highly anticipated U.K. debuts scheduled for Glasgow’s festival is “The Return,” a fresh take on Homer’s Odyssey starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, who previously worked together in “The English Patient.” Meanwhile, Scotland will also premiere “The Extraordinary Miss Flower,” the latest film performance from Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, the duo known for “20,000 Days on Earth,” which debuted in London towards the end of last year.

Other Scottish premieres include the Scottish folk horror film “Harvest,” directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, as well as his post-apocalyptic musical satire titled “The End” starring Tilda Swinton and George Mackay. Additionally, Nicolas Cage features in the trippy psychological thriller “The Surfer.”

Or:

Notable Scottish premieres include the Scottish folk horror movie “Harvest,” directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, the post-apocalyptic musical satire “The End” starring Tilda Swinton and George Mackay, and Nicolas Cage in the trippy psychological thriller “The Surfer.”

Or:

Scottish premieres include the folk horror movie “Harvest,” directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, as well as his post-apocalyptic musical satire “The End” starring Tilda Swinton and George Mackay. Not to mention Nicolas Cage in the trippy psychological thriller “The Surfer.”

Or:

Some Scottish premieres include the movie “Harvest,” a Scottish folk horror film directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, the post-apocalyptic musical satire “The End” starring Tilda Swinton and George Mackay, and Nicolas Cage in the trippy psychological thriller “The Surfer.”

Or:

Among the premieres in Scotland are the movie “Harvest,” a Scottish folk horror film directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, the post-apocalyptic musical satire “The End” starring Tilda Swinton and George Mackay, and Nicolas Cage in the trippy psychological thriller “The Surfer.

The three-episode TV show titled “Fear,” penned by Mick Ford and helmed by Justin Chadwick, based on Dirk Kurbjuweit’s stalking thriller novel of the same name, will also be shown at the festival as it was filmed in the city.

As a gaming enthusiast immersed in the world of cinema, I’m excited to share that Glasgow will host “From the Heart of Europe: Austria on Screen,” a diverse program featuring a mix of genres from Austria. Ranging from gripping dramas to offbeat comedies, this lineup includes works by renowned Austrian director Michael Haneke. It’s going to be an enriching cinematic journey, showcasing the best of Austria’s film industry!

The last edition of the event will be under the supervision of Allison Gardner, who is both the CEO of Glasgow Film and the festival’s director.

Isabel Davis, executive director at Screen Scotland, stated that this year’s GFF program clearly underscores the festival’s significance to the local industry. It links our films and artists globally, exposing world-class cinema to Glasgow, Scotland, U.K. audiences, as well as those beyond. This year, Scottish talent is prominently featured across the program, with works such as John Maclean’s ‘Tornado’, Laura Carreira’s ‘On Falling’, and Justin Chadwick’s ‘Fear’, a Glasgow-shot film starring Martin Compston.

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2025-01-21 11:24