Another @glasgowfilmfest.bsky.social in the books. My 9th festival! So many highlights - amazing events across the board and the best two screenings of Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie that are now firmly core festival memories. The best job and the best team - GFF forever and always ❤️
Also big shout out to my boy Matt Johnson for the incredible introduction - can’t wait to have him back in Glasgow soon.
Sometimes film programming can be tough but the feeling in those screenings this weekend has filled my heart and left me buzzing for what’s next.
For me, the one thing I am always desperate to bring to GFF with my programming is some fun. I want audiences to make some noise and create a true, communal experience that raises the roof. Nirvanna is the perfect film to springboard those vibes.
Managing to programme Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie for @glasgowfilmfest will forever go down as a core festival memory. Two sold out screenings in our 400 seater screen, electric atmosphere, the cheers, the laughter and the applause is what it’s all about
Hey man, glad you enjoyed it - any chance you can take this down just now? There is a second screening tonight and don’t want to spoil it for anyone going tonight.
OBEX - Albert Birney (Strawberry Mansion) directs and stars in this lo-fi adventure epic that sees a simple man have to enter a video game in order to rescue his dog. Shades of Eraserhead with some amazing visuals thrown in - I had a lot of fun with this.
Sinsin and the Mouse - Directed by Yukinori Makabe (Love, Life and Goldfish, GFF22) this is a change of pace as a young woman travels to Taiwan in the wake of her mothers passing and bonds with a local man over their shared grief and loneliness. Very moving!
No Ordinary Heist - Éanna Hardwicke and Eddie Marsan shine in this thriller which is based on the true events of one of the most infamous bank robberies in Northern Ireland. Uncomfortable, tense and incredibly gripping.
My Daughter is a Zombie - Train to Busan vibes here with more of a family friendly spin. Plenty of laughs to be had but also brimming with heart and a sweetness that really made me misty eyed throughout its runtime.
Wolves - Bartosz Bielenia (Corpus Christi) stars in this drama about toxic relationships and the emergence of the radical right wing in black metal. An impressive but tough film that features the most authentic gig experience I have ever seen committed to screen.
We Believe You - Family courtroom drama in which a mother fights to protect her children from their father amongst some startling revelations. This floored me - every performance is a 10 out of 10 and the end result left me breathless and shaken.
On a String - Big Frances Ha/Greta Gerwig vibes here as Isobel Hagen writes, directs and stars in this awkward comedy loosely based on her early 20s as part of a string quartet in New York. Isobel is such a talent and I think this could be the sleeper pick of the fest.
The Plague - Set in a water polo summer camp for tweens, this impressive debut feature is an anxiety nightmare with out of this world sound design and brilliant score. The horrors of adolescence have never been more frightening. Incredible first feature.
One Last Deal - A chamber piece in the same vein as Locke or The Guilty, Danny Dyer is the only person on screen for 90 minutes and delivers a masterclass that had me hooked from minute one. This one will surprise a lot of people.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie - Comedy of the year! If you know nothing about the lore of the show, it doesn't matter. A complete standalone film that is a Back to the Future parody crossed with hidden camera stunts. Joyous and special, do not miss!
Finally, the @glasgowfilmfest.bsky.social programme has dropped and I am so glad to have it out there. Below are some of the films that I am most excited for people to see:
Honestly can’t think of a better opener for our Festival this year. Felipe has crafted a tremendous film that left me very misty eyed. It’s gonna be a special one.
Big news! Closing Night is going to be a fun one!
RIP Udo Kier, star of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Exciting things happening and that’s just the beginning…
If they have anything about them, it’ll be Gizmo’s son or daughter finding out their mother, who abandoned them at birth to go back to her sugar daddy in the city, is…
First thing my brain jumped to when I looked at that track list
The socks truly complete the look.
Giving off big Guy Incognito vibes
TIFF so far: 16 films watched, caught festival lurgy, finally secured a same day ticket for once and just burned my tongue eating a pizza slice before running to queue for my next film. Pretty much the standard experience.
Meow!
Surprised she didn’t end it right there and then. That’s psychopath behaviour.
