Glasgow sprang out of hibernation a month early in February for the perless jamboree that is Glasgow Film Festival. With a programme of film, food and potholing it had no problem maintaining its notoriety for creative, vivid, unforgettable events. I was really lucky to join the team again this year and I had more excitement and colour than I could point a camera at.
From the Grand Budapest Hotel in the Grand Central, Goodfellas and pizza at the Briggait, Jason Priestly’s socks, to the Glasgow Gospel Choir’s impromptu opening of a screening, all documented below.
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| Robert Florence at the Festival Opening Gala |
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| Stuart and Marisa Murdoch at the Festival Opening Gala |
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| Guests at the Festival Opening Gala |
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| Guests at the Festival Opening Gala |
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| Street Food Cinema at the Briggait |
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| Alison Gardner introduces the opening night gala |
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| John Sessions in session. |
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| Benedikt Erlingsson in conversation for Of Horses and Men |
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| James Duff in a post show discussion for Hank and Asha |
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| Richard Dreyfus and Jason Priestly on the red carpet for Cas and Dylan |
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| Richard Dreyfus at the GFT |
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| Jason Priestly in a post show Q&A for Cas and Dylan |
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| Jason Priestly in a post show Q&A for Cas and Dylan |
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| Agnés b and Lou-Léila Demerliac on the rad carpet for My Name Is Hmmm… |
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| Claudia Lennear with the Glasgow Gospel Choir perform for the premiere of 20 Feet from Stardom |
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| Claudia Lennear with the Glasgow Gospel Choir perform for the premiere of 20 Feet from Stardom |
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| Claudia Lennear with the Glasgow Gospel Choir perform for the premiere of 20 Feet from Stardom |
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| Margaret Tait Award winners Anne-Marie Copestake and Rachel MacLean with festival Producer Corinne Orton |
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| Margaret Tait Award winner Rachel MacLean introduces her new work |
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| Andy Diggle and Jock in conversation with Mark Millar |
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| Andy Diggle and Jock in conversation with Mark Millar |
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| Andy Diggle and Jock in conversation with Mark Millar |
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| Ed Atkins, curator of Man of Steel |
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| George Sluizer, Director of Dark Blood, in a post show discussion |
Kudos! Another brilliant year for Glasgow Film Festival. Building, as ever, on their previous years, 2013 saw Glasgow implode under a hefty programme of over 350 events. The festival stretched its reach across international cinematic boundaries as well as venues in the city, from a western dancehall to an obscure underground subway.
I was invited in again this year to provide coverage on the events from the red carpet to the afterparty mayhem. Here are some of the highlights below!
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| Lorenza Izzo and Eli Roth at the UK Premiere of Aftershock |
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| Nicolas Lopez works the red carpet for the UK premiere of Aftershock |
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| Festival Co-Director Alan Hunter introduces a special screening of Carl Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc at Glasgow Cathedral |
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| Gemma Arterton at the Q&A of Neil Jordan’s UK Premiere of Byzantium |
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| Saoirse Ronan on the red carpet for Neil Jordan’s Byzantium |
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| Citadel director, Ciaron Foy on the red carpet |
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| Jake Wilson, the youngest member of the Q&A panel for Citadel |
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| Robert Emms in conversation at the Q&A of Rufus Norris’s Broken |
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| Actor Emun Elliot and casting agent Kahleen Crawford in conversation as part of a BAFTA event |
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| Guests at the afterparty of We Are Northern Lights |
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| First Minister Alex Salmond has his comic knowledge challenged by Mark Millar at GEEK night |
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| Audience at the Frightfest Friday marthon |
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| Festival Co-director Allison Gardner with the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce |
I was invited along to join in and photograph the fray of the GFF last week. If ever the balance of culture and fun was to be tipped, this was it. Heavily in favour of fun though!
It is easy to forget that at the core of arts and culture events, swathed in glamour and panache, cinema does everything its own way. Its recipe is artistic celebration at its most social. Less the stiffness of the gallery launch and less operatic than the stage. If there is one thing the blockbuster approach brings, it is a damn fine jolly. What more can you ask from a business of entertainment? Comically up-itself perhaps, but it is the the loosest, most inclusive form of enjoyment out there that you can share with 100 strangers at a time. And at the moment (in my jazz age reverie at least) I can happily forgive its mass production for the charm and messiness and swagger of the red carpet. Film can take itself very seriously but the cinema is still a party.
Which is exactly what was put before my eyes in Glasgow. An already incredibly broad and adventurous programme of screenings was supported by an ensemble of cinema events in creative spaces full of colourful people. A total mix. Isn’t that what festivals are all about? That and fun.
The full festival galleries are avilable to look at here. Also, major credit to Stuart and Ingrid for their amazing work on the other events.
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| Sheree Folkson and Sally Philips of The Decoy Bride |
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| Murray Grigor, producer of the documentary Big Banana Feet, which covers Billy Conolly’s 1976 Irish tour. |
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| Step into the Blytheswood! |
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| Tom , son of writer Sally Phillips gets his front row seat for The Decoy Bride |
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| Gala Champagne |
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| Festival Co-director Allson Gardner during a tech for a Q & A |
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| Murray Grigor introduces Big Banana Feet to a sold out Glasgow Festival Theatre |
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| Queues rock the block on the opening gala of the GFF |
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| The audience is listening – the premiere of My Sister’s Sister opens the first night of the GFF |
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| Director Lynn Shelton during her Q & A for My Sister’s Sister |
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| Wooden box woo the crowd at eh GFF gala |
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| Guests at the Gala |
Say hello to the band! Corinne on cowbell and The Barman, on the wine.
