20 January 2011

Glasgow Film Festival Launch 2011 Programme …T-in-The Park to Hobos with Shotguns

Last night saw the press launch of the 2011 annual Glasgow film festival, launched at one of the festival venues Glasgow Film Theatre. Now in its 7th Year the festival unveiled probably there most ambitious line up since the festival started thanks to new funding from Event Scotland helping the festival showcase 250 plus films, so there is something for everyone......
Year after the festival has grown in size and popuarity and last year proved the festival was a major hit internationally with 30,000 visitors  which was only 14,000 less than there neighbour and oldest film festival in the world Edinburgh which attracted 44,000 people making Glasgow the third biggest Film  festival in UK with London film festival leading the stakes.
Every year the festival seems to pull out some magical rabbits out the hat and this year the festival organisers have pulled a big one with the world premiere of David MacKenzie (yesterday I posted his other new movies trailer Perfect Sense)new film YOU INSTEAD shot guerilla style over a 5 day period at last summers T In The Park Music Festival. The movie is a true rock ‘n’ roll love story between singers of 2 fueding bands with the lead singers finding themselves handcuffed together on stage and this movie was shot in real time (sorry no Jack Bauer ala 24). The movie does boast a impressive cast of young and upcoming actors; Luke Treadaway, Natalia Tena, Ruta Gedmintas, Sophie Wu, Gavin Mitchell and the directors brother Alastair who was in attendance promoting the movie.
The festival will open on Thursday 17th February and close on February 27th with 2 UK premieres; Opening the festival will be Francios Ozon’s Potiche starring Gerard Depardieu & Catherine Deneuve a farcical French comedy set in 1970′s.Deneuve playing the trophy wife to Depardieu when chavinism ruled the roost Deneuve frees herself from society’s shackle to assert her independance. Closing the festival will be THE EAGLE glasgow born director Kevin MacDonald (a guest speaker last year, Last King Of Scotland) A story of ayoung Roman centurion who ventures beyond Hadrian ‘s Wall to restore honour to his family’s name and discover how the Legendary Ninth Legion was destroyed. The boasts a Hollywood cast of Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Tahir Ramin (Une Prophete) and Mark Strong, the movie was filmed on location in Scotland.
More premieres been showcased at the festival are ISLAND an adaptation of a Jane Rogers novel set in Hebrides, Scotland, Superhero romance comedy with GRIFF THE INVISABLE which stars True Blood Ryan Kwanten, also we have the British comedy FIRST NIGHT starring Richard E Grant and Sarah Brightman.
As usual The GFF never disappoint on its selection of international & independent movies with many popular wellknown movies heading to Glasgow such as: Our Life (La Nostra Vita), Vincent Gallo’s Essential Killing which sees as a political prisoner trying to escape his captuers, Greek arthouse drama with Attenburg ,Chinese period drama mystery with Detective Dee and the mystery of the Phantom Flame which sounds like a scooby Doo cartoon. Marion Coutillard stars in French Box Office Hit Little White Lies, Meeks Cutoff a western indie movie set in oregon turn off 19th century. Noomi Rapace is back at the festival this time with drama Beyond, David Michod’s  brilliant Aussie thriller Animal Kingdom makes a appearance at the festival a few days before it’s Uk release. There’s a few Japanese movies that were big hitter in there native land with Cold Fish Shion Sono’s classic gore drenched serial killer exploring morality and masculinity in Japan, Confessions (Kokuhaku) a visually stunning movie about attacks the violence that effects the country’s youth  about a teacher whose daughter is killed she announces shes leaving the school as she knows it was one of her students so she seeks revenge. Gen Takahasi’ s Confessions Of A Dog an epic tale of police corruption within Japanese police and a man doing the right thing (Takahasi possibly could be attending).
One of the highlights of the festival happens on the last weekend of the festival with the Frightfest weekender, a weekend of horror, gore and thrills from the organisers of London’s premiere horror-fantasy film festival which happens in August. The Frightfest team never disappoint  in there choice of movies with the UK Premiers of Rutger Hauer in Hobo With A Shotgun, pyschotic rubber killer tyre in Rubber and my personal recommendation Ji-woon Kim I Saw The Devil starring  Oldboy’s Min-sik Choi, a horror thriller which brought South Korea its first 18 certificate.
Its not all about the movies there is SUPERHEROS IN GLASGOW a new programme celebrating the supremacy of scottish comicbook artists and writers, a season curated as well appear  by Mark Millar (Kick Ass).Special guest such as Dave Gibbons, movies such as Battle Royale 3d, a rare screening of Richard Donners Superman 2, workshops,events enough to keep the fanboy/girls happy.
Every Year GFF spotlight the cinema of a particular country last year we had Japan and 2011 we have India in Beyond Bollywood a chance for the festival goers to enjoy a wide selection of celebrated as well as new movies from Bollywood with the UK Premiere of  ROAD. Every year the festival has an Retrospective celebrating the works of a great actor or filmmaker with last year been James Stewart this year it will devoted to Meyrl Streep with 9 movies celebrating her career such as Out Of Africa, Kramer Versus Kramer. There will also be 2 mini Retrospective for Ginger Rogers and Vincent Price both who would be celebrating there centinary.
Sometimes you forget Glasgow Film Festival also has festivals within festivals with Glasgow Youth Film Festival(6-16 th february) which starts off the two weeks before the main festival with a fantastic selection of movies, animations, workshops aimed at the young persons with there opening movie been PAUL starring Simon Pegg & Nick Frost 2 comic book geeks travelling across USA who pickup a Alien voiced by Seth Rogen. Other highlights include Disneys first russian language movie Book Of Masters,Animes Eurka Seven, Dissapearance of Haruhi Suzumiya and French comic book adventures  Extra Ordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc Sec.
Glasgow Short Film Festival (18-20 February) returns for a fourth year with a brilliant selection of short movies from around the world and one of the movies which is been shown is by Jafar Panahi who was cruelly imprisoned by the Iranian government. Glasgow Music & Film Festival is another short festival celebrating music & film with highlights been Goblin the seminal Italian band who scored numerous classic/giallo horror movies including Suprisa and Dawn of The Dead. If your a documentary fan you will also not be dissapointed with a wide range of documentaries for you to enjoy with Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forggoten dreams 3D been one of the hihlights.
I know this post has been extensive however I’ve only covered a part of the festival, over the next few weeks I will do my best to cover as much of the festival I can pyschically cover I can tell you that Paul, The Eagle, Confessions, Confessions of A Dog, Norwegian Wood and I saw The Devil I will be attending.
Tickets for The Festival are now on public sale you can either go to the Festivals website www.glasgowfilm.org/festival or you can go to the festivals box offica at:

Glasgow Film Theatre
Rose Street,
Glasgow
tel: +44 (0)141 332 6536

STANDARD TICKETING PRICES

£7.50 full price/£6 for all adult concessions
Adult concessions include full-time students, over-60s, Jobseekers Allowance or Income Support recipients and registered disabled people. Please produce proof of eligibility when purchasing or collecting tickets.
INTERNET SAVER DEALS
5 movie saver £30  10 movie saver £50  20 movie saver £90

FRIGHTFEST PASSES
For All 8 events – £48
Please beware due to the popularity of this event tickets does sell out fast
For more prices/special deals head to www.glasgowfim.org/festival for more details

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