It's that time of year again, and film fans in Glasgow are gearing up for what looks set to be another exciting film festival. Running between the 17 and 27 February (and preceded by the Youth Film Festival, which starts on the 6th), the event will open with a gala premiere for French charmer Potiche, which stars Catherine Deneuve as the trophy wife of umbrella manufacturer Gerard Depardieu. She's a woman on the edge of a thrilling discovery which could be bad news for the husband who has taken her for granted. The theme of troubled romance continues with the home-grown You, Instead, which stars Harry Treadaway and was shot over five days at the T in the Park music festival.
Music is very much a part of this festival as well. After their sold out performance last year, Zombie Zombie will return with their musical interpretation of Russian classic Battleship Potemkin, while Italian horror stalwarts Goblin will perform an exclusive set alongside a screening of the giallo Profundo Rosso. Dance fans can enjoy a look back at the best loved films of Ginger Rogers, while the festival's main retrospective will feature Meryl Streep, with nine of her best films available to enjoy once again on the big screen.
To celebrate the handover of the Commonwealth Games to Scotland, last year's hosts India will be the focus of the GFF's country strand, looking beyond Bollywood at the very different independent films now emerging from the subcontinent. There will also be a superheroes strand curated by Mark Millar, and a continuation of last year's strand looking at the intersection between fashion and film. Many of this year's strands are set to feature discussion groups, industry workshops and chances to meet the stars, so there are things going on to suit every type of appetite - and as always, in the evenings, there'll be a great many parties to attend.
Horror fans will be pleased to know that Frightfest continues its residence at the GFF his year, with films including The Shrine, Machete Maidens Unleashed and Hobo With A Shotgun (one should not, we are advised, dare to trifle with a tramp with a rifle). There will also be a special midnight screening of Vincent Price shocker The Tingler, at which you can expect quite a bit of audience participation.
This year's event has a great looking shorts strand which includes the BAFTA-nominated Lin. You can buy saver tickets for all the shorts programmes for just £24, giving you the most films for your money you're likely to find anywhere in these hard times. There are also lots of free events for film lovers feeling short on cash. But austerity doesn't mean the festival will be short on glamour, with a number of stars expected to attend - watch this space for updates. We'll soon have the full programme online for you to see, along with our early reviews. Tickets go on sale in just two days, so check out http://www.glasgowfilm.org/festival today if you plan to join in the fun.
