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| Audience Award sponsor Benihana with festival co-director Allison Gardner Photo: Pete Copeland |
"I'm absolutely delighted to win the Audience Award, and to have had our world première at Glasgow Film Festival - it's been the perfect platform in every way," said Carina Birrell, granddaughter of Harry Birrell, receiving the audience award at yesterday's closing ceremony. Her film Harry Birrell: Films Of Love And War was painstakingly compiled from over 400 of her grandfather's films to tell the story of the Paisley-born amateur filmmaker's life, including intimate family occasions and his wartime experiences in India, Burma and Nepal.
"I’m truly thrilled and honoured that the film has been recognised and supported in this way," said director Matt Pinder, adding that Harry "would be over the moon with the news that his work has finally been seen and appreciated."
The festival also announced record breaking attendance figures. A total of 42,224 people attended its films and events, with over 300 of them packed into a single screening of Midnight Cowboy.
"It has been an incredible festival this year with a real galaxy of guests from the amazing Wild Rose evening with Jessie Buckley at Grand Ole Opry to Josh O’Connor, Carlos Acosta, Carol Morley, Bo Burnham, Matt Bomer and many more," said festival co-director Allan Hunter. "Our audiences have supported the festival across the board from the diverse range of work by Scottish filmmakers to world cinema delights like Belgian thriller Mother’s Instinct and Kyrgyzstan musical The Song Of The Tree. It is the depth of their affection for the festival and the warmth of their welcome for filmmakers far and wide that continues to make Glasgow such a special event."
