2021 Glasgow Film Festival launched

Full line-up announced as screenings go online

by Jennie Kermode

Glasgow Film Festival co-directors Allison Gardner and Allan Hunter
Glasgow Film Festival co-directors Allison Gardner and Allan Hunter Photo: Eoin Carey

The full line-up for the 17th edition of the Glasgow Film Festival was revealed today, opening on 24 February with Minari and closing on 7 March with Spring Blossom. As it takes place during lockdown, this year's festival has been forced to abandon plans for a hybrid edition and will now be held entirely online, but will still feature several world premières. There will be Q&A events with directors and stars, and a chance for film fans to mingle and discuss what they've watched in dedicated online rooms.

"We realised early on that things are going to be different," festival co-director Allison Gardner told Eye For Film, explaining that some popular parts of the festival just couldn't be replicated online, but she stressed her determination to keep the community spirit that regular attendees love. "I love hearing what people have to say about the movies. I think that the most interesting part of the festival - I'm always in the foyer, and I like talking to people. And I think it's really important."

She explained that partnerships with the London Film Festival and the Shanghai Film Festival have helped with this year's programming, and also spoke about this year's country focus on South Korea. "I think that South Korea is punching above its weight. And I think it's something we could aspire to, alongside Denmark, which is another country that we should look at. In fact we have a couple of films from there this year, including Riders Of Justice, which is one of our Audience Award nominees."

Gardner explained that the online format unfortunately means that there are fewer screenings overall this year, with no free ones, but the programme still extends to 62 films. Though it's halved in size, there will still be a Frightfest strand, plus a chance to see several films made in Scotland. Reflecting on the festival more widely, she expressed her love of Lawrence Michael Levine's Black Bear, while co-director Allan Hunter enthused about Sweetheart, City Hall and Shorta.

As usual, we'll be bringing you full coverage of the festival throughout, here at Eye For Film.

Share this with others on...
News

From planet to planet Stanley Nelson with Ed Bahlman on Christine Turner’s Sun Ra: Do The Impossible

'I feel the importance of memorialising all the people who died for Ukraine' Cuba & Alaska director Yegor Troyanovsky on friendship and grief on the frontline in Ukraine

Digging in Rob Petit on taking a dive into Deep Time, inheritance and legacy in documentary Underland

Life first - then cinema Fabrizio Gifuni on Luigi Comencini, Pinocchio and The Time It Takes

Dreaming big Sam Locke on his passion for acting, representing Wales and 28 Years Later

Enjoy the silence Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun on Dead Language

More news and features

We're bringing you all the latest from Sheffield Doc/Fest.



We're looking forward to Docs Ireland and the Fantasia International Film Festival.



We've recently brought you coverage of Tribeca Film Festival, ImagineNative, Inside Out, the Cannes Film Festival, Queer East, Fantaspoa, Visions du Réel, the Overlook Film Festival, BFI Flare, the Glasgow Short Film Festival and South by Southwest.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

More competitions coming soon.