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Glasgow Film Fest Sets James McAvoy Event, Opening and Closing Movies From Scottish Directors
Glasgow Film Fest Sets James McAvoy Event, Opening and Closing Movies From Scottish Directors-March 2024
Mar 25, 2026 1:50 PM

The Glasgow Film Festival has unveiled the full lineup for its 21st edition this year and will host Glasgow-born Hollywood star James McAvoy to look back on his career during an In Conversation event.

Across 12 packed days, Scotlands largest annual celebration of cinema will showcase 92 world, U.K. and Scottish premieres from 39 countries, including 12 world premieres, organizers said on Tuesday.

The gala world premiere of survival thriller Tornado, the sophomore feature from Scottish director John Maclean (Slow West), will open the fest on Feb. 26. Set in the rugged landscape of 1790s Britain, Tornado (played by model-songwriter Kki,) finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she and her fathers traveling puppet show crosses paths with a ruthless criminal gang led by Sugarman (Pulp Fiction star Tim Roth) and his ambitious son Little Sugar (Slow Horses Jack Lowden), says a plot summary. In an attempt to create a new life, Tornado seizes the opportunity to steal the gold from the gangs most recent heist; what follows is a thrilling tale of adrenaline-fueled action as Tornado fights to escape a violent demise. Lionsgate U.K. will release the film across the U.K. from May 23.

The Glasgow fest will close on March 9 with the world premiere of Scottish documentary-maker Martyn Robertsons Make It to Munich, shot in the run-up to the Euro 2024 soccer tournament. The movie follows Ethan Walker, a promising teenage footballer from Aberdeenshire who, just months into a (soccer) scholarship at a USA university, suffers life-threatening injuries (including multiple fractures, two brain hemorrhages and the complete dislocation of his right knee) in a road traffic accident, according to a synopsis. Aided in his recovery by pioneering Glasgow surgeon Professor Gordon Mackay, Ethan decides to cycle from Hampden to Munich for Scotlands opening match against Germany in Euro 2024 just nine months after his accident. And he is entrusted by the Scotland National team to carry the match pennant on his back for the whole journey and deliver it in time for kick-off.

Glasgow Film Fest Sets James McAvoy Event, Opening and Closing Movies From Scottish Directors1

Make It to Munich, courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival

Among the U.K. premieres set for the Glasgow fest is The Return, which sees The English Patient stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche reunite in a new version of Homers Odyssey, while its Scotland premieres include The Extraordinary Miss Flower, the new performance film from Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, the duo behind 20,000 Days on Earth, that premiered in London late last year.

Other Scottish premieres include Scottish folk horror movieHarvest by, Joshua Oppenheimers post-apocalyptic musical satireThe End with TildaSwintonand George Mackay, and Nicolas Cage in trippy psychological thrillerThe Surfer.

And three-part TV series Fear, written by Mick Ford and directed by Justin Chadwick, adapted from theDirk Kurbjuweitstalking thriller novel of the same name, will also screen at the fest since it was shot in the city.

Meanwhile, Glasgow will also feature the From the Heart of Europe: Austria on Screen program, showcasing an eclectic mix, from hard-hitting drama to absurdist comedy, from Austria, including Michael Haneke films.

It will be the final edition overseen by Allison Gardner, CEO of Glasgow Film and director of the festival.

This years GFF program is a very clear demonstration of the festivals importance to the local industry, connecting our films and talent to the rest of the world and introducing world-class cinema to audiences in Glasgow, across Scotland and the rest of the U.K., said Isabel Davis, executive director at Screen Scotland. Once again Scottish talent is strongly showcased throughout the program, including John Macleans Tornado, Laura Carreiras On Falling, and Glasgow-shot Fear, directed by Justin Chadwick, starring Martin Compston.

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