Mia Bays, Eva Yates

Source: Screen File/BBC Film

Mia Bays, Eva Yates

Glasgow Film Festival’s (GFF) Industry Focus (March 3-7) returns with a line-up that includes a celebration of the new wave of UK filmmaking and brings together filmmakers for an in conversation event with the director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund Mia Bays and BBC Film director Eva Yates.

NextGen will unite the executives with Girl director Adura Onashile, Scrapper filmmaker Charlotte Regan and Lucy Cohen, whose feature Edge Of Summer will world premiere at this year’s GFF.

Further highlights include the Animatic Live Pitch - GFF’s new animation talent development scheme, which culminates in a live pitch in front of animation executives such as Netflix’s Lauren Castro and Julio Bonet and Aardman’s Helen Argo. The panel will select a project to receive £5000 of funding.

The inaugural Book to Screen live pitching event will take place, with publishing houses from across Scotland pitching their books to producers and production houses, in partnership with Publishing Scotland.

Tejinder Jouhal of Hanway, David Gattens of the Glasgow Film Theatre and senior executive for sales and distribution for the BFI Filmmaking Fund Vicki Brown will take part in a panel discussion on exhibition’s ever evolving position in the film ecosystem.

The fireside chat series features Asia Muci of Signature Entertainment talking about the changing role of sales agents, plus producing duo, Ciara Barry and Rosie Crerar, behind Girl and Sebastian, talking the audience through their journey.

Last King Of Scotland filmmaker and Glasgow native Kevin Macdonald will give a talk about his career; filmmaker Robbie Fraser, journalist David Pratt and Mac McGearey of North Star Safety Group will give a talk on working in hostile environments, from conflict zones to natural disaster sites; one-to-one sessions will be offered with the likes of Limbo filmmaker Ben Sharrock and long-time Ken Loach collaborator, screenwriter Paul Laverty; and a panel on inclusivity and neurodivergence in the film industry will take place.

The industry programme concludes on March 7 when the festival team and industry advisory board will launch their 10-Year vision for Glasgow Film Festival’s Industry Focus.

Film and TV director Raisah Ahmed is chairing the board, which also includes Alice Whittemore, development executive, Film4; George Hamilton, chief commercial officer, Protagonist Pictures; and Hamish Moseley, director of distribution EMEA, Netflix.

The GFF After Hours event series will also host its inaugural GFF Movie Karaoke, with festival goers given the chance to perform songs from their favourite films.