bays davis

Source: Screen International / Screen Scotland

Mia Bays, Isabel Davis

Glasgow Film Festival has confirmed the full programme for its 2022 industry focus strand, with participating speakers including BFI Film Fund director Mia Bays and Screen Scotland executive director Isabel Davis.

The programme will run both in-person and online from March 6-10, with physical events held at the main festival hub in Glasgow’s DoubleTree Hilton hotel.

Bays is attending in the latest stop on her listening tour, meeting with filmmakers, creatives and other industry figures to hear about their experience with the BFI Film Fund and what they would like to see over the next three years.

Davis will participate in a panel called ‘Scottish Production: Boom or Bust?’, alongside Girl producers Ciara Barry and Rosie Crerar and Good Omens showrunner Douglas MacKinnon. The session will consider what the increase in productions filming in Scotland means in practical terms for local talent.

Filmmakers from the festival’s African Stories strand will participate in ‘African Voices Abroad’, a session looking at the larger context of exhibiting African films globally and the reception of international audiences. I Am Samuel director Peter Murimi is among those confirmed to take part, with Africa in Motion Festival director Liz Chege to host.

Short Circuit, the Scottish filmmaking talent development programme which launched in 2020, will host a day considering aspects of filmmaking including the path from first shorts to features, while the homogeneity of an industry reliant on nepotism will come under the spotlight in an untitled session hosted by Birds’ Eye View director Melanie Iredale.

Other speakers will include Julia Brown, diversity standards manager at the BFI, Kieran Hannigan, head of scripted at Screen Scotland, and actor Kate Dickie, while in-person networking receptions will also take place during the industry focus strand.

“This rich and informative industry programme shows just how valuable the Festival is to the Scotland’s growing industry, and with highlights such Short Circuit there are lots of opportunities for those seeking to forge a career in filmmaking,” said Ben Luxford, BFI head of UK audience.

The full Glasgow Film Festival will run in-person from March 2-13. It announced its full lineup last month, and will open with Graham Moore’s Berlinale title The Outfit.