GFF24 Film Picks
Oh, it’s a special one… Glasgow Film Festival celebrates its 20th year! We’ve been talking about the GFF24 programme in the studio for months, so as is tradition, here are our picks for 2024!
Kevin – Love Lies Bleeding
A thumping Bronski Beat soundtracked trailer is all I needed to put this at the top of my must-see list. A pulpy and camp bodybuilding-based thriller with the tagline, “Revenge gets ripped”? I’m not sure it gets better than this. Kristen Stewart is a sister, a mother, an icon and a friend to me, I’ll be there.
Tessa – Drift
I like the look of this slow burner with the magnetic Cynthia Erivo as the lead. I often find I’m drawn to those sunny-style holiday settings, with tension and drama under the surface. The tension between the liminal holiday resort backdrop and the characters and their stories unfolding always makes for an edge-of-the-seat watch.
Susan – Billy Connolly: Big Banana Feet
Billy Connolly’s stand-up shows got me through regular nightshifts in my years of retail (you haven’t lived until you’ve buckled with laughter under armfuls of Topshop jeans at 3 am!) I immediately secured tickets to see this on the big screen. Big Banana Feet was filmed in Northern Ireland over two days in 1975 during the ‘Big Yins’ peak popularity (and controversy). The Banana Boots are still proudly displayed in the People’s Palace in Glasgow—I checked a few weeks ago!
David – Opus: Ryuichi Sakamoto
I guess I see the film festival as a chance to see something different, something I wouldn’t normally watch at the cinema. So, I have gone for a documentary Opus: Ryuichi Sakamoto. Cinema is as much a wonder for your ears as it is your eyes and celebrating this master of the film soundtrack in a real cinema feels fitting. Glasgow’s Mogwai had a surprise lockdown hit with their dedication song ‘Richie Sacramento’. The wordplay makes me smile in the mind as much as the Ryuichi’s soundtrack to Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence haunts my ears! RIP Richie!
Neil – The Dead Don’t Hurt
Well, I’m a sucker for a gritty western, so this film gets a tap of the hat brim from me. All the better when the director, writer and star is the understated yet hugely watchable Viggo Mortensen. Starring opposite him, Vicky Krieps also plays her role with composure and gravitas. The trailer reminded me of one of my all-time favourites ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’. If it’s even half as good as that, it’s going to be pretty damn fine.
Enjoy!
The festival kicks off tomorrow, 28th February to 10th March, you can buy tickets here.
We’ve also updated our Glasgow Film Festival case study to include this year’s celebratory campaign along with an overview of our work with the festival over the past 4 years. Take a look!
