ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 “
I saw some fascinating cinema I just wouldn’t have seen anywhere else in a million years.
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Audience member, 2011
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An event bringing more joy to this bleak mid-wintered place than a mass lottery win and the hot counter at Greggs combined.
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The Herald
OUR VISION
Since 2006 Glasgow Film Festival has combined the best aspects of the world’s leading festivals in a stimulating, inclusive event that extends a warm welcome to all audiences.
OUR MISSION
Glasgow Film Festival aims to be the most popular and well thought of film and moving image media event in the UK, linking local and global audiences to Scottish and international talent, cultures and ideas.
OUR APPROACH
Our approach is to put the filmmaker and the audience at the heart of our programme and establish new opportunities for both. While GFT is the hub of the Festival, we also reach out across the city to support curatorial talent in both individuals and other organisations. The Festival is a multi-venue, multi-partnership event which takes inspiration from and enhances the global image of Glasgow as an exciting place to live and to visit. We exhibit the best of international cinema and moving image content; expand and diversify the audience for non-mainstream films; showcase and nurture new emerging talent; promote collaboration between appropriate media, platforms and sectors and ultimately promote the city as a national and international centre for the arts. The Festival aims to build yearround audiences for the moving image medium.
OUR VALUES
The core values of the Festival are Quality and Accessibility.
Image: The Piano in a Factory
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DIRECTORS’ WELCOME
In a time of uncertain funding and individual belt-tightening any event can take pride in merely standing its ground. Glasgow Film Festival was able to exceed that expectation in 2011 by recording a significant increase in audience attendance figures for the sixth consecutive year. The Festival welcomed in excess of 34,000 people to an ambitious programme of 350 screenings, premieres, personal appearances and unique events. The Festival attracted a loyal Glasgow audience and a growing number of visitors from all across the country drawn by the quality of the programme, the affordable ticket prices, the friendly warmth of the Festival atmosphere and the appeal of Glasgow as a destination city. The Festival’s prevailing ethos is to present a dynamic, wide-ranging programme of films and events that reflects all aspects of the moving image without prejudice or pretension. The ethos of a ‘festival of festivals’ continues to grow and blossom as it embraces the Glasgow Youth Film Festival, Glasgow Short Film Festival, Glasgow Music and Film Festival, FrightFest and events devoted to the vital links between film and fashion, music, art, design and innovation. The success of the 2011 Glasgow Film Festival rests on a committed, collaborative partnership that stretches from our founding partner Glasgow City Marketing Bureau to investors Creative Scotland, VisitScotland and new partner EventScotland, as well as every single volunteer and staff member who work above and beyond the call of duty to create what has been termed ‘magic on a shoestring’. We are already at work to make sure the magic returns in 2012 when Glasgow Film Festival will run from February 16–26. We look forward to seeing you there. Allison Gardner and Allan Hunter, Co-directors of Glasgow Film Festival
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A very personal festival for film-goers.
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Audience member, 2011
Image: Allison Gardner and Allan Hunter © Stuart Crawford
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ACHIEVEMENTS There were 34,108 admissions in 2011, a 12% increase on GFF10. 350 screenings of 265 films were hosted, this was 100 more screenings than the previous year. 96% of attendees rated the Festival as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. 47% of audiences were new attendees. Screenings and events took place in 15 different venues across Glasgow, including GFT, CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts, Cineworld, The Arches, Platform, Castlemilk Youth Complex and North Woodside Swimming Pool, ensuring that events were accessible to a wide audience.
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52 UK productions were featured in the programme and two strands – The Best of British and Great Scots – were dedicated to celebrating home-grown talent.
Our programme included films from 47 different countries as diverse as Ukraine, Argentina, Chad, South Africa, Australia, India and Canada. There were 36 free public screenings and events, including collaborative cross-industry events FilmCamp and ComicCamp. In addition, 23 of our 27 schools events were free. Glasgow Youth Film Festival’s dynamic programme of 79 public and schools events was attended by 9,330 people, an increase of 40% on GYFF10. Broadcast coverage totalled 40 items on radio and TV. This is an 82% increase on the previous year. Articles about GFF11 appeared in 65 different newspapers and magazines. A total of 217 articles amounted to column coverage of 100,571cm sq.
176,478 visits from 132 countries/ territories were made to our website during January and February 2011. 24 specially-commissioned video pieces (consisting of interviews, vlogs and documentation of Festival events) were viewed over 12,000 times on YouTube in February alone. The Festival generated net additional expenditure of £1,360,495 at Glasgow level plus an additional £1,383,150 at Scotland level. Return on Investment (ROI) was high – £1:£6.86 at the Scotland level. We arranged accommodation for 251 industry guests in 5 Glasgow hotels. We provided 70 volunteers (who worked a total of around 2,500 hours) with valuable work experience in an arts festival environment.
Glasgow Film Festival is growing in scale and stature to become one of the most important festivals in the national calendar. It manages to combine cutting edge work with audience development and community engagement to deliver an event that is increasing its profile year on year. Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland
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Our Gala Opening was, in keeping with the spirit of Glasgow, a truly glamorous night which showed that the recession cannot blunt our city’s love of film and filmmaking. I enjoyed our eleven days of celebration so much – from the Opening Gala Potiche through cutting edge new productions from across the world and retrospectives of Ginger Rogers and Meryl Streep, to the Closing Gala which was the premiere of Kevin Macdonald’s Caledonian adventure, The Eagle. I was delighted both to see my favourite children’s book translated to the screen in marvellous ‘Boys’ Own’ style and to find myself sitting directly in front of Anthony LaPaglia, one of my favourite actors! Indeed all movie roads lead to Glasgow in February! My grateful thanks as Chair go to Allison and Allan for a superb and very successful Festival, to Jaki and all the staff at Glasgow Film for a magical eleven days of film and to our sponsors and supporters. Of course, this is the People’s Film Festival and I thank the film lovers of Glasgow for their enduring support for GFF. Bailie Liz Cameron, Chair of Glasgow Film Festival
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Image (left): GFF11 Opening Gala © Ingrid Mur Image (above): Potiche
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OUR PROGRAMME AND SERVICES 120 feature films and nearly 500 short films were submitted by filmmakers from around the world for our consideration. The Festival programme was made up of 165 features, 100 short films, 22 workshops and training events and 13 industry networking events. 350 screenings and live events took place in 2011, over 100 more than the previous year. We booked 320 nights in 5 hotels for our 251 industry guests. 96% of respondents to our survey rated the overall quality of the programme as good or very good.
OUR AUDIENCES There were 34,108 admissions in 2011. 58% came from Glasgow 12% came from Metropolitan Glasgow 18% came from the rest of Scotland 9% came from the rest of the UK 3% were international Age breakdown: 16 – 24 24 % 25 – 34 31 % 35 – 44 19 % 45 – 54 12 % 55 – 64 8% 65+ 6% The Festival was successful in attracting large numbers of new audiences – 47% were first-time attenders.
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85% of our audiences said they would return next year. Our 251 industry guests included filmmakers, producers, actors, film distributors and other leading industry figures. 72 accredited journalists attended our events: 13% from Glasgow, 53% from the rest of Scotland, 28% from the rest of the UK and 6% were international.
Admissions!
ADMISSIONS 35000!
30000!
20000!
15000!
10000!
5000!
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Audience member, 2011
I’ve been to so many film festivals over the years. But the Glasgow one is Admissions! always my favourite because I love seeing movies and movie-makers from all over the world right here in my home town.
25000!
0! 2004!
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The sheer amount and diversity of films is outstanding!
40000!
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Mark Millar, GFF11 Ambassador 2005!
2006!
2007!
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2011!
2012!
MAIN PROGRAMME
The ambitious 2011 programme continued to build on the proven strengths of previous years whilst expanding to include 19 diverse strands. The Festival opened with a Gala UK premiere of the comedy Potiche four months in advance of its release date. Directed by François Ozon it boasts an irresistible ensemble of French talent headed by Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu, this underlines the Festival’s ability to attract high profile international titles to Glasgow. A number of major prize-winners from the festival circuit were screened including subsequent Oscar-winner In a Better World which has now been acquired for UK distribution. Our approach is to curate a celebration of moving image in all its variety, a fact echoed by a selection of titles that embraced masterful Italian art film Le quattro volte, gory exploitation flick Hobo with a Shotgun, ravishing Inuit drama Before Tomorrow and Werner Herzog’s left-field 3D documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The Festival hosted an increased number of world and European premieres in 2011 including David Mackenzie’s You Instead which formed part of the 15th birthday celebrations for Sigma Productions who were able to announce that the film had acquired UK distribution on the day of its home town world premiere. You Instead subsequently received an American premiere at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. The Festival was proud to welcome comic book writer and filmmaker Mark Millar as ambassador and curator of new strand Superheroes in Glasgow, a celebration of the vibrant Scottish comic scene that included a rare screening of Richard Donner’s cut of Superman II and the UK premiere of Griff the Invisible. We paid tribute to Hollywood great Ginger Rogers in the year of the centenary of her birth and devoted a major retrospective to the thirty-year career of Meryl Streep. Our commitment to a programme with a wider international reach was underlined by Beyond Bollywood, a country focus devoted to independent Indian cinema which attracted new audiences and new sponsors Mother India to the Festival. The Stasi are Among Us explored the experiences of four directors working under the watchful gaze of the East German censor and was a curtain-raiser to a larger focus on German cinema planned for the 2012 Festival. Other notable highlights from across the Festival included Tortsen Lauschmann’s site-specific art performance At the Heart of Everything a Row of Holes, the chance to dive into a swimming pool for Wet Sounds, experience the B-movie campness of The Tingler and hear Zombie Zombie perform a live score to Battleship Potemkin. The most popular films included Submarine, Confessions, a stunning 50th anniversary restoration of West Side Story, Marwencol, Poetry and Tiny Furniture.
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The Festival closed with the UK premiere of the eagerly-awaited The Eagle, directed by Scots Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald. The screening was introduced by Emmy-winning, BAFTA-winning, Oscar-nominated producer Duncan Kenworthy.
Over the past seven years we have seen Glasgow Film Festival grow, both in terms of the scope of the diverse programming, and in the wonderful array of talent that the event has proven itself capable of attracting. Glasgow is world-renowned for its fantastic cultural credentials – the arts scene in the city really is second to none. The team at GFF are at the absolute core of this, and demonstrate an inherent understanding of what makes Glasgow the perfect destination to experience film. And it’s not only about cultural enrichment – GFF brought £1.4millon in economic benefit to the city this year and over 34,000 attendances at events and screenings from visitors, both local and international.
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Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau Image (left): GFF11 Opening Gala © Ingrid Mur Image (above): In a Better World
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SPECIAL EVENTS
Each year we complement the core film programme with a varied selection of events, performances and workshops to give our audiences the chance to get ‘up close and personal’ with visiting directors and film industry experts. This year there were 22 workshops and training events for those interested in learning more about filmmaking and the creative industries. Highlights included ComicCamp, a free ‘unconference’ which explored the increasing blurring of boundaries between comics, animation, gaming and film; a series of filmmaking courses for young people presented in partnership with the Apple Store Glasgow; and LUX one-toone sessions for artists working with moving image. Our nightly industry networking events, held at the luxury hotel Blythswood Square, attracted more than 600 attendees. These events, each hosted jointly with creative industries organisations or partners such as the Scottish Government, the Scottish Documentary Institute and the Glasgow Film Office, allowed Festival guests, industry friends and ambassadors to meet and exchange ideas in an informal environment. Over 40 films were introduced by a visiting director, producer or actor who then also took part in a Q&A session with audience members. Key guests included Hollywood star Anthony LaPaglia, critically acclaimed British directors Ken Loach and Joanna Hogg, and celebrated actors Aidan Gillen (Queer as Folk, The Wire) and Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter, Life During Wartime).
AWARDS
MARGARET TAIT AWARD On Thursday 24 February, artist Torsten Lauschmann, winner of the inaugural Margaret Tait Award, presented his new commission to a packed audience in GFT’s Cinema 1. At the Heart of Everything a Row of Holes was a site-specific film performance that celebrated the conquest of technology and the clash of homo faber (the making man) with homo ludens (the playing man) in a satirical and playful way. Making innovative use of the domed art deco construction of the cinema, manipulated found footage was projected around the ceiling and walls, moving in and out of synch with a multi-layered soundtrack. Since the Festival At the Heart of Everything a Row of Holes has screened at Tramway’s ‘Thinking Through Cinema’, a day of live events which explored the differences between film and cinema. It is expected to tour to Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), Nottingham Contemporary, Outpost Gallery in Norwich, LUX in London and Performa in New York. The award, named after the pioneering Scottish artist filmmaker Margaret Tait (1918–1999), recognises artists who work within film and moving image in an experimental and innovative way. The aim of the award is to support artists and provide a high profile platform from which to exhibit their work and engage with a wider audience. The winner of the 2011 Margaret Tait Award, supported by Creative Scotland, is Glasgow-based artist Anne-Marie Copestake who will receive a prize of £10,000 and the opportunity to present her new commission at Glasgow Film Festival in 2012.
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM AWARD The winner of 2011’s Short Film Award was decided after much careful deliberation by an international jury consisting of Leuven Short Film Festival programmer Frank Moens, British filmmaker Miranda Pennell and Richard Raskin, an American screenwriter and lecturer based in Denmark.
GLASGOW MARGARET TAIT AWARD
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Mesmerising, magical, mindblowing.
GLASGOW
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM AWARD
The jury said: ‘Among the many qualities of the winning film are brilliant dialogue and remarkable acting. This is a film that limits its focus with great economy and sharp observation to the everyday life of a family as a kind of microcosm of the human comedy and that expresses great affection for its characters though without any false sentimentality. The prize for best short film goes to The Cage by Adrian Sitaru.’ The Cage (Colivia) is a Romanian film about the shifting family dynamics that play out when a boy brings home an injured bird to nurse. Director Adrian Sitaru said: ‘This is my first award ever in this part of the world, English spoken, and I’m very glad and proud that it happened in Glasgow. I thank very much all who liked my short film; it’s an important encouragement to continue with these kind of stories, this kind of cinema.’
SHORT FILM AUDIENCE AWARD The inaugural GSFF Audience Award went to local filmmaker Stuart Elliott for his hilarious film The Pedestrian, a portrait of a man obsessed with getting from A to B a bit quicker than everyone else. Stuart won a paid commission to create next year’s GSFF trailer. 2011’s trailer, the first for the Short Film Festival, was made by Glaswegian animator David Ferguson (swatpaz.net).
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Audience-member, 2011
GLASGOW SHORT FILM AUDIENCE AWARD
FESTIVALS WITHIN THE FESTIVAL
Collaborations and partnerships are key to GFF’s success. Our approach is to present mini festivals within the Festival that both complement and diversify the programme as a whole – keeping it fresh, attracting new audiences and supporting citywide talent and ideas. This gives the Festival the opportunity to work with curators and experts in other fields, as well as support the development of an audience for moving image across the whole city through our partner venues.
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GFF’s status as an umbrella organisation for a series of independently curated mini-festivals such as FrightFest, the Short Film Festival and the Music and Film Festival has also given it a genuinely hip, organic feel.
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The Scotsman
Image: You Instead party © David G Monteith-Hodge
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GLASGOW SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 18–20 February, curated by GSFF Director Matt Lloyd The fourth edition of Glasgow Short Film Festival (GSFF) saw an expansion from two to three full days of screenings, events and parties, all taking place at the CCA. 100 films from 24 different countries were screened in 33 programmes. From outside Scotland we welcomed 20 filmmaker guests and a further 10 industry delegates, some travelling from as far as New Zealand or Los Angeles. Hugely popular with audiences, GSFF’s total attendance increased by 57% on the previous year. The core of the Festival consisted of 8 programmes of new international work, combining fiction, documentary, animation and experimental work. A jury comprising Belgian curator Frank Moens, British filmmaker Miranda Pennell and Danish academic Richard Raskin gave the 2011 Jury Award to Romanian film The Cage, directed by Adrian Sitaru. The inaugural Audience Award went to local filmmaker Stuart Elliott for his comedy The Pedestrian. Alongside the competition programmes GSFF staged several unique retrospectives: a selection of Indian artists’ film, two programmes of work by Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase and a survey of the No Wave scene of late 1970s New York. Very few of the films in these programmes had previously screened in the UK. GSFF supported the local industry through panel discussions, lectures and showcases of local production schemes by GMAC, Diversity Films and DigiCult. FilmCamp, a free all-day event, explored innovations in digital short film production, distribution and exhibition, attended by 50 local filmmakers. Filmmakers met their audience at a range of social events, from a free Sunday brunch to nightly parties with bespoke visuals and live music, hosted by local promoters LuckyMe and Optimo. The weekend closed with a specially-commissioned live performance by experimental vocalist Wounded Knee, scoring silent films from the Scottish Screen Archive.
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Glasgow Short Film Festival provided its attendees with a great platform of openness... the friendly atmosphere was fruitful for new ideas... my trip has been invaluable in terms of communication and acquiring new contacts. Amanda Boka, festival producer, Latvia
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Image: Tord & Tord, dir Niki Lindroth von Bahr, 2010, Sweden Image (right): Heartbeats
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We all had an amazing time throughout GYFF. It’s just brilliant to watch it all happen. Can’t wait for GYFF 2012!
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Kirstin Halliday, GYFF Youth Team
GLASGOW YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL 6–16 February, public programme curated by the GYFF Youth Team Glasgow Youth Film Festival (GYFF) offers young people in Glasgow – from toddlers to teenagers – affordable opportunities to experience the magic of world cinema and to learn from industry professionals. GYFF incorporates both an exciting public programme for young audiences and a separate curriculum-responsive line-up for schools. Core-funded by Glasgow City Council Education Services, GYFF has grown into an important part of Glasgow’s cultural calendar for schools, families and young people. This year we were pleased to team up with our first commercial sponsor, Muvizu whose generous sponsorship allowed GYFF to produce its first brochure and offer free bus transport for schools. GYFF 2011 featured 79 events with a total of 9,330 admissions, a 40% increase in audience figures from 2010.
PUBLIC PROGRAMME
GYFF’s public programme is curated by teenagers from the GYFF Youth Team, with help from Glasgow Film Learning. Over a period of seven months, the group of 15 to 18-year-olds select the Festival’s films and guests, organise events, make the GYFF trailer, introduce screenings and host audience discussions. Public highlights for GYFF 2011 included: • UK premieres of Make Believe, Eureka Seven and Beastie and sell-out opening night of Paul starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. • A wide range of free activities across Glasgow including animation, dance, scriptwriting and filmmaking workshops at Platform, The Arches and Castlemilk Youth Complex. • Introductions and Q&As with the cast and crew of The Be All and End All, Beastie, Son of Babylon and Days of Harvest. • Special presentations by Scottish Opera, British Board of Film Classification, Spirit Aid and YDance. • One Minute Movie competition with prizes donated by Muvizu, BAFTA in Scotland, Kodak and Glasgow Young Scot. GYFF achieved an impressive 4,566 admissions for its 52 public events, with a 4% increase in 16–24-year-olds attending.
SCHOOL SCREENINGS AND EVENTS
Nursery, primary and secondary schools have played an important part in the success of GYFF since its origins as Glasgow Schools Film Week in 2006. GYFF screenings for pupils and teachers are held in various venues city-wide, making sure that local schools can gain easy access to our events. All GYFF events at GFT and Platform are free to Glasgow Local Authority schools and cost £3 per pupil for all other schools, with free entry for teachers. This year, for the first time, we offered free and subsidised transport to GFT with 73 buses supplied to schools within Greater Glasgow. Each GYFF film is specially selected for its relevance and suitability to the Scottish curriculum and many screenings come with special presentations to put films in a pupil-friendly context. By working in partnership with national organisations such as Amnesty International, Scottish Screen Archive and UNICEF, our Festival events offer pupils fun, interactive learning activities and highlight the value of moving image education to teachers. This year local teachers helped to develop and write free resources for three GYFF films. We plan to increase teacher involvement with GYFF in the future by seeking their advice on film selection and developing CPD opportunities. Highlights for schools this year included:
Sell-out screenings of The Gruffalo, The Ugly Duckling, Vicky the Viking, Eleanor’s Secret and The Life of a Glasgow Ship. Free filmmaking workshops from BBC L.A.B at BBC Scotland, Pacific Quay The hilarious This Workshop Sucks! for nursery schools, produced by Starcatchers Special workshops in tandem with screenings, including a history lesson for Vicky the Viking, a musical presentation from Scottish Opera for The Ugly Duckling and a RPSB wildlife masterclass for Eep! • School previews of Under the Sea 3D and Hubble 3D at IMAX, Glasgow Science Centre. • • • •
GYFF welcomed 4,764 pupils and teachers to its 27 school events, an increase of 33% on the previous year. WWW.GLASGOWFILM.ORG/FESTIVAL
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Zombie Zombie’s score for Battleship Potemkin was beyond impressive. Their music made you want to jump out of your chair and join the revolt! Audience-member, 2011
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GLASGOW MUSIC & FILM FESTIVAL 17–27 February, in association with The Arches Glasgow Music and Film Festival 2011 comprised a series of 10 one-off audio-visual live events, complemented by a programme of 12 music documentaries and fiction films. Now in its third year, the mini festival – co-curated by Glasgow Film Festival and the Arches – celebrates innovation in music, film and the culture that unites them. In this short time GMFF has developed a strong identity and loyal fan base. Undoubtedly the most unusual and experimental event in the whole Glasgow Film Festival programme, Wet Sounds was billed as ‘cinema for the ear’. This sell-out event, hosted in the gorgeous Victorian swimming baths at North Woodside Leisure Centre, allowed audiences to dive and float in water which was immersed in sound, creating an intimate and unique listening experience. Also at the outer reaches of experimentation, Lucky Dragons: No Boundaries, No Hierarchies saw the LA musicians, hailed for their glitchy electronica, wired up to their audience in a democratic performance where the people got to control the music and moving images. Revelatory doc Upside Down: The Creation Records Story charted the rise and fall of the legendary Glasgow indie label. Its world premiere took place at GMFF and was attended by darlings of the Glasgow indie scene including Eugene Kelly from The Vaselines, Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian and members of Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits and Camera Obscura, not to mention label boss and man of the hour, Alan McGee. Also of local interest was Mondo Morricone, a live event featuring a range of special guests from Glasgow’s indie, pop and jazz scenes playing tribute to Ennio Morricone’s film soundtracks. This event received the support of the Hugh Fraser Foundation. Original live scores to silent films were provided by French psych duo Zombie Zombie for Eisenstein’s revolutionary propaganda film Battleship Potemkin, Minima for 1924 Russian avant-garde classic Aelita: Queen of Mars and post-rock quartet 65daysofstatic for science fiction classic Silent Running. Glasgow-based techno DJ Alex Smoke also created a pre-recorded score for F W Murnau’s Faust. Two of these events are now on tour as Glasgow Film Festival branded commissions. Faust with Alex Smoke has screened in Berlin and will be part of Inverness’s Go North Festival programme this June. Silent Running with 65daysofstatic was performed at Sensoria Film Festival, Sheffield and will be included in Bestival’s programme on the Isle of Wight in September. GMFF’s programme of live gigs was off-set by an eclectic selection of music-related films. 1970s cult classics such as Profondo Rosso and The Wicker Man screened alongside contemporary films which are set to become the cult classics of tomorrow, including comic gem Sound of Noise and the insanely clever Ivory Tower which features a cast of Canadian indie musicians.
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Great atmosphere, felt like a party.
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FrightFest audience-member, 2011
FRIGHTFEST 25–26 February, in association with Film4 The always heavily-anticipated FrightFest returned to its second home in Glasgow where dedicated horror and gore fans turned out in their droves to get a peak at the freshest and most frightening films the genre has to offer. Featuring work from around the world – and a mix of schlock, gore and grindhouse – this year’s programme was the most diverse yet. Kim Ji-woon’s uncut version of his dark and disturbing thriller I Saw the Devil screened alongside the offbeat bloody horror film Rubber. However it was the endlessly quotable Hobo with a Shotgun that captured the audience’s imagination this year with the tale of a tramp and his rifle and plenty of bloodshed, which was introduced by director Jason Eisener who followed up this special screening with a colourful Q&A. Glasgow Film Festival was also pleased to welcome the cast and crew of Little Deaths – some of the most promising new stars of horror. With weekend tickets selling out well in advance, FrightFest continues to be one of the most popular strands of GFF.
Image: I Saw the Devil Image (left): Lucky Dragons: No Boundaries, No Hierarchies © Ingrid Mur
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SUPERHEROES IN GLASGOW
Superheroes in Glasgow is the newest strand of the Festival – celebrating the wealth of Scottish artists working within the comic industry and the link between graphic novels and films. With a mix of discussions, masterclasses, contemporary and archive features, Superheroes in Glasgow provided a unique experience, bringing together industry professionals with Glasgow’s rich comic fan base. Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Wanted) helped curate the strand’s film programme, selecting cult classics such as the never-before-seenin-the-UK Richard Donner cut of Superman II and 1981’s Heavy Metal as well as new films like offbeat Australian indie superhero flick Griff the Invisible. Industry heavyweights including Mark Millar, Dave Gibbons (Watchmen) and Frank Quietly (The Authority) held workshops offering comic fans unique insight into their work. ComicCamp: Comics, Gaming and the Film Industry, an innovative one day ‘un-conference’, explored the increasing blurring of the boundaries between these industries. Aimed at those working in or studying comics, animation, gaming and film, ComicCamp featured presentations and panel discussions which tapped into cutting edge practice and encouraged cross-medium collaboration.
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Glasgow Film Festival is the most fantastic convergence of creativity and conviviality.
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Comic book artist and writer Dave Gibbons
Image: Danger Diabolik Image (right): Pyuupiru 2001–2008
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FASHION IN FILM
23–26 February, in association with Glasgow Caledonian Business School Fashion in Film returned to the Festival for a successful second year with a varied programme of fabulous fashion films and trend-setting events. As well as screening documentaries about such diverse fashion icons as Roy Halston Frowick and Pyuupiru, the strand provided a platform for the best in cutting-edge fashion from Glasgow’s own thriving design community. The programme included sell-out screenings of Ultrasuede: The Search for Halston, The Inventors of Tradition (with Scottish Screen Archive) and an illustrated talk by legendary designer Pam Hogg whose celebrity following includes Rihanna, Kylie, Lady Gaga and Siouxsie Sioux. The popular screening of documentary Pyuupiru 2001–2008 was followed by a dramatic catwalk show at CCA which showcased the latest striking collections from some of Glasgow’s most talented up-and-coming designers. In another coup, Stirlingbased innovator Iona Crawford treated Festival-goers to a launch of her new fashion film and a sneak preview of her 2011/12 Autumn/ Winter collection.
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Average admission to this strand’s events was 97%.
GFF keeps surpassing itself each year with the calibre of its guest speakers. Pam Hogg’s talk at GFT was inspirational. She is an artist beyond the realm of fashion – her work and vision is deeper, more complex and outlasting.
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Audience member, 2011
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CINEMA CITY
Did you know that back in the city’s cinema-going heyday, some 70 years ago, Glaswegians went to the cinema more often than anyone else in the world? Today the city’s passion for the movies is still evident, with Glasgow boasting some of the busiest cinemas in the UK. Developed alongside GFF11, the Cinema City project is an exploration of Glasgow’s history of moving image through an online portal with associated real world events. The site features interactive maps, exclusive articles and interviews, archive clips from Scottish Screen Archive and photographs. Everything, from a round up of Glasgow’s most eccentric cinemas to an interview with director Bertrand Tavernier on his experiences of filming Death Watch in the city, finds its home here. We are continuing to add to this content throughout the year. During the Festival, this section of our site also served as a hub for hotel and restaurant deals, offering Festival-goers discounts on a broad range of places to stay and eat.
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Festival marketing outside of Glasgow – as far afield as Bristol, Manchester and Newcastle – carried a Cinema City message, enticing visitors to come to GFF in February when Glasgow was once again ‘cinema city’. Visit Cinema City online at www.glasgowfilm.org/cinema_city
The Festival’s reputation as the fastest-growing film event in the UK has again been reinforced. The city’s special and historic relationship with cinema has never been more apparent. Glasgow Evening Times
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‘In its short, seven-year life, Glasgow Film Festival has established an impressive record for continued growth and relentless innovation – a success story that is quintessentially Glasgow. Now, through the VisitScotland Growth Fund, we are proud to support its latest evolution, as the Festival becomes the centrepiece of year-round Cinema City marketing. The team behind the Festival and Cinema City has shown how strong ideas, partnership working and a passion for the place can deliver new visitors for their own businesses and economic benefit for Glasgow.’ Liz Buchanan MBE, Regional Partnerships Director, VisitScotland ‘Glasgow Cinema City appealed to the judges of the Scottish Enterprise Innovation Fund, as it is a creative and unique project that is looking to capitalise on the rich film heritage, culture and architecture of Glasgow and seeking to package it in a way that will appeal to short break visitors and film enthusiasts alike. It will capitalise on some of the unique buildings and landmarks from Glasgow’s cinematic history as well as offer access to a range of film themed experiences, in collaboration with various partners and suppliers, to deliver an integrated tourism experience for the visitor. Julie Franchetti, Tourism Innovation Manager, Scottish Enterprise
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MARKETING
A strategic and targeted marketing campaign helped to ensure the success of GFF11. A combination of traditional marketing and the development of our online presence led to increased national and international awareness and a growth in admissions.
ACTIVITY
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
An audience-friendly and popular creative design was used across print, poster and advertising campaigns.
www.glasgowfilm.org isn’t just a place for programme listings:
60,000 printed programmes were distributed to Festival venues, other arts venues across central Scotland and our postal mailing lists.
24 YouTube video pieces (consisting of interviews, vlogs and documentation of Festival events) were created by journalist and broadcaster Jon Melville and Stow College’s Film and Television Production students. These were viewed over 12,000 times in February alone.
Online development of a new comprehensive site at www.glasgowfilm.org featured clear, easy to use, shareable listings with social media integration. The number of visitors increased dramatically: 134,878 used the new website from programme launch to the end of the Festival (20 Jan–27 Feb 2011), compared with 64,067 visitors to the old GFF site during the same period in 2010. In total, we received website visits from 132 countries/territories. Online ticket sales saw an increase of 40% on GFF10. Enewsletters were sent to over 7,400 subscribers and we engaged with over 13,300 fans on facebook and over 11,800 on twitter. Facebook is the third top traffic source to www.glasgowfilm.org. A UK-wide targeted online advertising campaign saw over 4.5million impressions on both facebook and google advertising and over 3.7million impressions of a display advertising campaign across LoveFilm, Guardian and other key websites. Facebook ‘likes’ increased by 971 during the campaign. Marketing outside of Glasgow – through bus rears, passenger panels and in transport hubs – resulted in a shift in where website visitors and Festival attendees came from. We noted online hotspots of targeted cities such as Manchester and a growth in the proportion of attendees from elsewhere in Scotland (from 14% to 18%) and elsewhere in the UK (from 7% to 9%). Audience members from the rest of the UK included those from target areas Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Newcastle, Durham, Yorkshire, Liverpool, Cumbria, North West and Bristol. Television and radio broadcast coverage increased to 40 items (18 more than the previous year). Printed press coverage was up 6% to 217 articles and we saw a shift to more UK-wide and international printed press. Media partnerships with STV, Sunday Herald, The Skinny and The List were built upon and developed for GFF11 – resulting in increased coverage. A 30-second cinema trailer, created by award-winning designer Hoss Gifford, was screened in 26 cinema screens across the UK to over 163,800 cinema-goers. The trailer was also screened throughout Glasgow Airport. Glasgow Youth Film Festival and Glasgow Short Film Festival each had their own brochure, poster campaign, social media activity and trailer to target appropriate audiences.
WWW.GLASGOWFILM.ORG/FESTIVAL
Approximately 15,800 copies of the Festival daily paper, The CineSkinny, produced in conjunction with The Skinny magazine, were distributed at Festival venues and key locations across the city. This daily publication contained news, reviews and features on the Festival programme. A total of 55 blog posts were written about the Festival programme for www.glasgowfilm.org/festival/gff_blog. Alongside regular GFF blog contributor Allan Hunter, who blogs year-round for the Festival, we recruited two official Festival bloggers to report on the Festival from the ground. Festival programmers and CineSkinny reviewers also contributed.
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This was the first year that EventScotland have supported Glasgow Film Festival through our international funding programme and it proved to be a great success. The event’s world-class programme of films attracted large audiences of locals and visitors to Glasgow across the festival period. It has become one of the fastest growing film festivals in the world and the appetite for film in Scotland and beyond shows no signs of fading which is great news for everyone involved.
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Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer, EventScotland
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THANK YOU!
The success of Glasgow Film Festival 2011 would not have been possible without the partnership and support of our Funders, Sponsors and Supporters, who contribute a valued 77% towards the Festival’s income, of which 30% is in kind. Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Glasgow City Council have become synonymous with GFF’s growth and success since its inception seven years ago, and the Festival has proudly brandished its Glasgow Scotland with Style credentials. GFF 2011 also welcomed Creative Scotland in continuing the legacy of Scottish Screen’s former partnership with the Festival. VisitScotland has equally enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Festival and this year supported the new Cinema City project, which also attracted the sterling partnership of Scottish Enterprise through the Tourism Innovation Fund. EventScotland made their debut as GFF partners this year, endorsing the Festival as a key flagship cultural event for Scotland. Private Sector sponsorship is also crucial to the Festival. This year, Glasgow Youth Film Festival teamed up with its first commercial sponsor, Muvizu, whose sponsorship allowed GYFF to produce its first brochure and offer free bus transport for schools. The Festival’s Beyond Bollywood strand attracted the financial sponsorship of Mother India, one of Glasgow’s most popular and iconic restaurants. Proprietor Monir Mohammed found it ‘a rewarding and exciting experience’ and was personally praised by Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, when they met during the Festival at the Scottish Government Reception for Beyond Bollywood. As first time Sponsors of the Arts through the Festival, Muvizu and Mother India secured a New Arts Sponsorship Grant supported by the Scottish Government in conjunction with Arts & Business Scotland. Muvizu’s grant is being used for a brand new initiative on our Cinema City website: ‘Wee Movies, Your City, Your Stories’, an online short film competition for under-18s held in the run up to GYFF 2012. Monir Mohammed is using his New Arts Grant to enable his Wee Curry Shop restaurant to sponsor Access Take 2 – Autism Friendly Screenings at GFT throughout 2011.
‘Muvizu thoroughly enjoyed and felt privileged to have been a part of GYFF 2011. The enthusiasm of GFF staff, who supported our participation in the event, was a joy to behold. It’s a great festival and it’s refreshing to see the best in contemporary film being made accessible to a younger and often neglected audience. The democratisation of film viewin§g and filmmaking is a mission that we share with GFF. Long may it thrive.’ Vince Ryan, Managing Director of Digimania, creator of Muvizu software ‘Arts & Business Scotland was delighted to assist Glasgow Film Festival in raising both business sponsorship and individual donations as the Film Festival has proven to be a vibrant addition to Glasgow’s lively cultural scene. And given the popularity of film, and the way the medium can be used to engage young people, I believe that support for Glasgow Film Festival offers businesses and individuals a terrific return on their investment. May the Film Festival flourish.’ Barclay Price , Director of Arts & Business Scotland ‘I’ve got a real soft spot for GFT and the people who run it. So I welcomed the opportunity for Mother India to sponsor Beyond Bollywood at GFF this year. I think Indian films are very clever and they can genuinely change your way of thinking about life. I enjoyed being part of the Festival and meeting many different and interesting people, including Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture who praised our restaurant for its sponsorship of the Festival. I would highly recommend other businesses to sponsor the Festival. It’s a rewarding and exciting experience.’ Monir Mohammed, Proprietor of Mother India, Sponsor of Beyond Bollywood (GFF 2011).
Arts & Business Scotland is a key player within GFF in helping to secure and nurture creative partnerships with our business sponsors. They also helped GYFF 11 raise public donations through the Big Arts Give Christmas Challenge which attracted the generous support of GFT patrons, including Board Members, GFT staff and customers. Public contributions were matched by Arts & Business.
Image: Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture; Allan Hunter, GFF Co-director; Mohammed Monir, Proprietor of Mother India
Many individuals, organisations, charitable trusts (a special thanks to the Hugh Fraser Foundation) and businesses gave their invaluable support. All are most warmly thanked on the opposite page. We could not have done it without you…
JOIN US ON THE RED CARPET FOR GFF 2012, 16–26 FEBRUARY GFF offers potential partners and sponsors a range of tailored creative and investment opportunities. Enlightenment, entertainment and life-changing experiences await you... Please contact: Liana Marletta Festival Development Executive liana.marletta@glasgowfilm.org 0141 352 8604
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Image © Ingrid Mur
FUNDERS SPONSORS
VENUE PARTNERS PROGRAMME SUPPORTERS
MEDIA PARTNERS SUPPORTERS Hugh Fraser Foundation
ADDITIONAL THANKS TO OUR CINEMA CITY PROJECT SUPPORTERS
A big thank you to all those who supported our Big Give fundraising campaign for Glasgow Youth Film Festival: Allison Gardner, Aileen Primrose, Aldo Palumbo, Alison Kay, Andrew Leitch, Andrew Oji, Angela Campbell, Brenda Auterson, Bridget McGeechan, Cara Lusk, Carolyn Mills, Catherine Mills, Charles & Amanda Wood, Charlie Macgregor, Chris Biggam, Chris Turpie, David Bruce, Douglas Young, Eilidh Macaskill, Elaine McChesney, Elizabeth Lindsay, Emily Munro & Matt Lloyd, Gary & Suze McGuigan, Gavin & Penny McElhinney, Harry Clarke, Hazel Mills, Ian Douglas, Ian Garwood, Ian Hutcheon, J Gilmour, Jamie Dunn, Jean M Shand, Jen Davies, Jennifer Armitage, Jessica McDermott, Jim Hickey, Karen O’Hare, Katherine Hughes, Kathryn Deeming, Kathryn Hannan, Kirsty Lusk, Liana Marletta, Lillian Munro, Liz Evans, Lucy Conway, Maria Leahy, Marion & Jimmy Pearson, Mary Carmichael, Michael & Merryn Lloyd, Michael Moohan, Michael Richardson, Mitch Miller, Norman Fraser, Paul Macgregor, Paul Zealey, Paula Cowan, Peter Lynn, Peter Mills, Philip Leckie, Rachel Oglethorpe, Raymond Antebi, Sambrooke Scott, Sarah Howitt, Seonaid Daly, Shona Thomson, Smithycroft Secondary School Parent Council, Susannah Howe, Suzanne Halliday, Thomas Gardner, Vina Oberlander and all the GFT customers who contributed via our donations boxes.
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A SERIOUS CINEASTE’S IDEA OF PARADISE. The Metro
Next Glasgow Film Festival 16–26 February 2012 Full programme announced in January
Glasgow Film Festival, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB / +44 (0)141 332 6535 Glasgow Film Festival is a department of Glasgow Film Theatre (known as GFT). GFT is a charity registered in Scotland no SCO05932.
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