Glasgow Film Festival goes from strength to strength, while the city itself has become established as a hit location for directors
When film actor James McAvoy recently brought his movie California Schemin’ to Glasgow for its premiere, he spoke about why we need and love the cinema in Scotland.
“We’ve premiered this film five times at festivals around the world, but this is the first time we’ve brought it back to home turf. I wanted this film to be appealing the world over, I wanted it to be universal, but I also wanted it to be a film about Scottish people, by Scottish people, for Scottish people, which I think we’re lacking.”
McAvoy shares Scotland’s passion for ‘going to the pictures’ – which remains a powerful part of our national economy and culture.
“Art is the mirror to shine up. It’s for us to see ourselves reflected as a species. We get this tiny mirror and we only see parts of our societies. Sometimes when the lights are on it feels like we need more lights on. We need more mirrors. And we just need more films,” he said.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that, in the screen sector, location is a key economic driver for Scotland in general, and Glasgow in particular.
Certainly, no visitor to Glasgow over recent years can have failed to notice the omnipresence of big Hollywood blockbuster film production units revelling in the city centre’s streetscapes and blend of modern and Victorian architecture as settings for their big screen visions.
From Spider-Man: Brand New Day to The Batman 2, Glasgow’s ability to metamorphosise into movie directors’ metropolitan visualisations of New York City or Gotham seems to know no bounds.
And just as film directors’ appetite for Glasgow appears insatiable, so does Glasgow’s appetite for hosting them and for viewing their films on the big screen. How the recent devastating fire in Union Street, beside Glasgow Central Station, will impact on future film shoots, remains to be seen.
No visitor to Glasgow can have failed to notice the omnipresence of Hollywood film production units
Underlying this trend was the 22nd edition of Glasgow Film Festival (GFF), which featured 68 UK premieres among a total of 126 films in February and March.
The documentary Welcome to Kenmure Street, about attempts to stop the deportation of two men in Glasgow, opened the festival, closing with McAvoy’s directorial debut California Schemin’.
Its organisers say that the GFF significantly boosts the city’s economy by attracting visitors, supporting the local screen sector, and enhancing Glasgow’s profile as a film-friendly location, generating direct spending and jobs.
There is little doubt that the festival drives footfall for hotels and businesses and serves as a hub for developing local filmmakers and attracting major productions, creating a substantial economic impact beyond ticket sales.
Screen sector’s impact within Scottish economy
The most up-to-date figures, produced by Saffrey and Noricity, detailing the screen sector’s impact within the Scottish economy, show that its gross value added (GVA) increased by 15 per cent, from £627m in 2021 to £718m in 2023 with employment increasing by over 12 per cent from 10,940 full-time equivalents (FTEs) to 12,260.
These are mainly skilled, creative industry jobs. In 2024, the BBC in Scotland employed 1,276 people across all its services, while STV employed 598 in 2023, with MG Alba employing 58, and Channel 4 approximately 25 in its Glasgow creative hub office.
Of course, this covers news and current affairs, but many are in film and television production.
Scottish-based ‘indie’ production companies such as STV Studios, Raise the Roof Productions, Firecrest Films, Synchronicity Films, Hopscotch Films, Two Rivers Media and Friel Kean Films are maintaining significant distribution activity, according to the survey.
Debbie Aitken, Glasgow Film Festival head of operations, said that GFF brings thousands of visitors to Glasgow, supporting hotels, hospitality, and retail, with high attendance figures reflecting strong visitor engagement.
“When it started, the festival was a weekend event and today we are a 12-day event that drives income and employment within the region,” she said.
“We encourage tourism, not just through our audience, but delegates and press and media, and the festival has a huge impact on hotel nights and the spend within the city.
“And our year-round initiatives that deliver outside those 12 days of the festival support talent development and community initiatives, so that we’re no longer a festival that’s just showcasing talent – we’re actively shaping the future of the industry.”
According to Aitken, GFF delivers on economic impact through job creation and skills development and is a significant employer in the sector.
“What we do has a direct impact on culture and economic benefits and driving social change – it’s about sustaining the wider film eco-system,” she said.
“We are keen to demonstrate how GFF is the place for showcasing all the amazing quality work that’s coming out of Scotland, because it is an exciting time for the screen sector.
Both our opening and closing galas are such hotly anticipated films from Scotland
- Debbie Aitken
“This year it’s particularly exciting that both our opening and closing galas are such hotly anticipated films from Scotland. It’s great to see them both in Glasgow and we want Glasgow to be the place for this exciting work.”
Aitken is at pains to emphasise the economic importance of Scotland’s vibrant cultural festival and events eco-system.
“Our audience survey shows they are huge partakers in cultural life across the board – not just film – so it’s important that our cultural festival and events eco-system see ourselves as part of that bigger picture. We’re not just a leisure activity – we are all together as a community working hard to drive economic and social development.
“And that broader cultural participation across that eco-system is driving city innovation; it’s driving urban regeneration; it’s driving the nighttime economy – and we are stronger together when we collaborate.”
Streamers on the big screen
While understandably a passionate proponent of the unique appeal of watching films in a cinema on a big screen, sitting in the dark surrounded by others, Aitken acknowledges that the growing popularity of streamers (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and the like) represents challenges and opportunities.
“The closing of the theatrical window is an annoyance and an irritancy,” she admits.
“There’s nothing I hate more than seeing streamers promoting titles on their platforms when they are still being shown in the cinema.
“That said, the two biggest titles at Glasgow Film Theatre of late were Frankenstein and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, both Netflix titles and both premiered at BFI London Film Festival, so people still want to see films on the big screen – that appetite is still there – and we certainly don’t view streamers as a threat for that reason: we work with them, we show their titles.”