Latest news with #GlasgowFilmFestival
Glasgow Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow Film appoints chief executive and head of programme
This September, Seonaid Daly will be taking the role of chief executive, and Paul Gallagher will serve as the head of programme at Glasgow Film. The pair will succeed Allison Gardner, who will be retiring in October after more than 30 years with the organisation. Glasgow Film is an educational charity that manages Glasgow Film Theatre, the city's first independent arthouse cinema. The charity also runs the Glasgow Film Festival and the Glasgow Youth Film Festival, and serves as the lead organisation for Film Hub Scotland. Yahya Barry, chair of the board of trustees at Glasgow Film, said: 'Our people are Glasgow Film's greatest asset – and in Seonaid and Paul, we have two truly exceptional leaders stepping into key roles at a pivotal time." Seonaid has been the executive director of Glasgow Film for more than five years. Her career has also included roles as head of partnerships at The Prince's Trust (now The King's Trust) and Director of the Scottish Contemporary Art Network. Seonaid Daly will take up the post of Chief Executive this September (Image: Supplied) Seonaid said: "I'm proud to take on the role of CEO at Glasgow Film, a place that has shaped both my career and my love of cinema. "It's a huge privilege to be responsible for such an important institution, and I'm very excited to play a key role in ensuring its future. 'I'm inspired by my brilliant colleagues, our dedicated partners, the filmmakers we work with, and our loyal audiences, who remind us daily why our cinema means so much to them." Paul, who has been a part of Glasgow Film's management team for more than a decade, will assume the role of head of programme. He has been instrumental in the year-round programming at Glasgow Film Theatre since 2018. Paul will step into the new role of Head of Programme at Glasgow Film this September (Image: Supplied) Paul said: "I am thrilled to take on the responsibility and privilege of the new head of programme role at Glasgow Film. "Over the past six years, I have loved leading on the year-round programme at GFT: working with such a wide range of partners and receptive audiences has been an education in expanding my horizons and understanding the vital role that independent cinema can play in the lives of so many different people." Allison Gardner, the outgoing chief executive of Glasgow Film and director of Glasgow Film Festival, expressed her confidence in the new appointments. She said: "I am delighted that Seonaid will be taking up the position of chief executive at Glasgow Film as I know she is passionate about our organisation and upholding our values. "I know she will do an excellent job, working alongside our brilliant staff to continue to make Glasgow Film a vibrant and important cultural venue for film and talent. 'Paul is an excellent appointment to make sure GFT and GFF continue to provide great cinema that is accessible to all. "His programming work at GFT has been exceptional and, alongside the teams, has made our cinema the best in the world. "I retire knowing that our organisation is in good hands and will be celebrating Glasgow Film's future successes from afar.'
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow Film appoints new Chief Executive and Head of Programme
Glasgow Film is an educational charity which runs Glasgow Film Theatre. It also runs the award-winning Glasgow Film Festival and Glasgow Youth Film Festival, and is the lead organisation for Film Hub Scotland. Seonaid Daly said: 'I'm proud to take on the role of CEO at Glasgow Film, a place that has shaped both my career and my love of cinema. It's a huge privilege to be responsible for such an important institution and I'm very excited to play a key role in ensuring its future. 'Glasgow Film is in a really strong position thanks to all the staff, volunteers, different people and organisations who make up our vibrant communities, and of course Allison Gardner, whose leadership has been central to Glasgow Film's success. READ MORE: 'Cinema creates empathy in you. And we need a lot more empathy in this world' Lynch, Hitchcock, Tarantino lead GFT birthday line-up 'I'm inspired by my brilliant colleagues, our dedicated partners, the filmmakers we work with, and our loyal audiences, who remind us daily, why our cinema means so much to them. There's always more to do to ensure everyone can see themselves on screen, explore creative careers, and feel at home in GFT. Cinema has the power to both reflect and shape the world around us and I believe deeply in the importance of open, inclusive cultural spaces, places where people feel welcome, inspired, and connected.' Paul Gallagher said: 'I am thrilled to take on the responsibility and privilege of the new Head of Programme role at Glasgow Film. Over the past six years I have loved leading on the year-round programme at GFT: working with such a wide range of partners and receptive audiences has been an education in expanding my horizons and understanding the vital role that independent cinema can play in the lives of so many different people. I'm excited to take that experience and build on those relationships as I step up to lead the curatorial vision for GFT and GFF. I can't wait to work with Seonaid and the brilliant GFT and GFF Programme teams on what is an incredibly bright future for Glasgow Film.' Allison Gardner, outgoing Chief Executive of Glasgow Film and Director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: 'I am delighted that Seonaid will be taking up the position of Chief Executive at Glasgow Film as I know she is passionate about our organisation and upholding our values. I know she will do an excellent job, working alongside our brilliant staff to continue to make Glasgow Film a vibrant and important cultural venue for film and talent. Allison Gardner will retire in October from her dual role as Chief Executive of Glasgow Film and Director of Glasgow Film Festival (Image: Gordon Terris) 'Paul is an excellent appointment to make sure GFT and GFF continue to provide great cinema that is accessible to all. His programming work at GFT has been exceptional and, alongside the teams, has made our cinema the best in the world. I'm sad to be leaving after over 30 years but immensely proud to have worked here and helped to contribute to the success of GFT, GFF and our youth and community work. I retire knowing that our organisation is in good hands and will be celebrating Glasgow Film's future successes from afar.' Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotland, said: 'Seonaid and Paul have each played a vital role in the success and growth of Glasgow Film in recent years and their appointments reflect the organisation's commitment to excellence and to developing talent within the Scottish screen exhibition sector. 'Under their leadership, the future of Glasgow Film is bright, and the GFT will continue to flourish as a vital home for cinema culture, a welcoming home to diverse audiences and filmmakers, and a driving force for independent cinema from Scotland and beyond. We congratulate them both and look forward to working with them closely.'
The Herald Scotland
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
You need to see wild movie by Scots director that breaks all the rules
Not so, as it turns out. It's only now, a decade on, that Slow West's follow-up is preparing to make its theatrical bow after a well-received premiere at this year's Glasgow Film Festival where it was the opening film. A blend of samurai flick, chase film, historical epic and heist movie, Tornado follows the titular heroine, a Japanese puppeteer, as she and her father Fujin eke out a living somewhere in northern Britain at the end of the 18th century. Into their lives one day comes a band of brigands led by the ruthless Sugarman and his argumentative son, Little Sugar. The thieves are toting a sack of stolen gold coins, but it's when they are robbed in turn that the trouble begins for Fujin and, in particular, Tornado. A scene from Tornado by John Maclean (Image: free)Maclean's second film began life in 2016, immediately after the success of Slow West. You can't say he didn't hit the ground running. 'Having done a Western in America that to me was a little bit about immigration, I thought I could do the same for Britain – write a film where there's an African bandit, a French performer, a Japanese wanderer,' he tells me over Zoom. 'That was one idea. But then when I started the script, the heart of it started to come from father-daughter relationships. In Slow West, the thing I took from my personal life was a young Scottish boy being in love with somebody who didn't necessarily love him back, and him going to the ends of the earth for her. With Tornado, it was a father trying to teach his daughter his own Japanese culture, and her not being interested.' The process of writing the script continued into 2017 and then into 2018. When the pandemic happened it inevitably had an effect on production, but Maclean says a major issue even before then was one far more familiar to film-makers than zoonotic diseases – cash. 'I was ready to go but we just couldn't find people interested in funding it for a good while. I think it's just tough out there. You need a certain calibre of actor attached to finance films these days, and the actors have to become bigger and bigger to finance lower and lower budget films because – bottom line – people aren't going to the cinema so much.' Luckily, Maclean has never had much difficulty attracting big names to his films or identifying talents on the rise. He even managed it in his BAFTA-winning short Pitch Black Heist, which starred Michael Fassbender. It was released in the same year the Irishman won a slew of awards for his role in Steve McQueen's Hunger and first appeared as Magneto in X Men: First Class. Fassbender then returned to Team Maclean in order to work on Slow West and his co-star on that film was Kodi Smit-McPhee, who would also go on to star in the X-Men films (as Nightcrawler) and garner an Oscar nomination in Jane Campion's 2021 film, The Power Of The Dog. Things are little different this time around. The great Tim Roth plays Sugarman, Jack Lowden is Little Sugar and, for the roles of Fujin and Tornado, Maclean has cast Giri/Haji star Takehiro Hira and 22-year-old Mitsuku Kimura, who goes by the name Kōki. She may be new to acting, but by her late teens she was already a magazine cover star in her homeland, had walked the Paris Fashion Week runways as a model for Chanel, and was enjoying a successful pop career. Read more In fact Maclean had despaired about finding the right actress to play Tornado, even resorting to street castings to try to find non-actors. In the end Kōki was recommended by someone who had worked with her actor father Takuya Kimura, star of Takashi Miike's 2017 samurai action film Blade Of The Immortal. Meanwhile her mother, Shizuka Kudo, is a celebrated singer and 1980s pop star with 11 Japanese number one hits to her name. Maclean laughs as he remembers his first Zoom call with his prospective star. 'After about 10 seconds I was like: 'She's the one'.' So how big is she in Japan? 'Massive,' he says. 'She's known more as a model, but they don't know how great she is at acting – yet. And she came over here to Edinburgh and I think for the first time in her life she was able to walk around without being absolutely mobbed. People camp outside her house in Japan because her parents are so famous, so she's never had freedom. She came over here and absolutely loved it. She could walk around, didn't get hassled. She could perform and act and be creative. She's incredible. I didn't have to say anything to her, there was no direction. She just go it.' Lowden was recruited after an Edinburgh International Film Festival event at Edinburgh Castle – 'He told me he loved Slow West so I went straight back to the script and thought: 'I'm going to tweak this'' – while Maclean impressed Roth with his love of the work of British film-maker Alan Clarke. Best known for directing Scum in 1979, Clarke also made an iconic series of films in the Play For Today strand including folk horror Penda's Fen, Elephant (about the Troubles) and 1982's Made In Britain, which starred Roth as a racist 16-year-old skinhead. 'As soon as we got talking, he could see my love of Alan Clarke and that meant a lot to him.' For Maclean, meanwhile, it was a dream come true: as a student working at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh he had been wowed by an appearance by Quentin Tarantino in 1994 to promote Pulp Fiction. To work with the star of Reservoir Dogs made him feel he had come 'full circle', as he puts it. Japanese singer and model Kōki as Tornado in John Maclean's new film of the same name (Image: free) A shared influence for Maclean and Tarantino, both scholars of Japanese cinema, is Lady Snowblood, the 1973 film starring Meiko Kaji as a kickass assassin bent on revenge. It directly inspired the American's Kill Bill films and in Maclean's film it's a touchstone for Tornado's transformation from bored Gen Z-er into samurai sword-toting avenging angel. For the Scot, it's only one of a great many influences, however. 'When I'm writing a script I consume such a huge variety of films,' he admits. 'The most recent ones which were an influence were films coming out of Iran and Turkey. I'll always love action films, so my cinematic bedrock would Predator and Die Hard and Robocop, those sorts of films. But equally I love Tarkovsky, Bergman and Bresson ... This one was influenced by everything from touches of David Lynch's Blue Velvet all the way through to Steel Magnolias even. I watched that for some reason.' A 1989 comedy drama set in Louisiana and starring Dolly Parton and a young Julia Roberts is hard to place in Tornado's DNA. But, though the ingredients may be many and varied, it's the eventual dish which is the thing that matters – and this one has been worth the wait. Tornado is released on June 13. Since this interview was conducted The Beta Band have reformed for a tour of the UK starting at Glasgow Barrowland on September 25.
Edinburgh Reporter
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Speaking to Natja Brunckhorst
Director Natja Brunckhorst began her film career in the cult classic Christiane F. Here she talks about Bowie, Berlin and her new film, Two To One, which stars Sandra Hüller. Stories concerning The Berlin Wall in music, art and wider culture continue to fascinate and tell us something about the people and communities affected by it. The new film, Two To One, captures an East German summer in 1990 with humour inspired by UK cinema, bright colours and stunning cinematography. The clothes and haircuts featured are a nostalgic nod to anyone who came of age in the late 1980s and early 90s. Natja said: 'I can't stand bland and I have to look at it all the time! For me it's important to make colourful pictures, we have this cliche that the East was dark and grumpy…no, it was summertime there too. My costume designer did a great job with the regional clothing.' Two To One, which premiered earlier this year at the Glasgow Film Festival, stars German film star Sandra Hüller (Requiem, Zone of Interest) who delivers an excellent comic performance brimming with presence. She continued: 'It's a kind of gift she brings, that's why she is a star. You don't have to say too much. It's just wonderful to see all these actors, who are well-known in Germany, together. What helps is a strong script and sending them out with a good feeling of the potential, they can smell it and know if it's good.' After a bunker full of banknotes is discovered that will soon be worthless and with the reunification of Germany coming into view, Maren (Hüller), along with her husband and ex-partner, develops a plan to benefit themselves and the wider community. The film never loses its light touch despite dealing with heavy political subject matter. What the country has lived through in Germany's dark history, is conveyed through the characters. Natja said: 'I can't explain the film, it's done through the emotions and speeches of the characters, they are the heroes. I interviewed many people for the writing and they told me about the changes they had lived through, such as saving money and suddenly it's worthless; that's really destructive. At the same time, it's a comedy and deals with a family, you have to bring all these things together'. The spirit of the film suggests the great Ealing comedies such as Whisky Galore (1949) or even The Italian Job (1969) where the power lies in the ability of the ensemble to tell the story and provide laughs. 'East Berlin people have a restraint and humour of which I'm fond' added Natja, 'it's a bit like British humour. Growing up the stars of Monty Python were my heroes'. Speaking of 'Heroes' Brunckhorst was herself an actress starring in Christiane F about a teenage drug addict in West Berlin. What helped popularise the film was a David Bowie soundtrack which drew upon music associated with his time in Berlin. Bowie even made an appearance that was filmed in New York. 'This is a special story,' she said. 'I was 14, very young and I didn't even know who Bowie was. I just started to listen to music and things like Grace Jones or whatever, I was told 'We will drive you to New York and you'll meet Bowie. He was working on a theatre project (on Broadway) performing as The Elephant Man. We travelled to New York in December 1980 to make the scene with Bowie and something happened. Just 15 blocks away John Lennon was shot and killed. From that moment Bowie was in shock and out of the film. Somehow our producer managed to persuade him to appear (performing Station To Station). We met and did the photograph where I sat on his knee but he was still in shock, I met him but I don't think I got to meet David Bowie because of this dramatic situation.' Fame and the early teenage years aren't a good combination and while Natja enjoyed the experience of making the film, the aftermath was a different matter. She said: 'I wasn't an actress; I was a girl. For the part they came to my school and asked if I wanted to be in the film, I was only 13 and I loved the shoot which was 84 days but after that, it was finished. I was back in my Berlin flat, my parents were away a lot of the time. I would travel on a regular school bus and everyone would be staring at me, it was no fun at all. Everywhere I went someone was staring at me. I cut my hair short and began to wear a suit that was from the 1950s. I met a boy who told me he was going to London the next day and I travelled with him and stayed there for a time. Then I did some modelling in Paris.' Natja returned to Berlin when she was 18. Before directing she began to write for the screen and became well known in Germany for her work. She credits Christiane Felscherinow for the account provided in the book Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (We Children From Zoo Station) which led to that first film opportunity in Christiane F. 'I'm very grateful to Christiane because she gave her story which inspired the film, without that I wouldn't be here directing, I'd be a mathematician or something. I'm very thankful but also, it's part of my story and I can talk about it now. It's been 45 years since the film was made which is quite a time. In my next film, I'm hoping to use some Bowie songs, money is the problem but I will try'. During our interview on Zoom Natja pointed to a piano in the background which she plays to take a break from writing and find a connection to Bowie out there in the universe somewhere. 'I play Space Oddity' she admits, 'it gives me joy.' Two To One is released in cinemas on Friday, 2 May. Two to One Natja Two to One with Peter Hartwig Like this: Like Related
STV News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- STV News
'I cycled to the Euros after surviving horror car crash in the US'
A talented footballer who won a scholarship at an American university has reflected on his 'remarkable' recovery from a near-fatal car accident, which left him with life-changing injuries. Ethan Walker, 19, was just months into his course when tragedy struck in September 2023. The student was walking back to his accommodation at Genesee Community College in New York State when he was hit by a car travelling at 60 miles per hour. He suffered several catastrophic injuries, including three brain bleeds, a lacerated lung, fractures in his pelvis, left hand, skull, shoulder and the tibia on his right leg. He also suffered nerve damage and dysphagia, which left him unable to swallow. He spent weeks in intensive care and was not expected to survive. STV News Ethan Walker has been training hard on his road to recovery But he made an 'amazing' recovery thanks to the help of world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon Professor Gordon Mackay, who had once played for Rangers. Ethan told STV News: 'Everything changed as soon as I met Gordon. He changed my life.' Professor Mackay, who leads a sports injuries clinic, was instrumental in Ethan's recovery and the pair quickly bonded over their love of football. He used an advanced internal bracing system to help the ligaments in Ethan's knee – and admitted he was stunned by his patient's progress. Professor Mackay added: 'He was a million miles ahead at each milestone smiling back saying, 'I can do that.' It's unusual for a surgeon to be amazed. 'He is the most remarkable young man. He's been positive since the word go. He's accepted the fact he had horrendous injuries and he's been determined to make the most of his situation.' STV News Ethan was in intensive care for six weeks following the crash Ethan added: 'He was surprised by how fast I progressed after the surgery. I liked to prove him wrong – I still do!' Two months after the operation, Professor Mackay asked Ethan to cycle with him to the Euros in Germany in 2024 to support Scotland. Ethan said: 'I thought he was joking…then a month later he asked again; 'Ethan, do you have an answer?' 'I was starting to cycle more and get more function in my knee. So I thought, 'I could do this.'' Just nine months after the accident, the football-mad pair set off on a 700-mile cycle from Hampden Park to Munich for Scotland's opening match at the Euros last June – with the added responsibility of delivering their team's match pendant. The challenge has now been made into a documentary, 'Make it to Munich', which premiered at this year's Glasgow Film Festival. 'I had the responsibility of carrying the match pendant – the biggest honour of my whole life,' Ethan said. STV News Ethan with Professor Gordon Mackay 'We met a few of the players: John McGinn at Hampden, then I gave the pendant to Andy Robertson when we arrived. 'I loved the journey. We got to see all the sights in Europe. 'It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – such an amazing experience.' Professor Mackay said Ethan was a great companion on the 'epic' journey. 'Ethan had set his sights on this. He didn't complain once,' he said. 'While we were complaining about sore backs, ache and pains, he was just thriving on the experience. 'That's what shines through here; he's an example of what's possible to so many who have suffered a disability, injury and setback. You can tell by his cheeky grin that he's determined and focused.' Ethan's career path has taken a different turn due to the accident; he is now studying sports coaching at college and works as a lifeguard at Sports Aberdeen. STV News Ethan was an up-and-coming footballer who earned a scholarship in the US 'I imagined still playing football, but I don't mind it,' he added. 'When I was given a definitive no, I went around it, and I'm still involved in the game that I love.' Ethan hopes his story will inspire other people who have suffered life-changing injuries. 'I hope everyone takes a bit of courage and positivity from it and turns their recovery into something positive. 'Yes, things might change, but you still need to have a go.' Professorr Mackay added: 'I think it was Scotland's biggest achievement at the Euros – Ethan's story is being recognised for that.' Make It To Munich is to be shown at a special screening at Glasgow Film Theatre on May 16. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
