Franglais27 Tales

Glasgow’s annual film festival will be displaying a wide-ranging programme of films from 26 February to 8 March 2020. Now in its 15th year, the festival continues to be supported by the BFI and Screen Scotland and will host over 380 film screenings.

For this year at the Glasgow Film Festival, there will be a special focus on women in film with the screening of Mark Cousin’s documentary, Women Make Film which can be seen over three days culminating on International Women’s Day.

Equally, both the opening and closing films at the Glasgow Film Festival (‘GFF’) being Proxima starring Eva Green and Caitlin Moran’s, How to Build a Girl starring Beanie Feldstein highlight women’s achievements and are also directed by female directors.

Premiering at GFF will also be the black and white version of the Oscar winning film Parasite. Other films include the new version of Les Misérables, Radioactive, The True History of the Kelly Gang starring George Mackay, County Lines, Bacurau and Love Sarah to name but a few. Plus, for the horror fans there will be the FrightFest event as part of GFF showcasing films such as Anderson Falls, Saint Maud and Zombie For Sale. There will truly be at least one or two films at GFF to cater for all film tastes.

The films at GFF have been divided into different strands such as Neo Glasgow, CineMasters, Window on the World, Stranger than Fiction, the Audience Award amongst others and will be shown at venues such as the Glasgow Film Theatre, Cineworld and the CCA theatre and cinema. Amidst the film screenings there will also be screen talks and presentations as well as art exhibitions and after parties to become immersed in the festival activities fully!

Here are my suggestions of 8 films to discover at GFF 2020:

1. Proxima

As the opening film of GFF this is a humane exploration of the tension between preparing for a space mission and the duties of single parenthood for a female astronaut played by Eva Green. It is very compelling and heart-wrenching and has its UK premiere at GFF.

2. Rocks

Featuring in the Local Heroes strand, Sarah Gavron’s latest film is a gripping coming of age tale set in London which explores the responsibilities placed on a teenager when faced with a parent’s mental health issues. The teenage ensemble cast provide impressive performances.

3. Saint Maud

One of the films featuring in FrightFest after appearing at the London Film Festival. Saint Maud is a psychological tale of a mismatched patient and nurse who strike up a friendship with sinister outcomes.

4. The Perfect Candidate

This is the latest film from Saudi Arabian director Haifaa Al Mansour following its premiere at the London Film Festival. The Perfect Candidate tells the tale of political reform as a doctor decides to take matters into her own hands by becoming a candidate at the local elections following restrictions encountered when travelling to a conference. This film is part of the Window on the World strand.

5. Les Misérables

Whilst this is not another interpretation of Victor Hugo’s novel of such name, this tale of racial tensions in Paris will provide an insight into the social injustice in effect. Oscar nominated and the winner of the Prix du Jury at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival this film features within the Pioneer strand.

6. Miss and Mrs Cops

A South Korean police comedy drama directed by Jung Da-won. Miss and Mrs Cops explores the dynamics of a disparate pair of sisters -in-law who must work together to solve a major case against an underground crime syndicate. The film features within the Pioneer strand and will have its European premiere at the festival.

7. Invisible Life

Brazil’s entry for the Best International Film category at the Oscars tells the tale of a pair of sisters who are separated due to a twist of fate without realising just how close they are living to each other geographically. A compelling melodrama this film features within the Window on the World strand.

8. Zombie For Sale

Offering a fresh take on zombie tropes, after chemical experiments go awry, Zombie For Sale is best described as a zom-com. With a great ensemble, this is director Lee Min-Jae’s first feature and featured within the London Korean Film Festival. The film appears within the FrightFest event.

Tickets are now on sale and the full programme for the Glasgow Film Festival can be accessed here