2026 Glasgow Film Festival Line-Up Has Schemers, Kafka and Marilyn Monroe
Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Charlie XCX, Jim Jarmusch and Stephen Graham
Behold! Next month will be full of schemers, Franz Kafka, resistance and Marilyn Monroe, thanks to the Glasgow Film Festival which unveiled its 2026 line up.
The 22nd edition of of the festival takes place from February 25th across 12 days until March 8th. Cinephiles are being treated to 126 films from 44 countries, with 16 world, European, and international premieres, 68 UK premieres and 18 Scottish premieres. It all takes place under the legendary Glasgow Film Theatre roof as well as around the city at a number of venues.
Last year’s festival kicked off with the world premiere with John Maclean‘s Tornado and this year it opens its doors again with another Scottish film, Felipe Bustos Sierraโs documentary Everybody To Kenmure Street. Telling the story of one of Scotlandโs most high-profile acts of civil resistance in recent memory, the documentary also receives its UK premiere.
Another UK premiere closes the festival, this time James McAvoyโs directorial debut, California Schemin‘, which is based on the improbable true story of Scottish rap duo Silibil Nโ Brains, a.k.a. Gavin Bain (Sรฉamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley).
Highlights this year include the reunion of Promised Land Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen and Mads Mikkelsen with absurdist comedy The Last Viking, the story of a released robberโs (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) attempts to recover his loot with Mikkelsen playing his brother. Alice Winocour‘s Couture starring Angelina Jolie depicts the world of Parisian high fashion from the perspectives of the working class women involved and also gets a UK Premiere. Peter Ohs Erupcja is co-written, co-produced and stars Charli XCX ย in the story of two two friends with an explosive relationship who meet in Warsaw.
Prominent Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland returns to the festival with Franz, aย kaleidoscopic and playful biopic of Franz Kafka. Jan Kosama’sย The Good Boyย starring Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough will teach ‘family values’ to a young tearaway.ย After the success of Blackberry, Matt Johnson returns to Glasgow with Nirvanna The Band the Show the Movie, a spin-off from his cult comedy series created with Jay McCarrol about a band attempting to book a gig at a legendary Toronto venue. Olivier Assayasโ political thriller The Wizard Of Kremlin is about a young filmmaker who becomes an advisor to Vladimir Putin and stars Jude Law, Alicia Vikanderย and Paul Dano. Mark Jenkinโs Rose of Nevada makes its Scottish premiere and has festival favourite George McKay in the lead,ย alongside Callum Turner. Gus Van Sant brings hisย 1970s true-crime thriller Dead Man’s Wire starring Al Pacino, Bill Skarsgรฅrd, Colman Domingo and Kelly Lynch, whileย Jim Jarmusch explores familial relationships in Father Mother Sister Brother.
Glasgow’s longest-running award returns this year and will be given to an first or second-time director. The festival audience will choose from 10 films, including Rebuilding with Josh O’Connor and Amy Madigan, and absurdist satire Atropia starring Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner.
Sweden is in the spotlight in the Country Focus strand, Take a Chance on Me: Swedish Cinema. Tarik Salehโs political satire Eagles of the Republic follows an adored Egyptian actor who plays the lead in a government propaganda film. In horror film The Home, strange events unfold after the protagonist takes his mother into a care facility for dementia. And satirical sci-fi Egghead Republicย takes audiences into an alternate reality where the Cold War didn’t end.
2026 would have been Marilyn Monroe‘s 100th birthday. The festival will celebrate her life and work with a series of screenings, including The Asphalt Jungle, The Prince And The Showgirl, and Don’t Bother To Knock. The festival’s special events are legendary and always sell out quickly. The 2026 line-up includes classic horror Carrie, which celebrates its 50th anniversary, so there’s a chance to go to the prom again, or the opportunity to get out your diamonds and tailcoats for Baz Luhrmann‘s Moulin Rouge.
From March 5th until 7th, FrightFest will take over the GFT for 21st time. Itโs full scream ahead with three days of horror, boasting eight new feature films and a further eight short films spanning nine countries from across four continents. FrightFest opens with two world premieres – Jailbroken and twist-filled exorcism thriller Bury the Devil.
Related Post: FrightFest Glasgow 2026 Line Up Is A โRollercoaster Ride With The Devilโ
The 2026 Glasgow Film Festival also marks The GFT Head Programmer Paul Gallagher becoming the festivals chief promgrammer. Paul commented โIt is an absolute honour and privilege to unveil my first Glasgow Film Festival programme for this 22nd edition of the festival. Across these 126 features are stories of vastly differing characters, settings and ideas, but one thing connects them: they are all the result of a personal vision, uniquely brought to the screen.
โIโm particularly pleased at the depth and variety of films in this programme that were made here in Scotland or by Scottish talent; it speaks so highly of the great filmmakers we have, and the increasing opportunities they are taking and creating for themselves. I canโt wait to showcase theirs and so many other brilliant filmmakersโ work to the greatest cinema audience in the world!โ
Head over to Glasgow Film Festival official website for full details on the line-up. This year’s festival will take place betweenย February 25th and March 8th.
Tickets for the full programme go on sale to GFT CineCard / CineCard+ holders at 10am on Friday January 23rd, and are on general public sale from 10am on Monday January 26th.
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