Revenge Is On The Mind Of 2025 Glasgow Film Festival Line Up

Jack Lowden and Koki in Tornado

Scotland’s biggest film festival, Glasgow Film Festival has announced it’s 2025 line up. Revenge is on the mind with the world premiere of John Maclean’s thriller Tornado starring Jack Lowden set to open this years festival.  The 2025 edition will also get you on your bike, singing in the apocalypse and Irish mothers.

This years festival  will run for 12 days between  26th February until 9th March. It’s film for all  feast, 13 World and European premieres, 67 UK premieres and 12 Scottish premieres from 39 countries. You can enjoy around various venues around Scotland’s biggest city and the legendary Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT).

Things will kick off on 26th February with survival thriller Tornado directed by Scottish filmmaker John Maclean (Slow West). Set in the rugged landscape of 1790’s Britain, Tornado (played by model-songwriter Kōki,) finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she and her father’s travelling puppet show crosses paths with a ruthless criminal gang led by Sugarman (Pulp Fiction star Tim Roth) and his ambitious son Little Sugar (Slow HorsesJack Lowden). In an attempt to create a new life, Tornado seizes the opportunity to steal the gold from the gang’s most recent heist; what follows is a thrilling tale of adrenaline-fueled action as Tornado fights to escape a violent demise.

Lionsgate UK will release the film nationwide on Friday 23rd May.

The festival will close on 9th March with the Gala World premiere of award-winning Scottish documentary-maker Martyn Robertson’s Make It To Munich. Shot in the run-up to Euro 2024 follows Ethan Walker, a promising teenage footballer who, just months into a football scholarship at a USA University, suffers life-threatening injuries in a road traffic accident. Aided in his recovery by pioneering Glasgow surgeon, Ethan decides to cycle from Hampden to Munich for Scotland’s opening match against Germany in Euro 2024 – just nine months after his accident. An uplifting story of human willpower, scientific ingenuity.

Other highlights from the festival include UK Premieres of Ralph Fiennes and Juliet Binoche reuniting in The Return. Vicky Krieps in the chilling New Zealand ghost story Went Up The Hill, post-apocalyptic musical satire The End, starring Tilda Swinton and George Mackay. Nicolas Cage in trippy psychological thriller The Surfer. Luckiest Man In America, an engrossing game-show thriller based on the true story of an ice-cream truck driver (Paul Walter Hauser) whose winning streak on ‘Press Your Luck’ threatens to bankrupt the production company. Tracie Laymon’s SXSW Audience Award-winner Bob Trevino Likes It, starring John Leguizamo. Aude Léa Rapin’s buzzy French feminist dystopian thriller Planet B and the third installment in Japan’s ever-popular Baby Assassins series.

The popular MUBI sponsored Glasgow Film Festival’s longest-standing award returns this year. Unearthing first and second time directors a chance to shine. Two to One an ensemble comedy following a trio of friends as they hatch a get-rich-quick scheme upon finding a trove of soon-to-be worthless banknotes and starring German A-lister Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of A Fall). The gripping and darkly comic domestic thriller debut Restless in which Jed Hart captures the psychological torment of sleep deprivation when a quiet life is shattered by nightmare new neighbours.

After last year’s Viggo Mortensen‘s In Conversation, this years will be with  Glasgow born James McAvoy. Jessica Lange will also be in town for a chat about her illustrious career and premiere of Long Day’s Journey Into Night, with Ed Harris.

From The Heart Of Europe: Austria will be this years popular country focus. A mix of new and old films including some classics from Michael Haneke and mockumentary Piggy Bank.

The legendary special events are a star attraction at Glasgow Film Festival. With 25th anniversary for Coyote Ugly as well as cult favourites Muriel’s Wedding and The Craft.

Pigeon Shrine FrightFest will celebrate it’s 20th anniversary coming to the festival. Taking over the Glasgow Film Theatre between 6th and 8th March, a gore fest 11 films and 7 short films. Kicking off with Psyche, Stephon Stewart’s poignant exploration of isolation, psychological tension, survival and human vulnerability. In a story that follows Mara (Sarah Ritter) adrift in limbo before embarking on a quest to uncover the meaning of life.

Related Post: Pigeon Shrine FrightFest Glasgow 2025 Line Up Promises ‘Mayhem’

This year’s festival will be a poignant farewell to the festival director Allison Gardner, who is calling time as the director commenting: “I cannot begin to say how excited I am by the brilliant programme we have curated, the breadth of films on offer genuinely has something for everyone. Everyone across Glasgow Film works very hard to make the magic happen and I cannot thank all my colleagues enough for their hard work, enthusiasm and sheer brilliance in making this not only a great festival to attend, but a friendly and supportive environment to work in. I shall be sad that this is my last festival as I’ve had so many magical moments over the years, but I know the great work we have done will ensure that audiences, filmmakers and industry colleagues will continue to support what I consider to be the best film festival in the world.”

Tickets to Opening and Closing Galas go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 22nd January; tickets to all events go on sale to GFT Cinecard holders at 10am on Thursday 23rd January and on general sale at 11am on Monday 27th January at https://www.glasgowfilm.org/home and from the GFT Box Office.

The 21st  Edition of Glasgow Film Festival will run from 26th February to 9 th March.


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