Glasgow Film Festival supports 50 next-generation filmmakers across three star-studded talent labs

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Glasgow Film Festival supports 50 next-generation filmmakers across three star-studded talent labs

Lab mentors and partners include Oscar-winning and nominated directors, leading animation studios, and executives from Netflix, BFI, Aardman, and Curzon
Funny Features titles to include Notice Me, executive produced by Lena Dunham, and Gro(ceries), co-written by Sex Education star Chinenye Clarissa Ezeudu
Highest ever cohort of filmmakers brings the total number of people supported by these initiatives to 117

Glasgow Film Festival 2026 – 25 February – 8 March

Brenda Chapman facilitator

Scotland’s leading film festival today revealed their list of filmmakers from across the UK selected to participate in the festival’s three flagship talent development labs with Brenda Chapman (director and co-writer of Brave), Jonas Poher Rasmussen (director and writer of Flee), Cartoon Saloon (Song of the Sea), Debbie Gray (producer of Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), Julia Jackman (director of 100 Nights of Hero), Sam Lavender (executive producer of The Lobster), and Campbell X (writer and director of Stud Life) confirmed as mentors and facilitators.

Funny Features and Animatic both culminate with a live pitch during Glasgow Film Festival’s (GFF) Industry Focus conference, which runs from 2 to 6 March. Animatic participants will also compete for Best Short, Best TV Series, and Best Feature cash prizes, and one lucky filmmaking team taking part in Funny Features will be eligible for the Curzon Creates Award, giving them the opportunity to meet with Kristian Brodie, Head of Development at Curzon, to discuss their project’s next steps.

Across all three projects, the labs will support the development of 15 feature films, five TV series and five shorts from filmmakers across the UK. All filmmakers participating in the labs will be celebrated during a special ceremony taking place during GFF, which runs from 25 February to 8 March 2026.

This is the biggest cohort of filmmakers GFF has supported across one year through their Animatic, Funny Features, and New Talent Mentorship Scheme. Each initiative is designed to support exciting filmmaking talent at various stages of their careers, including those from backgrounds underrepresented in the industry.

The labs form part of Glasgow’s commitment to positively impact the future diversity of UK talent and build on the festival’s existing work to nurture exceptional UK screen talent throughout their careers. Launched in 2016, GFF’s Industry programme is now the leading gathering for people working in the Scottish Film & TV industry. The full programme for the 11th edition will be announced on Wednesday 28 January.

Samantha Bennett, Glasgow Film Festival Industry Manager, said: “Our Industry programme at Glasgow Film Festival continues to grow from strength to strength, and this is reflected in the wealth of talent and facilitators across our portfolio of opportunities. We could not deliver this work without the support of our partners: the BFI awarding National Lottery funding, the Scottish Government Festival’s EXPO fund, the William Grant Foundation, Animation Scotland, Screen Scotland, Glasgow Life, and MySmashMedia, plus the continued guidance and backing from our partners and colleagues across the sector, including Curzon, and Oscar-winning and nominated directors, leading animation studios, and executives from Netflix, BFI, Atomic Cartoon, and Aardman.

“We look forward to welcoming delegates and guests to Industry Focus 2026 to showcase some incredible projects.”

Animatic

Made possible with funding from the Scottish Government Festivals EXPO Fund through Creative Scotland, 15 projects have been selected for the third edition of GFF’s innovative talent lab. Supporting Scotland-based creatives and studios in developing their animated feature film, series or short film ideas for an international audience. The chosen projects will take part in a six-month training programme that includes sessions, meetings and workshops delivered by executives from leading animation and screen organisations that include Netflix, BFI, Aardman Animations, Screen Scotland, and Mackinnon & Saunders. Brenda Chapman (Oscar-winning director of Brave, and Head of Story for The Lion King), Oscar-nominated director Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Flee), and Julie Lockhart (co-founder of Locksmith Animation) will also participate in the lab’s programme of events.

Jonas Poher Rasmussen

Support also comes this year with sponsorship from Astley Baker Davies, who are sponsoring the Best TV Series Award (£3000). Other awards Animatic participants will be competing for include Best Short (£1,500) and Best Feature (£6,000) prizes.

Funny Features

Ten new comedy feature projects, including Notice Me, executive produced by Lena Dunham, will participate in Funny Features, a UK-wide comedy lab, delivered by GFF and supported by the BFI Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery funding. Over the course of six months, participants will take part in tailored sessions that will equip them with the tools and knowledge needed to break into the global market.

Mentors include BAFTA & BIFA nominated Producer and Executive Producer Debbie Gray (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, The Radleys), producers Yvonne Ibazebo(Rye Lane), Jon Finn (Billy Elliott, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy), Brian J. Falconer (The Dig, Derry Girls), Tom Wood (Rare Beasts), and Emma Norton (Pillion, Normal People), as well as Chief Commercial Officer of Protagonist Pictures George Hamilton, and writer-director Campbell X (Stud Life).

Returning facilitators include My SMASH Media, finance workshops facilitator Tom Harberd (producer of Cargo), Creative Producer David Pope (THE GOAT), and Script Editor Kate Leys (Sky Peals).

New Talent Mentorship Scheme

Some of Scotland’s brightest new creative talents will participate in the sixth year of the New Talent Mentorship Scheme, funded by the William Grant Foundation. The mentorship is for emerging professionals working in film, high-end television and animation. The mentees for 2025/26 were announced earlier this year, but today the list of high-profile mentors who will provide them with practical support over the course of six months was revealed as:

Oscar-Nominated Animation Studio Cartoon Saloon (Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers, Breadwinner, Secret of Kells)
BIFA and BAFTA nominee and Grand Jury Winner at Sundance, Charlotte Regan (Director of Scrapper),
Creative Executive and Executive Producer Sam Lavender (Saint Maud, The Lobster, The Killing of the Sacred Deer),
Director Julia Jackman (100 Nights of Hero)
Director Brian Welsh (What it Feels Like for a Girl, Beats)

GFF is one of the leading film festivals in the UK and is run by Glasgow Film, a charity which also operates Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow Film Festival is made possible by support from Screen Scotland and Glasgow Life. GFF26 will run from February 25 to March 8, with the full programme announced on Wednesday 21 January.

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Written by : Pat Byrne

Publisher of Pat's Guide to Glasgow West End; the community guide to the West End of Glasgow. Fiction and non-fiction writer.

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Glasgow Film Festival supports 50 next-generation filmmakers across three star-studded talent labs