Full Programme Announced for Glasgow Film Festival 2025 – Industry Focus

Industry Focus returns for its 10th edition running 3-6 March, 2025
The event will host a packed programme of talks, workshops and networking opportunities for industry professionals at every stage of their screen career.
Highlights across the four days include a talk from Oscar-nominated producer Nicky Bentham, a look at copyright in the age of AI, the inaugural Funny Features Live Pitch, the return of the Book to Screen and Animatic live pitches, and an In Conversation with Creative Executive Sam Lavender whose work includes The Lobster and The Favourite.
Glasgow Film Festival also today announced the full GFF After Hours line-up, its late-night series.
The full programme has been announced for Glasgow Film Festival’s (GFF) annual Industry Focus. The four day event brings together Film and TV professionals from the UK, Europe and worldwide for a packed programme of panel discussions, workshops, screenings and networking.
GFF Industry Focus highlights a range of topics geared towards all levels – from individuals seeking pathways into the industry, to established professionals – with a programme that provides a platform for professional development and a meeting place to help connect creatives with business delegates.
Industry Focus passes are on sale now until Friday 14th February at £140 Full Access / £115 Full Access Concession. Purchase passes.
GFF is one of the leading film festivals in the UK and is run by Glasgow Film, a charity which also runs Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow Film Festival is made possible by support from Screen Scotland, BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, Glasgow Life and EventScotland.
Highlights of Industry Focus include:
- The festival’s inaugural Funny Features Live Pitch is the culmination of six months of Glasgow Film Festival’s most ambitious talent lab yet, with nine comedy features being presented to a panel of experts including Sophie Green (Bankside), Kristian Brodie
(Curzon), Rupert Majendie (Baby Cow) and George Hamilton (Protagonist Pictures). There will also be an award for the feature that most impresses those attending the live pitch. Funny Features is delivered by Glasgow Film Festival and supported by the BFI Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery Funding.

Claire Mundell
- The Animatic Live Pitch, Glasgow Film Festival’s innovative animation talent development scheme, enters its second year and will culminate with a Live Pitch where participants will get the opportunity to present their project to a panel of animation executives including Sylvain Grain (Annecy), Helen Argo (Aardman), Julio Bonet (Netflix), Sarah Muller (BBC), James Durrant (Blink Industries), Kieran Argo (Screen Skills), Rob Doherty (Festivus), Sean Greenhorn (Screen Scotland), Joyce Miller (Linden Animation Consulting), Matt Lloyd (Glasgow Short Film Festival), Lorna Reaoch (The Mill), Geoff Walker and Chris Bowden (MacKinnon and Saunders). As well as a grant of £5000 for best feature or TV pitch and £1000 for best short pitch from the panel for development funding, for the first time there will be an opportunity for the audience to cast their vote for the inaugural Animatic Audience Award which will be announced on 6 March at the Awards Ceremony and Networking Drinks.
- Oscar-nominated producer Nicky Bentham (Moon, The Duke, and Brides currently premiering at Sundance Film Festival), will deliver a talk focusing on establishing Neon Films and the role of a producer.
- Each day will see world-class Keynote Speakersincluding opening Keynote from Media Contracts LawyerKelsey Farish on Copyright and Contracts in the age of AI, Jonathan Gorner of Media Finance Capital on the changing landscape of film finance, and Jen Daviesand Graham Fultonof Conic on the world of Independent Film Distribution.
- BAFTA and Golden Globe award-winning producer and former head of Channel4 Drama John Yorke will deliver a masterclass on the essential building blocks of storytelling in John Yorke: A Lightning Guide to Story Structure.
- Meet the Animation Studios offers the opportunity to hear from top animation houses, all Scotland-based, including Wild Child Animation, Eyebolls, Hee Haw, Hydra and Revenant.
- Wendy Griffin (The Lost King, An Uncertain Kingdom), currently producing hotly-anticipated Richard Gadd’s (Baby Reindeer) Half Man, talks Producing in Scotland. Committed to diversity and inclusion, Wendy will share insights from her extensive career in producing and her hopes for the future of the Industry.
- Storytelling in the Climate Emergencywith Climate Spring CEO Lucy Stone gives a vital insight into the integral role storytelling plays in the current climate emergency.
- John McEwan-Whytewill moderate a panel on Scottish Co-Producing: Turning Small Ideas into Big Productionswith Louise Thornton, Dani Carlaw and Naysun Alae-Carew discussing how smaller, independent companies can partner with larger studios to bring bold Scottish stories to the global stage.
- Andrew Medlockwill give a vital insight into The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), a new government-supported, industry-backed organisation set up to uphold and improve standards of behaviour across the creative industries.
- An In Conversation with renowned Creative Executive Sam Lavender on Independent UK feature films will delve into his proven track record of spotting sublime storytelling and working with singular writers and directors on films such as The Lobster, The Favourite, The Beast and Saint Maud.
- For the second year, Book to Screen live pitching event where agents and writers will pitch their not yet optioned books to producers and production houses. This year with an introduction from Yasmin McDonaldfrom CAA book agents, who has contributed to successful adaptations such as A Very English Scandal and The Dig.
- Claire Mundell of Synchronicity Films will present a Book to Screen Case Study discussing Synchronicity’s critically acclaimed adaptation of The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris,as well as follow up documentary, The Tattooist’s Son.
- 1-2-1 sessions offering industry delegates an exclusive opportunity to ask for advice and soundboard ideas through informal one-to-one conversations with established members of the industry. 1-2-1 guests include Development Executive Nancy Napper Canter, talent and literary agent Sean Gascoine, Annie Shipton of United Agents, Head of Certification at BFI Christopher Halliday, BFI’s senior executive for Sales and Distribution Vicki Brown and HanWay Films Director of Marketing and Distribution Tejinder Jouhal and script editor and consultant Kate Leys, and script writer and consultant David Pope.
- The Fireside Chatseries which includes Archie Faulks who manages Acquisition and Production Embankment Films, Screen Skills Film Fundabout funding opportunities, Gabriel Blair from Casarotto and Ramsay who will discuss Getting an Agent, and the UK Global Screen Fund on their open and upcoming opportunities.
- Coffee Morningnetworking events hosted by the likes of Serious Productions, BECTU Vision, Black Camel Productions and Screen Skills. Evening Networking Sessions in partnership with National Film and Television School Scotland (NFTS), BAFTA Scotland and Women in Film and TV (WFTV), and introducing Speed Networking which will give industry delegates the chance to meet a wide range of industry professionals and like-minded creatives.
P&I Screenings
Press and Industry delegates will gain access to daily in-person Press and Industry Screenings at Cineworld Renfrew Street. This will give Industry delegates the chance to preview some of the most exciting titles in the GFF25 programme. The P&I viewing schedule will be made available to press and industry delegates soon.
GFF After Hours
After its roaringly successful first year, GFF After Hours, the festival’s programme of late-night events, is back for a second time. Kicking off events in the Glee Club on Friday 28 February is the much-loved Movie Karaokehosted by audience favourite Sanjay Lago, followed by the GFF Quiz on Tuesday 4 March, and on Wednesday 5 March our favourite kind of dance party returns to Glee Club with the GFF Ceilidh with live music from Bass Rock Ceilidh Band.
Rounding out the festival will once again be the Closing Partytaking place on Saturday 8th March in the Glee Club. Free tickets to the event can also be claimed when purchasing tickets to our Closing Gala film Make it to Munich.
GFF After Hours is free to all festival delegates with their festival pass. Details of each individual event, and how GFF audiences can book tickets can be found at: https://www.glasgowfilm.org/
BFI Film Academy: Behind the Scenes
On Saturday 1 March, the Glasgow Film Festival Young Ambassadors will host a day of free industry events, in association with BFI Film Academy, awarding National Lottery funding. The programme includes an interview with the Director of the Glasgow Film Festival closing film, Make It To Munich, Martyn Robertson, and, a one-of-a-kind Editing Masterclass with Elizabeth Clutterbuck, from Scottish post-production company, Blazing Griffin. More guest speakers, and full event details to be announced soon. These events are free, but ticketed, all events will be available to sign up to soon, through Eventbrite – GFT Eventbrite
Allison Gardner, CEO of Glasgow Film and Director of GFF, said:
“The Glasgow Film Festival Industry Focus has gone from strength to strength, making it the must attend Industry event, not only for Scottish Industry professionals but those from across the UK and internationally. Bringing talent together to share ideas and find inspiration in a fun and supportive environment is what our Industry Focus does. From inspiring keynotes to learning new skills and ways of incorporating best practices into work, our events covers it all.”
Sarah Smyth from Screen Scotland said:
“It’s fantastic to see this year’s GFF industry programme expanding in scope and ambition, offering invaluable opportunities for delegates to learn from and engage with industry experts.”
This section: Events, Fairs, Festivals and Fundraisers, Glasgow Film Festival 2025
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