Glasgow Youth Film Festival 2018 – Audience Figures Doubled
Glasgow Youth Film Festival 10th Anniversary Edition Doubled Audience Figures from 2017.
One of the most innovative youth film festivals in Europe, Glasgow Youth Film Festival (GYFF) took place 14 – 16 September 2018, celebrating both its 10th anniversary edition and Scotland’s Year of Young People. Programmed by GYFF Young Programmers aged 15 – 19, who are mentored on a year round basis, the festival presented an outstanding range of international films and creative workshops for young people.
2018 is Scotland’s first ever Year of Young People, celebrating young people’s talents, contributions and creating new opportunities across Scotland for them to shine. The Year of Young People 2018 is a programme of events and activities that will give them the opportunity to show the world what they are made of. This year GYFF is proud to be supported by the Year of Young People 2018 event fund, managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
The creative and logo for GYFF18 was designed by young designer Fiona Hunter.

On Friday 14 September, the Young Programmers introduced a hugely successful inter-generational event, complete with live ‘50s dancing, Movie Memories: Jailhouse Rock – a dementia friendly screening at Blythswood Hall. Later at GFT, the festival opened with a home-town screening of Blazing Griffin production Anna and the Apocalypse , followed by a lively Q&A with the director and members of the crew, hosted by GYFF Young Programmers.
The festival continued on Saturday 15 September with a screening part of Take One Action Film Festival, Young Solitude. In the evening, GYFF welcomed director Crystal Moselle and members of the cast to a sold out Scottish premiere screening of Skate Kitchen.
Audiences enjoyed another sold out screening on Sunday 15 September, the Scottish premiere of Arwen Curry’s Worlds of Ursula K Le Guin, before the festival came to a close with a spectacular pop-up closing gala School of Rock at Blythswood Hall, complete with Battle of the Bands competition!
GYFF 2018 enjoyed over an 89% increase in audiences from GYFF 2017, and 17% of attendees welcomed were students, or utilising GFT’s free 15-25 Card.
Glasgow Youth Film Festival Coordinator, Sarah Emery, said: “We are delighted by the audience numbers achieved by GYFF 2018, it is testament to the hard work the Young Programmers have put into the festival throughout the year. By way of sell-out premieres, innovative workshops, and fascinating Q&As hosted by the Young Programmers, we hope to have inspired a younger generation of filmmakers and film lovers!”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Congratulations to the Glasgow Youth Film Festival Young Programmers and team for delivering such a successful 10th anniversary programme. In Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018, it is fantastic to see young people taking on a central role in the programming and delivery of this festival which continues to inspire a love of film and cinema in its growing audiences. We are delighted to be supporting GYFF as part of the celebrations for this special year.”
This year GYFF was proud to be supported by the Year of Young People 2018 event fund, managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
Aged between 15 – 19 and interested in film? Be a Young Programmer for GYFF19! Recruitment will start in early 2019. Email gyff@glasgowfilm.org for more information.
GYFF 2019 will take place 13 and 15 September 2019.
This section: Cinema, Kids and young people
Filed under: Cinema, Kids and young people
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