Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) is one of the leading film festivals in the UK with a focus on audiences and renowned for an international programme of the world’s best films alongside a dynamic fusion of cross-sector events and artistic commissions. In 2022, following a digital hiatus in 2021, we welcomed audiences to the cinema with our first ever hybrid event with a programme in Glasgow and streaming in cinemas across the UK.

Glasgow is one of the friendliest film festivals on the planet with a wide-ranging programme that celebrates every corner of world cinema and provides a fantastic showcase for the best of Scottish film. Perfectly placed in March for spring and summer releases, GFF has launched some of the best new films to the UK's film press and cinema market.

Glasgow’s reputation rests firmly on the warmth of its welcome, the quality of its curated programming and a much admired programme of industry events acutely tailored to meet the needs of filmmakers far and wide. It is a fantastic place to launch your film.

In 2021 we launched our online player, Glasgow Film at Home, to huge success, and we continued to use this platform in 2022 alongside a return to our much-loved home cinema Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT).

The Festival has a long tradition of championing new talent and ensuring that the very best films from the annual submissions are given a platform in the public programme.

2022 submissions that screened at GFF include Adult Adoption, Angry Young Men and Love, Life and Goldfish.

Submissions to previous GFF’s also include:

* Nae Paseran, which had its world premiere as the Closing Gala of GFF 2018. It went on to win the BAFTA (Scotland) award for Best Picture, has been screened around the world and won many awards.

* Arracht. After winning GFF’s Audience Award 2020, it was subsequently nominated for 11 awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, by the Irish Film and Television Academy.

*Eternal Beauty, subsequently acquired for UK distribution by Bulldog for release on 18 September.

* A Faithful Man, acquired by Cinefile for UK distribution.

* Master Cheng, subsequently acquired for UK distribution by Parkland.
Perfect 10, subsequently acquired for UK distribution by 606 DISTRiBUTION for release on 7 August.

* CoinCoin and the Extrahumans, subsequently acquired for UK distribution by New Wave and released on 24 July 2020.

We are thrilled to be opening the submissions for the 2023 Festival and can’t wait to discover the gems that are heading our way.

With the ethos ‘Cinema for All’, our duty and aim as a public serving venue is to provide an inclusive and welcoming experience for everyone. Glasgow Film Festival strives to employ a wide array of diversity and representation and we actively welcome submissions from varied ethnicities and marginalised voices as well as seeking to achieve parity in regards to the gender balance within our programme.

Year round Glasgow Film prioritises the inclusion of captioned and audio described screenings to enable people who are D/deaf and visually impaired to access and enjoy the cinematic experience. With this in mind, Glasgow Film Festival welcomes submissions that already include or can include audio described and/or captioned formats on DCP.

If you believe in what we do, please submit your projects as soon as you can and be a part of our exciting future!

Awards & Prizes

We only have one award at GFF, and it chosen by our passionate, informed and engaged audience. A shortlist of films from first or second time directors is chosen by the festival programming team, and the winner is announced at our Closing Gala on the last night of the festival. The GFF21 Audience Award winner was won by Sweetheart directed by Marley Morrison which was entered into the festival by submission.

Previous winners:
2023 - Riceboy Sleeps, directed by Anthony Shim
2022 - The Hermit of Treig, directed by Lizzie MacKenzie
2021 - Sweetheart, directed by Marley Morrison
2020 - Arracht, directed by Tom O'Sullivan
2019 - Harry Birrell: Films of Love and War, directed by Matt Pinder
2018 - Custody, directed by Xavier Legrand
2017 - Lipstick Under My Burkha, directed by Alankrita Shrivastava
2016 - Mustang, directed by Deniz Gamze Erguven
2015 - Radiator, directed by Tom Browne

Rules & Terms

Submission Terms and Conditions

About Glasgow Film Festival

1. Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) is one of the leading film festivals in the UK and run by Glasgow Film, a charity which also runs Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT), registered address Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB and charity number SC005932.
2. The next edition of the Festival will take place 1 – 12 March 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK and will be a hybrid model offering audience screenings in the cinema as well as online.

Eligibility Criteria

3. The Festival welcomes unsolicited submissions in accordance with the regulations.
4. We accept only feature films or documentaries of 60 minutes or more. We do not accept short films.
5. All films submitted must be considered at minimum a Scottish premiere i.e. cannot have been screened publicly in Scotland prior to the 2023 festival.
6. When submitting your film please include details of any public screenings and festivals your film is being shown at before Glasgow Film Festival 2023, if known.
7. Films available publicly online are not acceptable.
8. Completion dates: projects completed after Sept 1 2021. Works in progress are not accepted.
9. Projects may originate from around the world. All non-English speaking films must be subtitled in English.
10. Submission waivers will not be granted. Glasgow Film Festival operates on a modest budget; the fee we charge pays a contribution towards the cost of submission administration including fees for our submission viewers. We aim to keep the fees as low as possible and this year have reduced our fees in light of the economic impact of the Coronavirus.

Terms and Conditions of Entry
1. Entries should be submitted online via Film Freeway only. We do not accept entries by post.
2. Please ensure that you include a synopsis of no more than 200 words as you would like it to appear in the programme (NB: Please note that the Festival reserves the right to amend the copy submitted).
3. The Festival pays screening fees or alternatively a contribution towards your travel and accommodation to attend the festival should your film be selected.
4. By submitting your film, you agree that Glasgow Film Festival can use parts of your film (including trailer/teaser/film poster) for promotional purpose.
5. Successful applicants will be required to supply a film print or video master for screening at GFF23.
6. Acceptable formats for cinema exhibition: DCP / Digital.
7. If you do not have DCP, we can provide formatting services for a fee.
8. The cost of shipping prints must be met by the sender. The festival will pay for one-way return shipping of prints (prints can be forwarded on to another festival after their screening at GFF by prior arrangement with the Print Traffic Coordinator).
9. If your film is selected for the festival, we will require:
a. Production still photos, digital
b. Photo of the director, digital
c. Biography / Filmography
d. Social media handles / hastags (if ready)
e. Videoclip, trailer, any assets that can be used on social media
10. All applicable licenses and waivers of copyrights, moral rights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights must have been secured by the filmmaker(s)
11. Any film submitted to Glasgow Film Festival can be re-submitted at any time for a second chance.
12. A screening committee determines which films shall be screened. Submissions are not guaranteed to be shown; all decisions of the committee are final.
13. The final selection and scheduling of films is at the discretion of the Festival Directors.
14. Submissions are non-refundable, Glasgow Film Festival cannot be held liable for materials lost or damaged
15. Unfortunately GFF cannot enter in to any discussion regarding films that are not selected for the Festival.

5 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Marianne Blicher

    I had a lovely trip to Glasgow Film Festival, where my feature "Miss Viborg" was in competition. The communication with the festival team was excellent and they were super friendly. Every screening I went to was sold out, including my own, and the audience was incredibly active in the Q&As - so much soul! The only aber dabei was that I did not get a chance to network much with other filmakers, since there was no social events planned, when I attended. But overall, a very positive experience! Thank you so much for a wonderful time in Glasgow and for selecting “Miss Viborg.”

    April 2023
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  • Gary Lennon

    A fantastic festival. Thanks to all the GFF team for hosting the UK Premiere of Castro's Spies! The festival went online only due to covid, but they hosted a great online event. Tons of communication from the festival and we got some super reviews. We look forward to coming back to GFF when you return to the cinemas.

    May 2021
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  • Rupert Baynham

    Great lineup! Great people! Great festival!

    March 2021
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  • Alex Curran-Cardarelli

    Fantastic communication throughout the whole process!

    March 2021
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  • Josh David Jordan

    I can't say enough amazing things about this festival. Top notch all the way around. The festivals quality of films programmed were some of the best in the world and we are honored to be included amongst them. Great place for networking and meeting new friends for life. Cheers Glasgow!

    March 2020
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