Glasgow Film Theatre

Glasgow’s centre for lovers of film, Glasgow Film Theatre has been leading the way in specialised cinema since 1939, when it opened as The Cosmo, Scotland’s first purpose-built arthouse cinema.

Glasgow was once home to more cinemas per person than any other city outside of America.  In the city’s cinema-going heyday, some 80 years ago, Glaswegians went to the cinema more often than people anywhere else in the world.  The Cinema City project (www.glasgowfilm.org/cinema_city)  is a celebration of Glasgow’s moving image history with online information, audio tours and monthly screenings at GFT.

From art house to late night cult screenings, and from classics to independent documentaries, there's something for everyone at GFT.  Highlights of GFT’s current programme include audience-favourite The Artist; Vintage Herzog, a season of early Werner Herzog masterpieces in glorious new digital prints; and Frozen Landscapes, a short season of glacial gems which explores the ethereal beauty and punishing brutality of the world’s coldest places.

Coming up in February is Glasgow Film Festival 2012 (GFF).  Winner of Best Large Event at the Scottish Event Awards 2011, this year’s Festival contains established favourites and some exciting new additions.  GFF salutes song ‘n’ dance man Gene Kelly, unveils a dazzling selection of new German cinema, and launches Crossing the Line, a brand new strand for this year’s Festival which explores the crossover between cinema and visual art.  This strand includes the winning commission from our Margaret Tait Award, given each year to an artist working in film to create a new piece of work.

Festivals within the Festival include Glasgow Short Film Festival – a mighty four days of competition screenings, workshops and parties – and Glasgow Youth Film Festival, which was recently awarded the 2011 Europa Cinemas Prize for Best Youth Audience Activities along with Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) and Filmhouse Edinburgh.  GYFF is curated entirely by Glasgow-based teenagers and includes a special family gala of The Muppets!

www.glasgowfilm.org