The 21st edition of Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) finished in style tonight with the sold-out World premiere of Scottish documentary Make it to Munich, the announcement of the winner of the 2025 Audience Award and a heartfelt farewell to Glasgow Film Festival director Allison Gardner, who has been at Glasgow Film for over 30 years.
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 and the BFI Audience Projects Fund, both awarding National Lottery funding, Glasgow Life and EventScotland, part of VisitScotland. GFF would also like to extend thanks to the Glasgow 850 Festival Fund that helped make community outreach activity impactful by engaging children, young people and the wider community with the festival.
The stars of Make it to Munich - Aberdeenshire teenager Ethan Walker and pioneering Scottish surgeon Professor Gordon Mackay - cycled on to the festival red carpet where they were joined by director Martyn Robertson.
The documentary follows Ethan, a promising teenage footballer from Aberdeenshire who, just months into a football scholarship at a USA University, suffers life-threatening injuries (including multiple fractures, two brain haemorrhages and the complete dislocation of his right knee) in a road traffic accident. Aided in his recovery by pioneering Glasgow surgeon (and former Rangers footballer who trained alongside Graeme Souness and Ally McCoist) Professor Gordon Mackay, Ethan decides to cycle from Hampden to Munich for Scotland’s opening match against Germany in Euro 2024 - just nine months after his accident.
Entrusted by the Scotland National team to carry the match pennant on his back for the whole journey and deliver it in time for kick off, Ethan is accompanied in this epic quest by Gordon, Tartan Army foot-soldier Stephen Collie and Martyn himself. Following its world premiere at GFF25, Make it to Munich will be released in cinemas from 16 May by distributor Cosmic Cat.
Household names who visited the city for Glasgow Film Festival 2025 included Hollywood legends Jessica Lange and Ed Harris at the UK premiere of Long Day’s Journey Into Night; Tim Roth, Japanese musician and actor Koki and Shogun star Takehiro Hira at the World premiere of Scottish survival thriller Tornado; Toni Collette as a surprise special guest for a 30th anniversary showing of her breakthrough film Muriel’s Wedding; and Glasgow favourite Martin Compston at the World premiere of Glasgow-shot domestic thriller Fear.
Tonight, the winner of the festival’s prestigious Audience Award, sponsored by MUBI, was announced as Spilt Milk. In 1980s Dublin, 11-year-old Bobby (Cillian Sullivan) dreams of being a detective, just like his TV idol, Kojak. Offering to hunt down lost items on his housing estate with the help of his pal Nell (Naoise Kelly), the pair begin their biggest case after Bobby's brother Oisin (Lewis Brophy) goes missing. Their hunt takes them into the dangerous underbelly of the housing estate where they live, as the harsh realities of addiction are presented through a child’s eyes. Brian Durnin’s ambitious and well-crafted drama anchors its stronger, adult themes in the sweet central performances of newcomers Sullivan and Kelly. The runner-up was German comedy Two to One, starring double-Oscar nominee Sandra Huller.
Spilt Milk director Brian Durnin said: “We’re deeply honoured to accept this wonderful award and to know that our film connected with the audiences at Glasgow Film Festival. The city and festival will forever hold a place in our hearts.”
The film’s Glasgow-based producer James Heath and fellow producer Laura McNicholas added: “We’re delighted to receive the Audience Award sponsored by MUBI from the Glasgow Film Festival and want to thank their incredible audiences - seeing their enthusiasm for Spilt Milk is really special.”
The GFF Audience Award was established in 2015 and is the only prize decided by GFF audiences. Sponsored by MUBI, it gives audiences the chance to vote for their favourite film from a shortlisted group of feature film titles by first or second-time directors.
Homegrown Hollywood star James McAvoy visited Glasgow Film Festival last weekend to receive the other award handed out at the festival, the Cinema City Honorary Award. Launched in 2024, the award recognises filmmakers who have made an outstanding contribution to cinema. In the 1930s, Glasgow was home to more cinemas per person than anywhere else in the UK and became affectionately known as the Cinema City. The city’s passion for film has burned brightly ever since, with Glasgow Film Theatre at its heart.
The inaugural Cinema City Honorary Award was given to Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen at GFF 2024.
GFF25 also said farewell to departing Glasgow Film CEO and Festival Director Allison Gardner. Allison has been part of GFF since its first edition in 2005 and took over as co-director alongside Allan Hunter in 2007. Together they steered the festival from small beginnings to becoming the second-largest film festival in the UK and a major public and industry event. Allison has helmed GFF as the sole director since 2024, after Allan stepped down following GFF23.
Allison Gardner, CEO of Glasgow Film and Director of GFF, said: “Being part of Glasgow Film Festival has been the most fun, rewarding and brilliant time over the last 21 years. From co-directing alongside the wonderful Allan Hunter to going solo the last couple of years I have had the most fabulous support and friendship from the exceptional teams in our organisation. I have met some wonderful filmmakers and guests over the years and witnessed audiences fall in love with films that have changed their lives for the better. I will miss the rush of excitement when an audience takes a film to their hearts and no other festival in the world has better audiences, however it is time to hand the baton over. I’m immensely proud that the film festival lives by the ethos of GFT and that we uphold ‘Cinema For All’.”
Glasgow Film Festival will return for its 22nd edition in 2026 with dates to be announced soon.
More information
Image credit: Image from Tornado red carpet event, courtesy of Eoin Carey / Glasgow FIlm Festival