2014. An enormous year for Scotland, with the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow and a certain vote in September. GSFF got involved with the political debate with some special programmes about the ramifications of the vote, particularly with a focus on the Irish film industry as a possible model for an independent Scotland.
Of course it wasn’t all about independence! Our international competitions grew more than ever, and with the completion of the GFT’s new third screen what better a place to exhibit the breadth of emerging international film talent than at the home of independent cinema in Glasgow?
Our special screenings this year featured amongst others the first international retrospective of radical Miami film collective the Borscht Corporation, introduced by founders Lucas Leyva and Jillian Mayer, a one-night-only live scoring of several shorts led by Trembling Bells’ Alex Neilson, a short comedy programme presented by award-winning comedian Josie Long and the experimental work of Takashi Ito.
2014 was a standout year for me – it seemed like the festival had turned a corner and upped the ante in terms of what it aimed to deliver. Michelle Hannah’s Niteflights felt ambitious and bold and fresh – like we were all transported to an incredibly cool part of Berlin for the night when in reality it was a disused car park in Garnethill. I also loved the Mayer/Leyva and Borscht screenings that year – the duo’s films were hilarious and thought provoking and sweet. You could tell how excited they were to have come all the way from Miami and it was awesome how totally in the spirit of the festival they were. #Postmodem was a really cool film. I remember watching it in the office with some of the GSFF team before the festival and creasing ourselves, we couldn’t get enough.
Corinne Orton, GFF Producer 2012-15, now London Film Festival Production Manager.
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Award Winners
Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film
The Questioning – Zhu Rikun | China | 2013
GSFF Scottish Short Film Award
Getting On – Ewan Stewart | Scotland | 2012
International Audience Award
Yak Butter Lamp (La lampe au beurre de yak) – Hu Wei | France/China | 2013
Scottish Audience Award
Exchange & Mart – Cara Connolly, Martin Clark | Scotland | 2013
International Jury
Sarah Adam – Freelance curator, member of A Wall is a a Screen
Jacob Secher Schulsinger – Filmmaker (Bill Douglas Award Winner 2012, Fini)
Antonio Toscano – Film editor
Scottish Jury
Lucas Leyva – Founder, Borscht Corporation and Borscht Film Festival, Miami
Gaia Meucci – Short Film Programme Manager, Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival, Bristol
Suzanne Reid – Producer