The tenth annual Glasgow Film Festival launches today with the sold out opening gala, The Grand Budapest Hotel. From cherishing the lost and celebrating the past, to embracing the new and the sometimes strange, the festival truly embraces the philosophy of ‘cinema for all.’ With a series of unique pop-up programmes and collaborations, alongside talks and masterclasses, the hardest decision is what to book first.

With an emphasis on the legacy of Scottish filmmaking, the Great Scots strand firmly straddles the past and present. Michael Powell’s The Edge of the World (22 February) serves as part of a day of screenings that promote Shetland. With a soundtrack by Iain Cook of CHVRCHES, Robert Florence’s The House of Him (22 February) showcases new Scottish talent in a horror film debut shot over sixteen days in Glasgow. Laurence Henson’s Documenting John Grierson (28 February & 1 March) rounds out the programme, promising an introspective gaze at the father of modern documentary.

Still from Rachel Maclean’s A Whole New World

Celebrating the crossover between film and visual art, the Crossing the Line strand embraces bold new work. The UK premiere of Man of Steel (25 February), features critically acclaimed Ed Atkins’ moving image works and their examination of memory and digital media. 2013 Margaret Tait Award winner, Rachel Maclean presents her film, A Whole New World (24.02) where she explores the notion of being ‘British’ and the legacy of imperialism in the ruins of what once was. Heading in the other direction, Ben Rivers and Ben Russell’s A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness (23 February) delves into the possibilities of finding utopia.

In the Out of the Past strand, River Phoenix makes his final appearance in Dark Blood, (24 February) the unfinished George Sluizer film. Sluizer, who will be in attendance, will narrate the missing scenes. Another gem, the once lost Black Angel (27 February), makes a reappearance along with the a Q&A with director Roger Christian. Shot around Scotland in Cinemascope, and funded by George Lucas, the film is the story of a knight who dares to rescue a damsel in distress.

Still from Between Weathers part of Nort Atlantik Drift: A Day of Shetland

Glasgow band Admiral Fallow have programmed an evening at the Old Fruitmarket as part of the Music and Film Festival. We Are Ten (1 March) includes new music and bespoke visual content that references Glasgow’s Cinema City past. Also in the Music and Film Festival, looking overseas to a city much like Glasgow is Julien Temple’s Requiem for Detroit? (28 February) which examines the new found place of art and music in the present-day Motor City. Paired with a live set from techno producer Carl Craig, this fascinating collaboration is not to be missed.

The State of Independents strand features new independent American talent that is not only highly original but deeply intimate. James E. Duff’s Hank and Asha (22.02) is a long-distance video-letter love story and serves as the bright foil to Michael Z Wechsler’s dark and tenuous family drama The Red Robin (27 & 28 February).

Between the superhero cinema of the Kapow! strand and the can’t-sleep-with-the-lights-out Fright-Fest offerings, there’s Hollywood nostalgia and a carefully curated selection of some of the best and newest European and World cinema. Whether it’s video games strand Game Cats go Miaow! or the promise of new Chilean film talent, there’s no reason to hesitate. Book now!

The festival runs from 20 February to 2 March. For the full programme visit the GFT’s website.

More: Website | Twitter | Festival Blog | Facebook