Glasgow Film Festival will be coming to Aberdeen and Stornoway next year, as two cinemas host a series of special screenings.
The Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen and An Lanntair Arts Centre on Lewis will show the opening and closing night films as well as some cinema-only selections from the programme.
That will include the UK premiere of Lee Isaac Chung’s award-winning film Minari, starring Steven Yeun, which will open the festival on February 24.
It will close on March 7 with another UK premiere, Suzanne Lindon’s directorial debut Spring Blossom, about first love on the streets of Paris.
The cinemas are two of 22 across the country that will be included in the festival, including at least one in each of the four home nations.
The goal is to allow keen movie buffs to experience the best of the fest even if they are unable to travel to Glasgow due to Covid restrictions.
We're delighted to announce that @BelmontFh will be a partner of #GFF21 🎬⫸
// The 17th edition of the festival will open with MINARI, starring Steven Yeun and close with Suzanne Lindon’s SPRING BLOSSOM.
@glasgowfilmfesthttps://t.co/gclICUULhs24 Feb – 7 Mar 2021 #GFF21 pic.twitter.com/2rtJPWChES
— Belmont Filmhouse (@BelmontFh) December 10, 2020
Belmont Filmhouse manager Colin Farquhar said: “We’re delighted to be able to collaborate with GFF to bring great films up to Aberdeen at Belmont, and to the Filmhouse in Edinburgh too.
“2021 will likely still be a challenge, so it’s brilliant to be able to support others in the industry and give our audiences a chance to see good movies.”
It was announced earlier this month that the Belmont would not reopen until the new year, due to the difficulty in short-term planning caused by the “ongoing public health environment”.
Allison Gardner, Glasgow Film chief executive and co-director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: “Working in partnership with cinemas all around the UK means we can bring fantastic films and premieres to audiences across the four nations and still give that big screen experience that makes cinema so exciting.
“We are delighted to be opening the 17th Glasgow Film Festival with Minari, a heart-warming, affecting portrait of a family set against the beautiful Arkansas countryside.
“Steven Yeun gives a powerful portrayal in Lee Isaac Chung’s autobiographical drama, with scene-stealing performances from Yuh-Jung Youn and Alan Kim as a grandmother and grandson at cultural odds.”