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| California Schemin' will close GFF Photo: Courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival/Studiocanal |
Based on a true story, the film, which was shot around Scotland, including Glasgow's Barrowlands and Dundee, follows aspiring Scottish rap duo Silibil N’ Brains, aka Gavin Bain (Séamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley), as they devise an audacious scheme to achieve their dream of a record deal, by posing as Californian hip hop artists. As fame beckons and the lies pile up, their lifelong friendship is put to the test.
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| James McAvoy at GFF in 2025 Photo: Courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival |
JJames McAvoy, who received the Cinema City Honorary Award at Glasgow Film Festival 2025, said: “As a proud Glaswegian, I’m delighted to be premiering California Schemin’ as the Closing Night Gala of the Glasgow Film Festival.
“We made our film in Glasgow and Dundee with the support of a phenomenal Scottish cast and crew, so it feels fitting that we bring it back home for its UK premiere.
“California Schemin’ is an unbelievable true story about identity, ambition, fame and how much you’re willing to sacrifice to get it. It’s a wild story and I can’t wait to share the film with festival audiences in March.”
Paul Gallagher, Glasgow Film Festival head of programme, said: “I’m thrilled that we will close GFF26 with the UK premiere of a homegrown story that fully deserves its place on the world stage. James McAvoy has poured his heart and soul into making California Schemin’, and the results are right there on the screen; this is a film of huge emotions, hilarious characters, firecracker performances and a Barrowlands-set finale that blows the roof off. Mark your diaries, this is one party you won’t want to miss.”
GFF has previously announced its Truth To Power retrospective and its country focus, which will be Sweden. The full programme announced on 21 January. Watch the trailer below.
