GFO Celebrates 15 Years Of Bringing Stars Of The Screen To The City

Glasgow Film Office (GFO) is the city’s film commission, offering a free service to all productions (feature films, television, commercials, short films and music videos) wanting to locate in Glasgow.
GFO works closely with other council services, Strathclyde Police and productions to ensure that the activity surrounding film, broadcast and advertising productions has minimum impact on local residents and businesses while delivering the maximum economic impact to the city.
GFO has supported a host of award-winning British films, such as Red Road as well as large scale international productions.
Since the GFO came into existence in 1997, Glasgow’s economy has benefited by over £200million worth of activity generated by film, broadcast and advertising productions locating in the city.
2011 was one of the best years in that period, when productions including the major films World War Z, Cloud Atlas and Under The Skin - with leads Brad Pitt, Halle Berry and Scarlett Johansson - brought £20.15million to Glasgow’s economy.
15 of the most notable productions located in Glasgow since the GFO was established are:
•Burnistoun
•Cloud Atlas
•Gary: Tank Commander
•Lip Service
•My Name Is Joe
•Rab C Nesbitt
•Red Road
•River City
•Sony Bravia ‘Paint’ commercial
•Still Game
•Sweet Sixteen
•Taggart
•The Angels’ Share
•The House of Mirth
•World War Z
One of these productions - The Angels’ Share, directed by Ken Loach - will have its UK premiere in Glasgow next week.
Rebecca O’Brien, producer of The Angels’ Share, said: "Ken Loach, Paul Laverty and I have made four films in Glasgow over the past 15 years and have had the support of the Glasgow Film Office on every one. They’ve been terrifically helpful over the years and often made difficult things happen for us. So we salute the GFO on their 15th birthday and will raise a glass in celebration at the UK premiere for our latest offering, The Angels’ Share - which is, of course, in Glasgow!"
The Angels’ Share is in competition this year at the Cannes Film Festival, and the award ceremony there will take place on 27 May, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the Glasgow Film Office.
Other productions filmed in Glasgow to have shown at Cannes include My Name is Joe (1998, best actor award for Peter Mullan), Ratcatcher (1999 - screened in Un Certain Regard), Sweet Sixteen (2002 - best original screenplay award), Young Adam (2003 - screened in Un Certain Regard), Dear Frankie (2004 - screened in Un Certain Regard and received 15 minute standing ovation) and Red Road (2006 - winner of the jury prize).
Glasgow is the centre of the film and television production industry in Scotland, and will usually attract approximately half of what the industry spends in the country.
Gerard Butler was named Glasgow Film Office Ambassador in 2009 to help raise the city’s profile and demonstrate its capability as a production base.
www.glasgowfilm.com