Jonah Hill’s Directorial Debut Mid90s To Open 2019 Glasgow Film Festival

Next month the 2019 Glasgow Film Festival will launch and the festival will launch and close with some growing up. Next month Jonah’s coming of Age indie comedy Mid90s will launch the festival with it’s UK Premiere. The festival will be ‘raving’ when Brian Welsh’s Beats closes the festival.

Mid90s is Hill’s directorial feature debut which stars Sunny Suljic (The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Lucas Hedges (Lady Bird) and Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them). The film follows a 13-year-old boy who begins to hang out with an older group of skateboarders while living in 1990’s Los Angeles. The soundtrack features an original score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross alongside original ’90s hip-hop.

We will then step back into the ’90s again on Sunday 3 March with the UK premiere of the big screen adaptation of Scottish playwright Kieran Hurley’s hit stage show Beats. Set in 1994, just as the Criminal Justice Bill attempted to place restrictions on Scotland’s rave culture and the free party movement, Beats is a universal story of friendship, rebellion and the irresistible power of gathered youth. Beats is directed by Brian Welsh (Black Mirror), executive produced by Steven Soderbergh, and stars young Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduates Cristian Ortega and Lorn Macdonald in their feature film debuts.

The film features an original soundtrack from Scottish club legend JD Twitch (Optimo), who will DJ at the official festival after-party for all ticket holders at Argyle Street Arches.

Brian Welsh, director of Beats, said: “We’re thrilled and honoured to be part of the Glasgow Film Festival this year, as the film was largely shot in Glasgow it feels like we are coming home. Many thanks to the programmers for having us and we look forward to being there in March.”

Allison Gardner, Co-director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: “We are honoured and delighted to be opening our 15th edition with Jonah Hill’s powerful and moving directorial debut. The film is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story that feels authentic, and the young actors give naturalistic and heartfelt performances that stay with you. The Opening Gala sets the ball rolling on 12 days of fantastic film fun and we couldn’t ask for a better start to GFF19.”

The 15th Glasgow Film Festival will run from 20 February to 3 March and the full programme will be announced on 23 January. Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) is one of the leading film festivals in the UK, it’s also our Local film festival too.

Tickets for Opening and Closing Galas go on sale at 10 am on Wednesday 9 January at glasgowfilm.org/festival.

Mid90s will be released in the UK on 12 April and Beats will be released in the UK in May.