Eva Green and Caitlin Moran films to open and close festival

Premieres of a film starring Eva Green as an astronaut and an adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s How To Build A Girl will open and close the Glasgow Film Festival.

The 16th annual festival will open on February 26 with the UK premiere of Proxima, the latest drama from award-winning Alice Winocour, director of Augustine and Disorder.

Casino Royale star Green plays a woman torn between professional ambition and the demands of motherhood as she trains for a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station alongside colleagues including American Nasa veteran Mike (Matt Dillon).

The festival will close on March 8, International Women’s Day, with the UK premiere of How To Build A Girl, a big screen adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s semi-autobiographical bestseller.

Beanie Feldstein stars as Johanna Morrigan, a 16-year-old extrovert from the outskirts of Wolverhampton who yearns to make a name for herself and answers an advert seeking “hip young gunslinger” journalists for a cool London music magazine.

Directed by Coky Giedroyc, its stars include Chris O’Dowd, Alfie Allen and Dame Emma Thompson and cameos from the likes of Lily Allen, Jameela Jamil, Alexei Sayle, Michael Sheen, Sue Perkins and Gemma Arterton.

Moran said: “It is the greatest thrill of my life to finally unleash Beanie Feldstein as the noble, swashbuckling Sex Pirate Johanna Morrigan at the Glasgow Film Festival – and to have the honour of closing this joyous cinematic explosion means the whole audience can come straight to the nearest pub with me, and celebrate the hotness of Alfie Allen as John Kite.

“Unless Glasgow’s gone off that kind of thing since last time I was there. Which I doubt.”

The full programme for Glasgow Film Festival 2020 will be announced on January 29.

Allan Hunter, co-director of the festival, said: “We are delighted to be opening and closing the 2020 Glasgow Film Festival with work from hugely talented female directors.

“What better way to start that celebration than opening the Festival with the UK premiere of Proxima, the latest film from writer/director Alice Winocour.

“Produced by Isabelle Madelaine and Emilie Tisne, it features a career-best performance from Eva Green as an astronaut undertaking the gruelling preparations for a year-long mission aboard the International Space Station.

“The growing tensions between her professional ambitions and personal responsibilities will strike an emotional chord with every parent.”

Allison Gardner, co-director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: “This year we close the festival on International Women’s Day and we are delighted to host the UK Premiere of How To Build A Girl, based on Caitlin Moran’s cherished, semi-autobiographical bestseller.

“The film is a hilarious and moving tale of Wolverhampton teenager, Johanna, brilliantly played by Beanie Feldstein, making her way in the world. Along the way she takes life lessons from her heroes, Sigmund Freud, Sylvia Plath, Julie Andrews and David Bowie, to try to navigate the unfairness of the world. I loved every minute of it.”

Tickets for the opening and closing galas go on sale at 12 noon on January 13 from glasgowfilm.org/festival and GFT Box Office.