James McAvoy film set in Dundee council estate to close film festival
James McAvoy’s directorial debut was filmed in Dundee and Glasgow
The UK premiere of James McAvoy's directorial debut which follows the lives of a Scottish rap duo in a housing estate in Dundee, is to close Glasgow Film Festival 2026.
California Schemin’ follows aspiring Scottish rap duo Silibil N’ Brains and was filmed mainly in Dundee's Hilltown estates, as well as areas of Glasgow.
Originally born as Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, the Dundee pair reinvented themselves as Californian rappers Silibil N Brains.
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.”
He added: “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.”
McAvoy was at the Glasgow Film Festival earlier this year to receive the Cinema City Honorary Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cinema.
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.”
In a career-spanning film, TV and stage productions, McAvoy’s best-known roles include Dr Nicolas Garrigan in the 2006 film The Last King Of Scotland and Professor Charles Xavier in the blockbuster X-Men franchise.
Other major roles in his career have included Robbie Turner in the 2007 adaptation of Atonement and Lord Asriel in the His Dark Materials TV series.
Last year, McAvoy, who grew up in the Drumchapel area of Glasgow, told The Scotsman that “growing up on a Glasgow council estate “wasn’t always hard - it was brilliant”.
He described California Schemin’, as “the most stressful experience of my life”, adding that he had wanted to show a different side of working class life in Scotland.
The actor, who took part in a Q&A session at last year’s Glasgow Film Festival, said the film had given him a chance to spend more time north of the Border than he had done since he began his acting career.
California Schemin’ was produced by Glasgow-based production company Blazing Griffin and supported by the National Lottery through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund.
GFF26 will run from February 25 to March 8 next year, with the full programme to be announced on January 21.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.