James McAvoy’s directorial debut will have its UK premiere as the closing gala for Glasgow Film Festival 2026 (GFF26).
Based on the improbably true story, California Schemin’ follows aspiring Scottish rap duo Silibil N’ Brains, a.k.a. 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. Rooted in the rap scene of the early 2000s, California Schemin' was shot in locations around Scotland including Sibil B’ Brains home city of Dundee and Glasgow’s iconic music venue, the Barrowlands.
Tickets to the UK premiere on Sunday 8 March go on sale in January 2026. California Schemin' will be released in UK and Irish cinemas by STUDIOCANAL on 10 April 2026.
California Schemin’ was produced by Patriot Productions and Scotland-based production companies Home Front Pictures and Blazing Griffin, and supported by The National Lottery through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund.
James 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.”
Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) is one of the leading film festivals in the UK and is run by Glasgow Film, a charity which also operates Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow Film Festival is made possible by support from Screen Scotland and Glasgow Life. GFF26 will run from 25 February to 8 March, with the full programme announced on 21 January.
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Image credits: Images courtesy Bankside Pcitures / Mark Mainz