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Brian Durnin’s debut feature Spilt Milk took home the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival this year, wrapping up a starry 21st edition that saw the likes of James McAvoy, Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Toni Collette, Tim Roth and Takehiro Hira all touch down at the Scottish event.

Runner-up to the Audience Award, which is sponsored by Mubi and is the fest’s only award, was German comedy Two to One, starring double-Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller.

Spilt Milk, set against the backdrop of 1980s working class Dublin, follows 11-year-old Bobby (Cillian Sullivan), who dreams of being a detective just like his TV idol Kojak. He sets up a private investigation with his best friend but when Bobby’s older brother disappears, it sets them off down a dark path.

“We’re deeply honored to accept this wonderful award and to know that our film connected with the audiences at Glasgow Film Festival,...

The Glasgow Film Festival‘s 2025 Audience Award, sponsored by Mubi, went to Brian Durnin’s drama Spilt Milk, wrapping up a star-studded 21st edition that attracted the likes of James McAvoy, Toni Collette, Tim Roth, Jessica Lange and Ed Harris.

Among other big names visiting Scotland were Japanese musician and actress Koki and Shogun star Takehiro Hira, who came to Glasgow for the world premiere of Scottish survival thriller Tornado, while Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill attended the world premiere of sporting documentary Hill. Collette was a surprise special guest for a 30th anniversary showing of her breakthrough film Muriel’s Wedding.

Scotland’s largest annual celebration of cinema, which this year also put a spotlight on Austrian films, from satirical looks at rent-a-friend agencies and the power of billionaires to an exploration of generational poverty and a climate crisis mockumentary, wrapped with the world premiere of Scottish documentary-maker Martyn Robertson...

Eleven-year-old Bobby (Cillian Sullivan) may be living on a housing estate in Dublin, in 1984, but he’s got big dreams of following in the footsteps of his telly hero Kojak and becoming a master detective. First of all, he aims to save up for the fedora, and in order to do that, he takes on crimes around the neighbourhood, locating lost property for pennies with his not-always-willing best pal and sidekick Nell (Naoise Kelly). “You’ve always got a plan. You always get in trouble.” she points out as she negotiates a rate to join him on his latest escapade.

What starts off as child’s play in Brian Durin’s atmospheric debut, scripted by Cara Loftus, soon becomes considerably darker, after the family telly goes AWoL shortly followed by Bobby’s older brother Oisin (Lewis Brophy). Things in Bobby’s small household between mum Maura (Danielle Galligan), dad John...

Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s Dreamers and Brian Durnin’s Spilt Milk are among the nine feature films and documentaries taking part in the fourth edition of the BFI London Film Festival works-in-progress showcase.

Dreamers is the directorial debut of Gharoro-Akpojoto, producer of Blue Story and Boxing Day and is in post-production. Ronkę Adékoluęjo stars in the love story set in a detention centre, produced by Emily Morgan’s Quiddity Films, with backing from BBC Film and the BFI. The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect represents sales.

Spilt Milk is Dublin filmmaker Brian Durnin’s first film. It follows an 11 year-old boy...