Cinema City Honorary Award

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GFFCinema City Honorary Award

Launched in 2024, the Cinema City Honorary Award recognises filmmakers who have made an outstanding contribution to cinema.

In the 1930s, Glasgow was home to more cinemas per person than anywhere else in the UK and became affectionately known as the Cinema City.

The city's passion for film has burned brightly ever since, with Glasgow Film Theatre at its heart.

Cinema Patrons queuing outside the Cosmo. The cinema was rebranded as the GFT in 1974.

Lynne Ramsay Module

GFF26Lynne Ramsay

Lynne Ramsay at GFF26. Photography by Amy Muir.

BAFTA-winning Glaswegian writer-director Lynne Ramsay received our GFF26 Cinema City Honorary Award on 6 March 2026.

The filmmaker, who grew up in Maryhill, made her feature film debut in 1999 with the Glasgow-shot Ratcatcher, which won the prestigious BAFTA for Outstanding Debut. Throughout the last three decades Lynne has become renowned for her distinctive visual style and powerful storytelling, having directed Hollywood titles that include We Need to Talk About Kevin, Die My Love, and You Were Never Really Here.

Lynne attended a special In Conversation event, From Page to Pulse, as part of GFF's Industry Focus 2026, where she received the reward.

James McAvoy

GFF25James McAvoy

On 2 March 2025, our GFF25 Cinema City Honorary Award was presented to homegrown star James McAvoy.

With a career spanning film, TV and the stage, James' journey from Glasgow to Hollywood is testament to his depth and versatility as an actor. His steadfast commitment to storytelling has left an indelible mark on cinema.

James attended GFF25 to receive the award and also participated in an In Conversation event, looking back at his career.

The talk was followed by a special screening of his breakthrough role in film as Dr Nicolas Garrigan in Kevin McDonald's compelling fiction debut The Last King of Scotland (2006), introduced by James.

James McAvoy at GFF25. Photography by Eoin Carey

Viggo Mortensen

GFF24Viggo Mortensen

Following a sold-out In Conversation event at Glasgow Film Theatre, three-times Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen was presented with the festival's inaugural Cinema City Honorary Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cinema.

The new annual award was launched as part of Glasgow Film's Year of Celebrations with 2024 marking 85 years since the cinema was built, 50 years since Glasgow Film Theatre was founded and the 20th edition of Glasgow Film Festival.