James McAvoy’s directorial debut California Schemin’ will have its U.K. premiere as the closing gala of the Glasgow Film Festival 2026 on March 8, organizers unveiled on Tuesday.
Based on an “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,” reads a synopsis for the movie. “Rooted in the rap scene of the early 2000s, California Schemin’ was shot in locations around Scotland, including Silibil N’ Brains’ home city of Dundee and Glasgow’s iconic music venue, the Barrowlands.”
California Schemin’ will be released in U.K. and Irish cinemas by StudioCanal on April 10. It was produced by Danny Page at Glasgow-based production company Blazing Griffin and supported by The National Lottery through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production Fund.
“As a proud Glaswegian, I’m delighted to be premiering California Schemin’ as the closing night gala of the Glasgow Film Festival,” said McAvoy. “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 U.K. premiere. He concluded: “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.”
The Glasgow festival runs Feb. 25-March 8.
“I’m thrilled that we will close GFF26 with the U.K. premiere of a homegrown story that fully deserves its place on the world stage,” said Paul Gallagher, Glasgow Film Festival head of program. “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.”
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