Manchester Film Festival 2026 – Closing Night at Aviva Studios

Manchester Film Festival 2026 concludes in spectacular fashion, where it began at Aviva Studios. The feature film of the evening is a special presentation of actor James McAvoy’s directorial debut California Schemin’. The film is a compelling blend of music, ambition and unlikely fame based on a true story pulled from the Scotland hip-hop underground’s trials and triumphs. And you might want to stick around as there will be a Q&A after the screening. 

California Schemin’ tells the almost unbelievable but true story of Silibil N’ Brains, the Dundee duo formed by Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd whose continuous failed attempts at making it big led them to believe that the key to success lay in reinvention. Determined to break into the record industry, the two adopted Californian accents and personas in a bid to sidestep the Scottish rapper prejudice and get noticed. And it actually worked. They secured a record deal and began touring and appearing as supporting artists for big names like Eminem. 

The film captures both the swagger and vulnerability of the two young rap artists as they pursue a dream that seems too good to be true.

Starring Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross as Boyd and Bain, California Schemin’ is an unmissable concoction of drama, humour and of course hip-hop music, telling one hell of a tale. The two are joined on screen by Lucy Halliday, Rebekah Murrell and McAvoy himself as the record label executive Anthony Reid. Shot in locations across Scotland including Dundee and Glasgow, the film captures both the swagger and vulnerability of the two young rap artists as they pursue a dream that seems too good to be true. 

California Schemin’ closes out Manchester Film Festival 2026, with its mix of heart, aspiration and culture clash. Having celebrated bold filmmaking and even bolder storytelling, this year’s film festival is going out with a bang.