Glasgow Film Festival has officially kicked off with the UK premiere of French film Populaire.

In total, there will be 368 film screenings, 57 UK premieres and nine world premieres during the 10-day event. Much of it will take place at the Glasgow Film Theatre, but there are also unique events programmed for the city’s Tall Ship, the Arches and Glasgow Cathedral.

Populaire is a romantic comedy which tells the story of a young French woman in the 1950s who aspires to become a secretary. She moves town in order to get a job, and when her boss sees she only types with two fingers rather than all 10, he enrols her in a nationwide competition.

It is director Regis Roinsard’s first feature film, and he said it was an “honour” to have it open the Glasgow Film Festival.

“It’s an honour to open the festival and it’s gala premiere,” he said at Thursday night’s event.

Roinsard described his film as a love story, which is a “mix between My Fair Lady (but more modern), Rocky and Mad Men – but in a French style”.

Now in its ninth year, organisers said they wanted to keep the festival’s biggest ever programme “fresh”, with panel discussions, live events and contributions from fashion designers, comedians and musicians.

Tomorrow, the UK’s first ever public screening of Cloud Atlas will be shown – a day before it has its official premiere in London.

Hollywood star Halle Berry was spotted on the streets of Glasgow when part of the film, based on the novel by British author David Mitchell, was being shot in locations around the city.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond will also take part at the festival as he teams up with comic book writer Mark Millar in a special Geek Night event.

Special guests, including Joss Whedon, who has directed Much Ado About Nothing, was chosen to close the festival, and actor James D’Arcy, who co-stars in Cloud Atlas, will walk the festival’s red carpet.

The festival runs until February 24.