Scottish BAFTAs

A dram fine Baftas night for Angels’ Share as Scots film scoops awards

Paul Brannigan with his Best Actor award. Picture: PA

Whisky caper The Angels’ Share, its young star, Paul Brannigan, and rising film-maker Zam Salim grabbed a share of the glory from Billy Connolly at tonight’s Scottish Bafta ceremony in Glasgow.
The screenplay for director Ken Loach’s Cannes prize-­winning heist movie won the best writer gong for his regular collaborator, Paul Laverty.
The best actor award went to Brannigan, who was plucked from obscurity, while working on a violence-reduction programme, by the veteran English director for the lead role of a troubled young Glaswegian persuaded to stage a dramatic raid on a distillery.
Brannigan had been competing with one of his co-stars, Siobhan Reilly, for the coveted prize.

BBC Scotland won a huge boost after capturing the current affairs award for its controversial documentary, Rangers, The Men Who Sold The Jerseys.

Among the stars to attend the event – hosted by Edith Bowman – were Brian Cox, Ewen Bremner, Siobhan Redmond, Rory Bremner and Neil Oliver.

Connolly, who was awarded an outstanding contribution to film and television Bafta, was 
unable to attend the event due to a previous commitment in the United States.
But he recorded a video message, in which he spoke of his pride at getting the award,
telling the 500-strong audience: “I left school with nothing, you know.”
Connolly, who is due to make an in-person appearance at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow next month, added: “Thank you very, very much, television viewers and people of Bafta Scotland, for this wonderful, wonderful award. I really appreciate it.
“I know you people think that we luvvies get prizes every day, shiny things handed to us, but the last time I was up for a Bafta prize in Scotland, I lost both of them, one to Ewan McGregor and the other to Kaye Adams.
“I’m really sorry I can’t be there, because I am in San Francisco doing some engagements, but I will be in Glasgow in
December and my heart is there all the time.”

Hollywood star Cox, who made a tribute speech about Connolly in the star’s
absence, said: “An honour like this for Billy has been a long time coming, he really should have been honoured well before now. As an actor, he’s simply been getting better and better.”

Zam Salim collected both the best director Bafta and best feature film prize with his black comedy Up There, his first film, which was premièred at the Glasgow Film Festival this year.

Stuart Cosgrove, the broadcaster, writer, media pundit and TV executive, was honoured for a career which saw him become head of programmes for the
nations and regions on Channel Four.

Rab C Nesbitt star Gregor Fisher beat off competition from co-star Elaine C Smith to win the best TV actor award, while Antiques Road Trip, which STV made for the BBC, scooped the best factual entertainment programme award.

Brannigan said: “It’s a real honour to be here. It’s the proudest moment of my life, after the birth of my son.!
“I could never have imagined I’d be here in Glasgow on the red carpet.
“It’s bigger than Cannes, to be honest.”

Jude MacLaverty, director of Bafta in Scotland, said: “The awards reflect the sheer breadth of talent being generated in Scotland, and it’s great to see so much of it celebrated tonight.”

Read more at Scotsman

Also reported (with video) by BBC

Also reported by:

Herald Scotland
Female First 
Sydney Morning Herald
Screen Daily and many more

Winners of the BAFTA Scotland Awards 2012

• Best Comedy / Entertainment - Mrs Brown's Boys
• Best Game - Bad Hotel
• Current Affairs - Rangers The Men Who Sold The Jerseys
• Single Documentary - Afterlife: The Strange Science of Decay
• Best Factual Series - Afghanistan: The Great Game, A Personal View by Rory Stewart
• Features / Factual Entertainment - Antiques Road Trip
• Best Actor / Actress Television - Gregor Fisher (Rab C Nesbit)
• Director - Zam Salim (Up There)
• Best Writer - Paul Laverty (The Angels' Share)
• Best Actor / Actress Film - Paul Brannigan (The Angels' Share)
• Animation - The Making of Longbird
• Feature Film - Up There
• Special Achievement Award 2012: Callum Macrae (Director) SRI LANKA'S KILLING FIELDS
• Special Achievement Award 2012: Paul Mcguigan (Director) SHERLOCK
• Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting - Stuart Cosgrove
• Outstanding Contribution for Craft (In Memory of Robert McCann) - Trisha Biggar
• Outstanding Contribution to Television and Film - Billy Connolly CBE

Read more at Daily Mail

Scottish BAFTA nominations

Scottish BAFTAs 2012 nominations revealed, with Edith Bowman set to host
Radio presenter Edith Bowman will host this next month's Scottish BAFTAs ceremony, with Ken Loach acclaimed film The Angels' Share leading the way in the nominations.
The film, which saw Loach receive the Jury Prize at the Cannes festival earlier this year, is up for four awards. The winners will be announced in Glasgow on Sunday November 18.
The Angels' Share is up for best feature film, with Paul Laverty nominated for best writer. Meanwhile Paul Brannigan – who hosted Born To Lose? for the STV Appeal – and Siobhan Reilly are up for best actor and actress respectively.
Meanwhile Antiques Road Trip, which is made by STV Productions, is nominated in the features/factual entertainment category.
Fife-born Bowman said: "The event is a brilliant showcase of the moving image industries and highlights the wealth of talent here in Scotland.
"Over the past year Scotland has cemented its reputation as a leading player in film, TV and game production. So much fantastic work has been produced and I'm very excited to see who wins from the list of nominees."
Kevin Bridges's show What's The Story? is among those nominated for best comedy/entertainment programme, while the funny man is also up for best writer for the series.
There may be some marital strife as Gregor Fisher and Elaine C Smith go head to head in the best television actor/actress category. They’re nominated for their husband/wife roles in Rab C Nesbitt.
Jude MacLaverty, director of Bafta in Scotland, said: "The British Academy Scotland Awards is all about rewarding excellence in the industry, and this year's nominations reflect the sheer breadth of talent, creativity, and originality here in Scotland."
Source: STV

The acting nominees are...
ACTOR/ACTRESS FILM

• Paul Brannigan: The Angels’ Share
• James Cosmo: Citadel
• Siobhan Reilly: The Angels’ Share

ACTOR/ACTRESS - TELEVISION

• Iain De Caestecker: Young James Herriot
• Gregor Fisher: Rab C Nesbitt
• Elaine C Smith: Rab C Nesbitt

Also reported (with full nominations list) by Scotsman  BBC Scotland and Daily Record

Photo of Edith Bowman: Scotsman

Rab C Nesbitt - Christmas Special

RaB C Nesbitt is winding himself up for one final festive rant before he hangs up the string vest for good.

Gregor Fisher, who brings the Govan philosopher to life, and Elaine C Smith, who plays Mary Doll, the long-suffering Mrs Nesbitt, have both agreed to appear in a Christmas special for BBC2. Creator Ian Pattison is working on story ideas.

A BBC source confirmed that the ratings hit, which last year celebrated a 10th series some 25 years after Rab C first appeared, will be back for one show. Fisher and Smith both have plans that make further Nesbitt adventures beyond that look unlikely.

Fisher, 58, is planning to move to France and Smith, 53, is preparing for a world tour of I Dreamed a Dream, the stage musical in which she plays Britain’s Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle. She is on stage in Manchester tonight as part of its UK tour.

Last night, she said: “Everything will be worked around our dates.
“I am back in Aberdeen in panto, but I would be more than delighted to do another Nesbitt. I have got about three or four weeks between the end of the stage tour and the panto. That is all they need to complete filming.”

It is likely that the special will also feature cast favourites Tony Roper as Jamesie Cotter and Barbara Rafferty as his other half Ella.

Source: Daily Express