WINNER TAKES ALL
Costume? Who said anything about clothes, dear?
As part of my public service blogcast remit to readers south of the border – since you won’t hear about it on the national news – this year’s BAFTA Scotland Award nominations have just been announced. Cue the readers of our national rag, The Scotsman, who are already chucking bangers at the door of West George Street due to the woeful lack of names in the Best Actress category.
If you thought the two contenders last year was a joke, this year BS boasts only one – Sophia Myles – for her role as – and let’s be honest here – an unhappy slapper. It’s not enough to get your kit off, Sophie, you need to do some acting as well, darling. To her credit, parting her legs for slumming-it nipper, Jamie Bell, shows some range.
What does this tell us? Well, according to the story one actress, Angela Coates, who played in Wilma and Duncan’s ‘My Life as a Bus Stop’- fell off the list. The fact she appeared as a fat, deluded, struggling actress is ironic enough, but having seen the film what’s tragic here is that Ms Coates’ performance was genius and more than deserving of a nomination. Hell, they should have just handed her the prize.
So why the omission? Snobbery, probably. BAFTA Scotland, desperate to make their annual event look credible in the eyes of the wider media – and keep the sponsors and telly tarts interested – can’t be seen hanging out with the likes of Angela.
Whyever not? You might ask. Because they think ‘My Life as a Bus Stop’ isn’t a REAL film, just a few folk from Coatbridge farting about with a camcorder. Forget being selected for the EIFF, Wilma and Duncan can’t be counted as serious filmmakers. Their film didn’t have a big budget, they didn’t have ‘stars’ but at least they didn’t waste public money or take a nosedive at the box office like Hallam Foe did.
As one of the saner commentees writing in the Hootsman points out, a nomination can go a long way in helping an actor’s career. Maybe Angela Coates could carve a niche for herself in the business. She deserves to. So shame on BAFTA Scotland for not putting her on the list.
posted by Leanne Smith at 11:46 AM
4 Comments:
hi,
one other thing that stands out in the nominations... best short film : all three are docu's.... not a single drama ? What does this say about the current range and setup of short film schemes ? Over the years, the various strands and schemes have followed the Scottish Screen empire buildng model, with eventually ALL the schemes being run out of the GMAC offices and run by the exact same staff... Little Pictures, Digicult, Cineworks (eggs and baskets spring to mind). And guess what... not ONE get's a nomination from S'BAFTA. So, apparently, scotland doesn't/can't do drama now ?
Whe will the funders wake up and realise that in an industry so utterly subjective, we need competition. Not just amongst the would be writers/directors, but amongst the bodies viying for control. Yes, have seperate strands and schemes, but have VARIOUS companies and bodies designing, running and selecting the works.. that way me may actually find out who is any good at it and who is just sitting back, taking the pay cheque, and buggering it all up.
meanwhile....the megabus to london is only £15 :)
Thanks for that. I noticed the short film category too. Strikes me as odd that no dramas were included. You'd think with the public funds going into shorts, we might have seen one or two nominations.
I don't have much of a clue who runs what these days. I've never had much to do with GMAC myself apart from one time I tried to book something only to be told at the last minute it was 'double booked' and unavailable so never bothered using them again.
I read recently that the BBC/Scottish Screen Singles scheme will replace Tartan Shorts, so maybe the plan is to do away with short drama altogether.
Why doesn't BAFTA Scotland just admit with so few films to choose from they might as well stick to telly? It would be more honest and let's face it, the tiny number of films made here is embarrassing and the gongs are usually a foregone conclusion.
I've met the people at BAFTA Scotland and they seemed very nice and sincere, but year after year things go embarrassingly wrong. A short film award is presented to the wrong person. A nomination is mysteriously withdrawn. And now a category with only one contender. I don't begrudge Sophia Myles a shot at a gong, she did manage a good Edinburgh accent (something none of the Glaswegians in Trainspotting could be bothered doing), but it's kind of insulting to be the only person under consideration. I wouldn't show up for the event if I were her. In years past the awards were bi-annual, and it's strange to me that they're now every year, even though the rate of production here has, if anything, been reduced.
D Cairns
Hi David,
I agree - Sophia Myles deserved her nomination, but it ain't much of a victory for her when there's no competition.
You're right too about the trouble with staging an annual event. I suppose those in TV might argue there's a case for it, but for the film categories it's a disaster.
Is BAFTA Scotland a good thing? I guess that it's better to have it than not, otherwise nothing from this part of the country would ever be celebrated, just as it's a shame our English friends have to compete with Hollywood in the BAFTA London awards.
Lx
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