Bafta berated for excluding Under The Skin
ONE of the film-makers behind the sci-fi movie Scarlett Johansson made in Scotland has hit out after it was ruled out of the running for the country’s major film industry honours.
Under The Skin was deemed ineligible for Bafta Scotland’s annual awards, despite boasting a host of credentials. The film, co-produced by Glasgow-based Sigma Films, was shot entirely on location around Scotland, including in Glasgow city centre, East Lothian and the Highlands.
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Hide AdAn adaptation from Dutch author Michel Faber’s novel, the film also received the maximum funding available from Scotland’s national arts agency, Creative Scotland, with a largely Scottish cast.
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Under The Skin, which saw Johansson film in disguise in various locations around Glasgow, was also chosen as the closing night gala of the city’s film festival. But several indoor shots for the film, which had an English director, Jonathan Glazer, had to be filmed in a London studio because of the lack of suitable facilities north of the border.
Sigma founder Gillian Berrie said: “I was involved with this film for more than ten years and a lot of work went in to convince Jonathan Glazer to make it in Scotland, rather than somewhere like Ireland. It’s a fine example of a Scottish film. It was set here and shot here and therefore I think it’s valid.”
Jude MacLaverty, director of Bafta Scotland, said: “We went round the houses with Under The Skin, but sadly it just didn’t score enough points with our eligibility criteria.”
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