13/11/2006

At last night’s BAFTA Scotland ceremony, held in Glasgow’s City Hall, Andrea Arnold’s feature debut Red Road [+see also:
trailer
film profile] swept up all five coveted awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Andrea Arnold), Best Actor in a Scottish Film (Tony Curran) and Best Actress in a Scottish Film (Kate Dickie).

The Scottish BAFTAs add up to an already impressive list of a dozen international jury awards, including the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes 2006, where the film had its international premiere. Arnold was not in Glasgow to receive her awards as she is currently attending a seminar for aspiring scriptwriters in Jordan. However, the film’s award-winning actress Dickie was onhand, as well as many Scottish stars such as Gail Porter, Robbie Coltrane and Billy Boyd, among approximately 800 guests.

Red Road was co-produced by Red Road Films, a subsidiary of Glasgow-based Sigma Films with Danish powerhouse Zentropa Entertainments, with support from the UK Film Council, Glasgow Film Office and Scottish Screen. It is one of three low budget feature films that are part of the Advance Party experimental production concept initiated by Sigma’s managing director Gillian Berrie and Danish producer Sisse Graum Jorgensen (After the Wedding [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sisse Graum Jørgensen
interview: Susanne Bier
film profile]).

The film was released by Verve Pictures in the UK two weeks ago but has grossed only £200,000 from 35 screens. Sold by Trust Film Sales, the film is set to open through Equation in other European territories, such as France, on December 6.