Christopher and Louise hope to scoop awards
Actor and director to attend BAFTA Scotland night
A Castlemilk and Cambuslang pair are looking forward to finding out if they have scooped a BAFTA Scotland New Talent award.
We reported last week that Christopher Martin and Louise Dawson will don their best tux and dress for the ceremony tomorrow evening, Thursday, at the Drygate Brewery in Glasgow.
Former St Dominic’s and St Margaret Mary’s pupil Chris, 35, was nominated for the acting performance male category for his role in Open Mike.
In the film he explores the life of Michael, an adult with autism who lives in solitude.
Chris, who wrote the character and screenplay, researched autism thoroughly and interacted with those who live with the condition.
He found the physicality of the role a challenge as he sustained a contortion of his body to carry a more authentic posture.
Chris said: “It was surprising at first. It started off just as a student film and then we were dragged back into university by lecturers who told us we should submit it for the Scottish BAFTAs.
“They told us the film was pretty special. At first we were unsure but it has worked out well since then.
“I wrote the film but gave myself very few lines. With choosing to write about a man with autism I had to do a lot of research.”
Chris had only returned to acting five years ago and has since appeared in the Scottish soap River City.
After working for a number of years at AVIVA, he had a watershed moment when he decided that he wanted to pursue his true passion.
He added: “I met the director Danny Jackson at a workshop and he invited me to play Paul Brennan. It was only a short part but it gave me some good experience.”
Louise Dawson, a former West Coats Primary and Cathkin High School pupil, from Eastfield, behind it.
She said: “It really was an incredible surprise to be nominated.
“I know I don’t stand alone in that no artist or filmmaker is ever entirely happy with their own work, so when it’s recognised by people within the industry for something as prestigious as the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards, it’s a very overwhelming feeling, and one I’m extremely proud of.
“Filming on a Scottish beach during April was never going to be easy, but it turned out to be even more challenging than I’d ever imagined.
“We were hit with gail force winds, and torrential rain throughout, which, although was perfect for the film’s visual continuity, it made the filming conditions exceptionally difficult for both the cast and crew.”
The BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards is an annual awards ceremony which recognises, inspires and celebrates the diverse array of emerging practitioners from all over Scotland and gives up- andcoming screen industry talent an allimportant platform to showcase their work to the wider industry.