TWO accidental film stars last night picked up the most prestigious gongs at the Bafta Scotland New Talent Awards.
Martin Compston, the 18-year-old star of Ken Loach's searing film Sweet Sixteen, and Kathleen McDermott, 25, who was plucked from obscurity to co-star in Lynne Ramsay's adaptation of Morvern Callar, were named best actor and best actress at a glittering ceremony at The Armadillo, the Clyde Auditorium, in Glasgow last night.
McDermott, a barber and karaoke singer from Craigend in Glasgow's east end, fought off competition from Anne Marie Fulton, another unknown, who played the role of a single mother alongside Compston in Sweet Sixteen.
Compston, who jets out to Japan today to promote the film, said he was ''chuffed to bits'' to win the award.
''I usually play five-a-sides with my friends on a Sunday night, but when I told them I was coming to the Baftas, they all burst out laughing. It hasn't really sunk in yet. It'll take a couple of months.
''Obviously, Hollywood is where there's all the glitz and the glamour, but it's always best to be recognised on your home turf.''
McDermott, who dedicated her award to her mother Kathleen and father Billy, admitted that she was simply ''gobsmacked''.
''I really wasn't expecting it. I can't believe it. You know, one minute I'm singing in the Shanghai Shuffle, the next minute I'm getting a Bafta. I was surprised even to have been nominated and was up against very tough competition.''
The biennial event to recognise the cream of new Scottish screen talent was hosted by Rhona Cameron, the comedian and I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here survivor, and was attended by a host of stars from the stage and small screen, including Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan, the Chewin' the Fat duo.
The low-budget gem Late Night Shopping, the first feature project of Saul Metzstein, director, Angus Lamont, producer, and Jack Lothian, writer - which follows a group of 20-something friends who support themselves with unprepossessing nocturnal jobs and meet up between shifts in an all-night cafe - picked up the award for best feature film.
Metzstein also collected the prize for best director, while Mike Gunn took the award of best film craft for his work.
Gillian Berrie, described as one of the most influential film-makers living in Scotland, was presented with an outstanding achievement award by Scottish Screen.
Berrie recently produced Young Adam, which stars Ewan McGregor, and is the founder of Starfish, a charity teaching film-making to disadvantaged young people in Glasgow.
Julyan Sinclair was awarded the best television presenter prize for his work on Scottish TV's The Point.
It was reported yesterday that the organiser of the awards ceremony had criticised corporate Scotland for failing to support young acting talent.
Alison Forsyth, director of Bafta Scotland, said organisers had struggled to finance the event this year and had failed to attract any corporate sponsorship.
She warned that the awards could be scrapped if a sponsor was not found to help cover the (pounds) 50,000 costs.
In London last night, Disney's Monsters, Inc. was named best film at the children's version of the Baftas.
The animated comedy beat Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings and Stuart Little 2, in the seventh year of the awards.
ITV's flagship children's show SM:TV Live was named best entertainment series.
The programme - fronted by Tess Daly and Brian Dowling, the Big Brother 2 winner - beat competition from CD:UK, Bring it on and Jungle Run to win its second Bafta for the category in the last three years.
Meanwhile, figures released last night revealed James Bond had outperformed Harry Potter at the box office.
Die Another Day, the 20th Bond film, took (pounds) 32.4m at the box office in its opening weekend, the highest sum yet for a Bond film.
It bumped last weekend's top film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, into the number two spot.
In its second weekend, Chamber of Secrets grossed (pounds) 29.2m, pushing its 10-day total to (pounds) 102.4m.
The film had a slower second weekend than its predecessor, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first of the Harry Potter films, but the second weekend for Philosopher's Stone fell over Christmas, traditionally a busier time for cinema-going.
Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan's fourth outing as 007, beat the opening takings of the last Bond film, The World Is Not Enough, the 40-year-old franchise's previous best debut at (pounds) 24.5m.
list of winners
Best feature film Late Night Shopping
Best actor feature film Martin Compston - Sweet Sixteen
Best actress feature film Kathleen McDermott - Morvern Callar
Best feature film director Saul Metzstein - Late Night Shopping
Best feature film craft Mike Gunn - Late Night Shopping
Best short film Wish
Best short film
performance Lee Ann Hogg - Best Man
Best short film director Angela M Murray - The Choir
Best short film screenplay Becky Brazil - Best Man
Best short film and television craft Max Berman - The Choir
Best television
performance Rory McCann
Best television presenter Julyan Sinclair
Best television
entertainment/comedy The Book Group
Best television drama
The Practicality of Magnolia
Best television screenplay Richard Smith - Leonard
Best documentary James Alcock - Ceiling Man
Best animation Anwyn Beier - Nightwindows
Best composer or original sound design Sally Beamish - The Practicality of
Magnolia
The Scottish Screen
outstanding achievement award
Gillian Berrie
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