THE CALL for the film and TV industry to hire more women, and the ongoing lack major Scottish film studios, were the hot topics at this year's BAFTA Scotland awards.
Susan Calman, the comedian and winner at the Glasgow ceremony, said screen production companies need to hire more women and "let women fail in the way you let men fail continually."
Jude MacLaverty, the director of Bafta Scotland, in her opening speech, remarked again on the lack of women in some of the key categories in her opening speech, a fact she also noted on the announcement of the short lists, and she called on the industry to hire more women.
In the short lists, there were no women in the best director categories for either factual or fiction, or the writer for film and television category.
Ms Calman, whose Armchair Detectives won the BAFTA for best entertainment programme category, said: "The answer is quite simple: please hire more of us, let us fail, in the way you let men fail continually, and please champion our successes, more than we do."
Introducing Alan Cumming for a special award, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon noted: "I get the sense there's an appetite for a film studio: watch this space is all I will say."
Cumming said he was proud to be Scottish because of the "values we have as Scots, that education and health are at the forefront of our minds when we go to the polling booth."
He added: "They has been a lot said tonight that we need to have more women in this industry, and we absolutely do."
There were three awards for Outstanding Contributions: the veteran film producer Paddy Higson, production design expert Pat Campbell, as well as Cumming.
Ms Higson, whose films include Gregory's Girl and The Magdelane Sisters, described as a "trailblazer of independent film in Scotland" called for more training for film crew in Scotland, and encouraging people from ethnic minorities and deprived areas to get into film.
She added: "I'd like to ask all of you to try and persuade Screen Scotland that we get adequate money so we can train diverse new entrants."
Armando Iannucci won the best writer award for The Death of Stalin and the best director prize while Nae Pasaran, the documentary about Scottish workers who defied the Chilean dictator Pinochet won the best feature film category.
Jack Lowden won the best actor prize for his role in Calibre, while Shauna MacDonald won the best actress award.
Elaine C Smith won the best actress in a TV programme award, for her role in Two Doors Down.
Scotland 78: A Love Story, about the Scottish team's world cup experience in Argentina that year, won the best documentary prize.
Rupert Everett won a BAFTA for his Imagine...documentary about Oscar Wilde.
Among the guests at the Radisson Blu hotel were the actors Rupert Everett, Douglas Henshall, Jack Lowden, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Guthrie, as well as the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
There was also another call, from a leading actor, for Scotland to establish a full scale international film studio.
Tony Curran, the Scottish actor who stars in Calibre and the new Outlaw King film, and is now shooting a role as a "killer from Dennistoun" in Deadwood, said he could not understand why Scotland does not have its own film studio.
Creative Scotland, which now has a separate screen unit, Screen Scotland, revealed recently it is in advanced talks for a new studio plan, which will shortly go out to tender.
Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld is currently the only major full time studio, which is used by the popular drama Outlander.
Curran said: "It's great to come to shoot here. But why isn't there a Scottish film studio, we've been talking about it for 30 years, and why can't it actually happen?
"Arguably, this is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, of course we are biased, economically how much money could that make?
"I mean I am asking questions: in a viable sense it's a no-brainer.
"I think it needs government backing, other people know better than me. We have so much to say as Scots, we have so much as a country.
"I don't see Scotland doesn't have a studio - I wish someone could inform me.
"It might make filming more inexpensive for them, to shoot here."
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