A Fife man was among the big winners at Sunday’s star-studded BAFTA awards.
Paul Wright won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts short film award for Until The River Runs Red.
The 29-year-old, who was brought up in Lower Largo, said the win would mean a lot to family and friends back in Fife.
“My mother will be doing cartwheels around Lower Largo,” he said.
Wright described the winning film as a “fairly dark” take on the theme of undying love.
“There are not many laughs in it,” he conceded. “However, it obviously connected with people, which is nice. It’s not the most commercial kind of thing, so it is great that people have supported it.”
Wright joked that the triumph could spur him on either to “early retirement or any early grave.”
“Seriously, this is a great stepping stone for the future. I have been very fortunate with my career long may it continue,” he added.
Wright was “delighted” to win a BAFTA, saying it proved people had made a “connection” with his work even though it is anything but mainstream.
“The kind of films I am making are not the easiest sell,” he explained. “Also, they may not have the hugest audiences but the people that are seeing them seem to connect with them and that is very important.”
Mr Wright is no stranger to a night out at the BAFTAs although Sunday saw his first taste of ultimate success.
A graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, his first film Hikikomori won the BAFTA Scotland award for best new work and a BAFTA nomination in 2007 for best short film. It also won best drama award at the regional and national Royal Television Society awards.
In the same year he was named as one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow.
In 2008, Paul made Believe, which won a clutch of awards. His next film Photos of God was selected for last year’s Berlin Film Festival.
Wright is now based in London but remains true to his roots. On being interviewed by fellow Fifer Edith Bowman after Sunday night’s success, he said, “Fife for life!”
Photo by Flickr user acme.