The film I Swear leads Bafta Scotland nominations – but the man who inspired it will watch the ceremony from another room after a furore over a racial slur incident at an event earlier this year.
During the Bafta Film Awards ceremony in London in February, Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson could be heard shouting a racial slur as Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented an award.
I Swear, which tells the story of Mr Davidson’s life growing up with Tourette syndrome in Scotland, has been nominated for Bafta Scotland awards in seven categories, as well as a previously announced Audience Award nomination for Peter Mullan.
Mr Davidson previously said he was “deeply mortified” by the incident in February, which led to concerns after the BBC failed to censor the slur during the broadcast, which was on a two-hour time delay.
The winners of the Bafta Scotland awards will be announced on Sunday November 15 at a ceremony in Glasgow, hosted by Edith Bowman.
Bafta said it has worked to make events as inclusive and as safe as possible following the furore over events in February and has arranged for Mr Davidson to watch via video link from a “separate relaxed space”.
In a letter sent to members, Bafta chair Sara Putt and chief executive Jane Millichip said: “For the upcoming Bafta Scotland Awards, for which I Swear has received seven nominations, we have worked with both safeguarding and inclusion experts to consider the arrangements necessary to enable John Davidson MBE, whose life inspired I Swear and who is an executive producer of the film, to participate in the safest way possible for all.
“We have consulted organisations including Tourettes Action and Tourette Scotland and, most importantly, we have been speaking directly to John.
“Following those conversations and our wider risk assessment, we have made adjustments to enable John to attend in the way he has suggested to us, which is to watch the ceremony via video link from a separate relaxed space within the venue together with his family and friends.”
Following the incident, Mr Davidson said he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning”.
Earlier this year, the BBC’s outgoing director-general, Tim Davie, said the corporation “profoundly regrets” the events at the ceremony in London.
Following the incident in February, Bafta commissioned an independent review which identified a number of structural weaknesses in Bafta’s planning, escalation procedures and crisis co-ordination arrangements but did not find evidence of malicious intent on the part of those involved in delivering the event.
Others nominated for Bafta Scotland awards include Peter Capaldi, Robert Carlyle and Shirley Henderson.
There are three nominations each for Dept Q and Dinosaur while Dept Q’s Leah Byrne also received an Audience Award nomination.
Peter Mullan, Robert Aramayo and Scott Ellis Watson have all been nominated in the Actor Film category for their roles in I Swear.
Shirley Henderson is nominated for I Swear in the Actress Film category, with Lesley Manville nominated for Midwinter Break and Lucy Halliday for California Schemin’.
In the Actor Television category, Dougray Scott is nominated for Summerwater, Jack Lowden for Slow Horses, Peter Capaldi for Criminal Record and Robert Carlyle for The Hack.
The nominees in the Actress Television category are: Ashley Storrie for Dinosaur; Chloe Pirrie for Dept Q; Emma Laird for Mint and Lucy Halliday for The Testaments.
Dani Carlaw, chair of Bafta Scotland, said: “A big congratulations to all this year’s Bafta Scotland nominees.
“These nominations are a reminder of just how much creative talent we have across Scotland, both on screen and behind the scenes.
“Every project takes people with vision and determination to make it happen. I’m really looking forward to celebrating their work and the teams who made it possible.”
Disaster at Sea: The Piper Alpha Story, Everybody to Kenmure Street, and Midwinter Break all received two nominations each.
Nominees for the Bafta Scotland Audience Award (in partnership with Screen Scotland) were previously announced on Thursday September 24.
The Audience Award is the only Bafta Scotland Award where the winner is decided by members of the public and people can vote until Friday October 30 via bafta.org.
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