Actor Daniel Portman has praised Glasgow’s booming film industry and said that Scotland “has the best storytellers in the world”.
Portman described it as a “bucket list” dream to appear in Black Mirror and was accompanied by his father, actor Ron Donachie, at the Bafta Scotland awards on Sunday.
Portman, 32, was nominated for Best Actor for an appearance in Black Mirror but lost out to David Tennant.
He said that Glasgow’s film industry was booming post-Covid and praised the creativity in his home city.
He said: “To be recognised by my peers, to be recognised by Scotland, is very special for me.
“My old man is my plus one. I couldn’t care less about winning. I’m in a category with Richard Gadd and David Tennant.”
He praised streaming services, saying “there’s something for everyone”, before hailing the film industry in Glasgow.
The Scots are the best storytellers in the world. I'm thrilled this is happening
He added: “Post-Covid, it has been a big boom – it’s great.
“Glasgow has always been a very creative place, it was great for painters, music, a lot of people come here for the creativity.
“The Scots are the best storytellers in the world. I’m thrilled this is happening.”
Fellow nominee Khalid Abdalla, who was recognised for his portrayal of Dodi Al-Fayed in The Crown, had “End Genocide” written on the palm of his hand.
Abdalla said that Dodi was a rare depiction of an Arab character who was “lovable”.
He said: “Dodi is an Arab character who you get to hope and love, not fear.”
He said that streaming services created possibilities for “long-form” entertainment, comparing them to cult classic The Wire.
However, he said that audiences needed to keep buying cinema tickets for film to remain sustainable.
Abdalla said: “At the same time, with Covid and everything else, we need to go back to cinemas.”
He also called for the state to be “doing its role” in the entertainment industry.
