KNEECAP won seven British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) at a ceremony in London last night, including the top honour – Best British Independent Film.
The band members also took Best Debut Screenwriter for Rich Peppiatt and Best Joint Lead for trio Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh.
The film dominated the awards with 14 nominations.
“The fact this movie has a platform now and resonates with people around the world, is something that is sending a strong message to people around the world that their indigenous native culture is important.”
— BIFA (@BIFA_film) December 8, 2024
Bravo to tonight’s big winners, Kneecap.@KNEECAPCEOL pic.twitter.com/rIy8TfnWoZ
The winners of the 27th British Independent Film Awards were announced during a ceremony in London's Roundhouse on Sunday evening.
The seven awards for Kneecap were:
- Best British Independent Film
- Best Debut Screenwriter (Rich Peppiatt)
- Best Joint Lead (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh)
- Best Casting
- Best Editing (Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill)
- Original Music (Michael 'Mikey J' Asante)
- Best Music Supervision (Gary Welch and Jeanette Rehnstrom)
Speaking on the red carpet, band member Naoise Ó Cairealláin said: "The fact this movie has a platform now and resonates with people around the world, is something that is sending a strong message to people around the world that their indigenous native culture is important.
"Hopefully this movie will be a stepping stone for other indigenous languages to have movies winning BIFAs."
Set in West Belfast in 2019, the semi-biographical story brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of Naoise and Liam Óg, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, the trio create their own genre of Irish punk rap, melding the Irish and English language with electrifying energy. Their writing and performance reimagine what rap can be as a creative and cultural force, rooted in community. Kneecap ultimately become the unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save their mother tongue, upending preconceptions about language and place and spearheading a cultural revival and interest from their legions of young followers.
Kneecap was produced by Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling for Fine Point Films and Mother Tongues Films, with Patrick O'Neill at Wildcard acting as Co-Producer.
Written and directed by Rich Peppiatt, the film has won a slew of gongs, including the NEXT Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as a hat-trick of awards at the Galway Film Fleadh. Last month the movie added another award to its growing collection, landing the coveted Arts & Culture Award at the Aisling Awards in Belfast.
