THE movie Kneecap has been shortlisted for two awards at next year's Oscars.

The critically acclaimed Irish box office sensation will vie for nominations (to be announced on January 17) ahead of the iconic awards ceremony set to take place on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles.

It’s the third Irish film to ever be shortlisted for the Best International Feature category after Viva and An Cailín Ciúin.  

It has been shortlisted for two Academy Award nominations for Best International Feature and Best Original Song for ‘Sick In The Head’.

Speaking about being shortlisted, Kneecap writer and director Rich Peppiatt said: "If someone had walked into the pub in 2019 – back when me and Kneecap were still dreaming up what this movie could be – and they told us five years later we’d be in the running for Oscars, we’d probably have asked for a blast on whatever they were smoking.

"It’s been a rollercoaster journey marked by a huge amount of hard graft and plenty good fun, and making it to that hallowed Hollywood red carpet would certainly be a grand way to finish it all off.”

Peppiatt’s film stars the members of the rap trio Kneecap (Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí) alongside an ensemble cast including Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby, Josie Walker, Fionnuala Flaherty, Jessica Reynolds and Adam Best. 

Set in West Belfast in 2019, when fate 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.  

The Oscar shortlist announcement comes on the heels of a remarkable sweep at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) earlier this month where Kneecap claimed seven prestigious accolades.

These included Best British Independent Film, Best Debut Screenwriter for Rich Peppiatt, and Best Joint Lead Performance for Kneecap members Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh.

Kneecap had its World Premiere at the A-list Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won a coveted NEXT Audience Award. Following its Sundance success, the film screened at major festivals worldwide, including Sundance London, Karlovy Vary, Tallinn Black Nights, Tribeca, and SXSW.  

As the opening film of the Galway Film Fleadh, Kneecap resonated powerfully with Irish audiences, winning three prizes, including the Audience Award. Last month the movie won the prestigious Arts & Culture gong at the Aisling Awards in Belfast.