THE official trailer for the award-winning Kneecap has been released ahead of the film’s UK premiere at the Sundance Film Festival: London tonight.
The film which will be released in Irish cinemas on 8th August will open the festival in London following its successful turn at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Utah earlier this year where it picked up an Audience Award and was the first ever Irish language film to premiere at the festival.
Director Rich Peppiatt will be in attendance at the UK premiere along with cast including the members of Kneecap, Michael Fassbender, Jessica Reynolds, Fionnuala Flaherty and Josie Walker who will all walk the red carpet tonight.
Based on the original story of the riotous and ground-breaking Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, the film stars the band’s Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí in their acting debuts alongside Academy Award nominated Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, 12 Years a Slave), Simone Kirby (Hidden Assets, Jimmy’s Hall), Jessica Reynolds (Outlander), Fionnuala Flaherty (Ros na Rún) and Josie Walker (Belfast, The Wonder). Set in West Belfast in 2019, it chronicles how fate brings the trio together and how they then go on to “change the sound of Irish music forever”.
Described by the LA Times as “reminiscent of the early Eminem”, the band Kneecap is gaining critical acclaim for their artful blend of Irish and English rap about the gritty reality of growing up in post-Troubles Belfast.
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. Funding for the film was provided by Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), Coimisiún na Meán and TG4, Dias Feld and Kamila Serkebaeva, with backing from Great Point Media.
Kneecap opens in cinemas across Ireland on 8th August. Tickets are now on sale online through the websites of participating cinemas. The film will have its Irish premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh on 9th July.
