9 BAFTA Film Awards nominations for Screen Ireland-supported films Kneecap and The Apprentice
Posted: 15th January 2025
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to congratulate the creative teams behind Irish films Kneecap and The Apprentice on their British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) nominations, which were announced today. Other Irish nominees include Saoirse Ronan for her performance in The Outrun.
Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said:
“Screen Ireland would like to congratulate Rich Peppiatt and the entire creative team behind Kneecap on their incredible six BAFTA nominations today, including Film Not in the English Language. This is another monumental achievement for Irish language cinema - just two years after the very first BAFTA nomination for an Irish language film in this category. Our sincere congratulations also go to Screen Ireland-supported The Apprentice, which received three BAFTA nominations, and to Saoirse Ronan on her BAFTA nomination today.”
Record-breaking Irish-language film Kneecap is nominated in six categories, for Film Not in the English Language, Original Screenplay, Casting, Editing, Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer. This marks the second Irish-language film in history to be nominated for Film Not in the English Language, since An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) first broke ground in 2023. These six nominations make the film the most nominated debut film in BAFTA history.
Based on the origin story of the riotous and ground-breaking Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, the film is set in west Belfast in 2019, chronicling how fate brings the trio together and how they then go on to “change the sound of Irish music forever”. The film received its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January this year, where it became the first Irish-language film to win the Audience Award in the festival’s NEXT strand, and most recently became the biggest winner at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) in December. Kneecap is a contender for the Academy Awards this year, longlisted for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Song.
The Apprentice, a Canadian/Irish/Danish co-production, was nominated in three categories: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Casting. Directed by Ali Abassi and written by Gabe Sherman, The Apprentice is a dive into the underbelly of the American empire. It charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.
Kneecap is produced by Jack Tarling and Trevor Birney for Fine Point Films and Mother Tongues Films, and Patrick O’Neill for Wildcard. 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, with backing from Great Point Media.
The Apprentice is produced by Daniel Bekerman for Scythia Films (Canada), Jacob Jarek for Profile Pictures, Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde for Tailored Films, and Ali Abbasi and Louis Tisné for Film Institute. The film is supported by Kinematics, Head Gear Films, Screen Ireland, Film i Väst, The Danish Film Institute and National Bank of Canada.
The EE BAFTA Film Awards will take place on Sunday 16th February 2025.