“Clearly destined for cult status”: Strong reviews for Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap at Sundance
Posted: 19th January 2024
“clearly destined for cult status” - The Irish Times
“The funniest thing to come out of Belfast….Kneecap is a riot” - Screen Daily
“a sharp and well-made comedy” - IndieWire
"Kneecap" is an audacious film that completely obliterates the expectations of the musical biopic genre” - The Wrap
Kneecap had its world premiere at the renowned Sundance Film Festival in Utah last night. The Utah audience gave the film an enthusiastic round of applause as the credits rolled, and there was raucous laughter from the sold-out audience throughout the premiere screening.
The film marks the first time an Irish language film has screened at the festival.
In attendance at the premiere were writer/director Rich Peppiatt and stars of the film, Kneecap’s Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, Simone Kirby, Jessica Reynolds and Fionnuala Flaherty.
Based on the origin 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”.
Founded in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival is the world's most prestigious festival dedicated to independent films. Irish productions that have screened at the festival in the past include John Crowley's Brooklyn, Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster, John Carney's Sing Street and Lee Cronin’s The Hole in the Ground.
Kneecap was also the first non-US film to ever be selected for the NEXT section of the festival. The festival describes selections for this section as “pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to story-telling”. The film is writer/director Rich Peppiatt’s first live-action feature following his award-winning satirical documentary One Rogue Reporter.
Kneecap was produced by Jack Tarling and Trevor Birney 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, with backing from Great Point Media.
The film will be released in cinemas by Wildcard and Curzon later this year.