Ireland's movie entry for next year's Oscars has been chosen

Ireland’s movie entry for next year’s Oscars has been chosen

Stephen Porzio

And what a great pick it is.

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced that the movie Kneecap has been selected to represent the country in the Oscar International Feature Film category at the upcoming Academy Awards.

The category is for movies produced outside the US with predominantly non-English dialogue, with each country getting one submission.

Written and directed by Rich Peppiatt in his dramatic feature debut, the Irish language film Kneecap stars the members of the much-discussed Belfast-based Irish language hip-hop trio of the same name, alongside two-time Oscar-nominee Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave, Steve Jobs).

Described as a “semi-fictionalised” take on the trio’s origin story, the plot synopsis for the comedy drama reads:

“When fate brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise and Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, Kneecap fast become the unlikely figureheads of a Civil Rights movement to save their mother tongue.

“But the trio must first overcome police, paramilitaries and politicians trying to silence their defiant sound – whilst their anarchic approach to life often makes them their own worst enemies.”

Having picked up an award at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and after earning rave reviews, Kneecap was chosen as Ireland’s Oscar submission by IFTA’s 2024 Selection Committee.

This committee includes Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), award-winning directors Colm Bairéad (An Cailín Ciúin) and Lisa Mulcahy (Lies We Tell) and award-winning actor Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones).

Speaking about the choice, IFTA Academy CEO, Áine Moriarty said: “What a brilliantly creative powerhouse of a film, with its bold and fearless storytelling and its raw and boisterous screen performances.

“Nowhere before has filmmaking brought together the Irish language and music in such rebellious and youthful defiance. We have no doubt that Kneecap will both surprise and entertain international audiences, and ultimately leave its unique mark on international Academy Members too.”

Responding to the news, Kneecap’s Mo Chara stated: “We want to thank IFTA for selecting our film to be the Irish submission for an Oscar… that’s sound of yous.

“It’s obviously great that films in the Irish language are having some kind of effect on people, [just recently we] had An Cailín Ciúin… For a culture that was so brutally oppressed for so long, the language was almost driven to extinction, now it’s on the biggest stage of the world and it’s an absolute privilege.”

The Kneecap movie will hit Irish cinemas on Thursday, 8 August before a UK release on Friday, 23 August.

JOE’s review of the film will run a few days before its Irish release.

The Oscar International Feature shortlist will later be announced on Tuesday, 17 December, and the final five nominees will be announced on Friday, 17 January 2025.

The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will then take place in Los Angeles on Sunday 3 March 2025.

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