A film about Irish rap trio Kneecap has won seven gongs at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) 2024 including Best British Independent Film.
Kneecap also won Best Debut Screenwriter for Rich Peppiatt, Best Joint Lead for the trio’s members Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, Best Casting, Best Editing, Best Original Music, and Best Music Supervision, at the ceremony at London’s Roundhouse.
The comedy movie, which also stars Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender, follows the Belfast group on their mission to save their mother tongue through music, and is directed by Peppiatt.
It comes after the group won their discrimination court battle against UK leader of the opposition and former business secretary Kemi Badenoch, after the then-UK government conceded it was “unlawful” to refuse them a £14,250 Music Export Growth Scheme funding award.
Elsewhere, Best Director went to Rungano Nyoni, for On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, an exploration of secrets and grief within a middle-class Zambian family, thriller Santosh took Best Screenplay, and Best Lead Performance went to Marianne Jean-Baptiste for comedy drama Hard Truths.
Best Supporting Performance went to Franz Rogowski for his role in drama Bird, black comedy Wicked Little Letters picked up Best Ensemble Performance, and Best Debut Director went to Christopher Andrews for Bring Them Down, a film about two warring families in rural Ireland.
That's a wrap for #BIFA2024. 💙
— BIFA (@BIFA_film) December 9, 2024
A huge congratulations to all this year's winners and nominees. https://t.co/S3qnGKbjfE pic.twitter.com/RQViNbWx2a
Duo Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane took the Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary award as well as The Raindance Maverick Award for Grand Theft Hamlet, which sees a performance of Shakespeare’s tale enacted entirely within the confines of the video game Grand Theft Auto.
Best British Short Film was awarded to stop-motion movie Wander To Wonder, while Sean Baker’s Anora, about a dancer and her oligarch Prince Charming, took Best International Independent Film.
The 2024 Richard Harris Award For Outstanding Contribution By An Actor To British Film was presented to Sophie Okonedo by friend and collaborator Ben Daniels.
