News

Irish rap group Kneecap, subject of the 2024 film of the same name, has won its discrimination case against the UK government over an arts grant that was withdrawn due to the trio’s politics.

The group has been awarded £14,250, the same amount it was initially granted through the Music Export Growth Scheme, overseen by the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Earlier this year the then-Conservative UK government refused the funding, with a government spokesperson saying it was “hardly surprising” it did not want to give UK taxpayers’ money to those they claimed opposed the UK.

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This December, Netflix is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated second season of Squid Game to a thrilling action thriller film titled The Carry-On. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Netflix this month and have an 89% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the five best films that are coming to Netflix in December 2024 with an 89% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Zero Dark Thirty (December 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% Credit – Sony Pictures

Zero Dark Thirty is a political action thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow from a screenplay by Mark Boal. The 2012 film follows a CIA analyst and her team as they try to track down an infamous terrorist leader responsible for a grave terror attack on the United States. Zero Dark Thirty stars Jessica Chastain,...

Already sitting on four BIFA wins for best casting, editing, original music and music supervision, and with 10 more nominations up for grabs, Kneecap from Rich Peppiatt has grabbed the independent film scene by the bollocks and introduced the wider world (or at least those who hadn’t been paying attention to their musical ascendance) to Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap – who have used music as their own form of protest against the English rule of the North of Ireland and infringement on the use of their native language – whose anarchist spirit you can’t help but be infected by. Peppiatt discovered the group after a gig in his local Belfast and after a baptism by fire, getting to know the lads over a delicate few pints, he persuaded them to make a film with him. Whilst Peppiatt’s narrative feature debut is fictionalised the lives, issues and continued battles fought by...

Thanksgiving has long been a deadline of sorts for studios campaigning for Oscar nominations, because it offers the tempting proposition of a holiday weekend in which voters might have free time to catch up on movies. In past years, that meant a steady stream of screener DVDs arriving in voters’ mailboxes in the days before Thanksgiving – but now, with the Academy focusing on its members-only screening platform and placing restrictions on physical screeners, the push is to get new films into the Academy Screening Room before the holiday.

Fifteen new films were added to that room on Wednesday, a departure from the usual weekly additions, which typically come every Friday. The newcomers include Best Picture contenders “Conclave” and “The Piano Lesson,” following a Nov. 22 influx that included “Emilia Perez,” “Joker: Folie a Deux,” “Juror No. 2,” “Nightbitch,” “A Real Pain,” “The Room Next Door,” “Saturday Night” and “September 5.”

But some major films are still missing,...

Michael Gracey’s Robbie Williams biopic musical Better Man will open the 36th annual Palm Springs Film Festival on Thursday, January 2, while The Penguin Lessons, directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring Steve Coogan in the heartwarming story of a teacher who rescues and adopts an adorable penguin, closes it out January 13. Both films had premieres at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year, and Better Man first had its world premiere at Telluride.

As always a hallmark of Psiff are screenings of numerous entries into the Oscar International Feature Film race, this year with 35 scheduled to screen in the desert.

The festival has programmed 158 films from 71 countries including 68 premieres. The lineup also includes sections like Talking Pictures, a focus on Spanish films with a spotlight on Pedro Almodóvar, New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, Queer Cinema, Cine Latino, True Stories,...

On Tuesday, the Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) announced its official 2025 lineup for the nearly two-week event that’s being held from Jan. 2 to Jan. 13.

The opening night movie will be Paramount Pictures’ “Better Man,” starring Robbie Williams and directed by Michael Gracey, which chronicles the pop star’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall. And the festival will close with Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Penguin Lessons,” starring Steve Coogan and directed by Peter Cattaneo, in the dramedy about a teacher whose life changes when he adopts a penguin. In all, Psiff will screen 158 films from 71 countries, including 68 premieres.

Artistic director Lili Rodriguez said, “Our lineup this year is truly something special. In true Psiff fashion, it spans genres and crosses borders to bring an exciting mix of films to the Coachella Valley. Over the past year, our Palm Springs International Film Festival team has carefully crafted a program that celebrates the art of storytelling,...

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is set to kick off on Jan. 2 with “Better Man,” directed by Michael Gracey, while the closing film on Jan. 12 will be “The Penguin Lessons,” directed by Peter Cattaneo.

The lineup will feature 35 of the international feature film Oscar submissions. Over 11 days, the festival will screen 158 films from 71 countries, including 68 premieres.

Also set are a focus on Spanish films including a spotlight on Pedro Almodóvar, and the return of sections such as New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, Queer Cinema, Cine Latino, True Stories and World Cinema Now.

“Better Man” is based on the true story of the rise, fall and return of British musician Robbie Williams. Cattaneo will be in attendance for “The Penguin Lessons,” a dramedy about a schoolteacher in militaristic Argentina who rescues a penguin.

Several of the honorees from the Palm Springs International Film Awards are set to participate in the Talking Pictures screenings,...

Denmark is launching a tax incentive to attract international film and TV productions to shoot in the country that will kick off in 2026.

Denmark will allocate $17.5m (€17m) annually to the rebate scheme.

Although details of the programme have yet to be confirmed, the amount is likely twice that allocated to international productions by Sweden.

In a statement, minister of culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt said Denmark “has a huge strategic interest in paving the way for strong film and TV productions.

“I think it’s crazy that a series like Miss Smilla’s Feeling For Snow, which takes place in Greenland and Denmark,...

Rich Peppiatt’s buzzy Irish comedy Kneecap has picked up four awards in the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) craft categories, this year’s most wins.

The awards were announced this morning in London ahead of next months official BIFA’s ceremony.

Kneecap’s haul included Best Casting, Best Editing, Best Original Music, and Best Music Supervision for Chris Welch and Jeanette Rehnstrom.

The Sundance breakout also leads overall nominations for this year’s British Independent Film Awards with a sweeping 14 nods, including Best Director and Best Film.

Elsewhere, Alex Garland’s Civil War won Best Effects for David Simpson – his second BIFA win after 2022’s Men. The film also scooped Best Sound for Glenn Freemantle, Mary H Ellis, and Howard Bargroff.

With 12 overall BIFA nominations, Rose Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding won Best Cinematography while Best Costume Design went to Michael O’Connor for Firebrand. O’Connor has previously been...

Northern Irish hip-hop film Kneecap has won four of the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)’s 10 craft categories, with wins elsewhere for Alex Garland’s Civil War and Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding.

The craft category winners were revealed Tuesday by co-hosts Ella Kemp (London editor at Letterboxd) and Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Barbie).

Rich Peppiatt’s comedy — which leads this year’s BIFA nominations with 14 nods — triumphed with best casting for Carla Stronge, best editing for Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill, best original music for Michael “Mikey J” Asante, and best music supervision for Gary Welch and Jeanette Rehnstrom.

Garland’s imagining of a dystopian near-future America Civil War took home best effects for David Simpson and best sound for Glenn Freemantle, Mary H. Ellis and Howard Bargroff.

With 12 BIFA nominations, Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding, led by Kristen Stewart and Katy M. O’Brian, won best cinematography for Ben Fordesman.

“Kneecap,” the comedy music biopic about the real-life Belfast hip-hop trio of the same name, has won four of the 10 craft categories at this year’s British Independent Film Awards.

The feature — from director Rich Peppiatt and Ireland’s submission for the Oscars international film race — won best casting for Carla Stronge, editing for Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill, original music for Michael “Mikey J” Asante and music supervision for Gary Welch and Jeanette Rehnstrom.

Meanwhile, Alex Garland’s vision of a dystopian near-future U.S., “Civil War,” won best effects for David Simpson and sound for Glenn Freemantle, Mary H Ellis and Howard Bargroff.

Winning one award each were Rose Glass’ “Loves Lies Bleeding” for cinematography for Ben Fordesman (his second BIFA win after claiming the same award in 2020 for Glass’ debut feature “Saint Maud”), “Firebrand” for Michael O’Connor’s costume design, “Unicorns for Lisa Mustafa’s make-up and...

A glimpse at upcoming UK DVD and Blu-ray release dates until early 2025: here’s what’s coming to disc and when.

Here, then, are a few of the upcoming dates for new movies on DVD and Blu-ray that may not yet have been officially announced. Note that all dates are for the UK.

Also: We’ve started adding affiliate links. If you click on those, we benefit, and can spend more money paying more people to write more things for this website. No pressure, just hugely obliged.

Obviously in the current climate everything is subject to change, of course…

Just released

First Time On UK Blu-ray: No Way Out (Film Stories Blu-ray #2)

First Time On UK Blu-ray: Bull Durham (Film Stories Blu-ray #3)

4th November: Deadpool & Wolverine

4th November: Prancer: A Christmas Tale

4th November: Apartment 7A

4th November: Joan

4th November: Borderlands

4th November: When We Were Kings...

The Academy has unveiled the list of feature films that are eligible for consideration in the animated feature, documentary feature Film, and international feature at the 2025 Oscars.

In animation, 31 films will vie for one of the five spots, including “The Wild Robot,” “Inside Out 2,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “Flow,” and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.”

In documentary feature, 169 films are eligible. Among them are “No Other Land,” “Daughters,” “Martha,” “I Am: Celine Dion,” and “Dahomey,” which is Senegal’s submission for international feature.

In international feature, there are 85 hopefuls, including frontrunner “Emilia Pérez” (France), “I’m Still Here” (Brazil), “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Germany), “Kneecap” (Ireland), and “Flight 404” (Egypt).

The shortlists of 15 films for documentary and international features will be released on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Oscar nominations will be announced on Friday, Jan. 17. The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will be held on Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.

The Academy has unveiled its list of eligible films for the 97th Oscars in the animated, documentary, and international feature categories, spotlighting various blockbusters and critically lauded works. Submissions span major studios and independent filmmakers alike, and the competition promises to be one of the most competitive as films seek nominations.

A total of 31 animated feature films are in contention this year, including DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot,” IFC Films’ “Memoir of a Snail,” and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” which recently became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. While this year’s number is slightly down from 33 submissions in 2023, it marks an increase from the 27 entries in 2022, reflecting a robust year for animation. Among the list also is Janus Film and Sideshow’s “Flow,” which will also compete in the international feature race for Latvia.

Nominees in the Animated Feature category are determined by the Academy’s Animation Branch members,...

The UK Global Screen Fund’s (Ukgsf) next round of awardees from its distribution strand of support includes The Penguin Lessons, Bring Them Down, The Salt Path and Kneecap.

The Ukgsf has issued 18 new awards, administered by the BFI, to support international opportunities for the UK’s independent screen sector. Ukgsf is financed through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms), and the awards see a further £413,995 allocated through the £7m per year fund’s international distribution strand.

The international distribution strand is now managed by Jordan Allwood, who joined the team in October from UK sales agent Independent Entertainment and replacesFrancesca Walker.

Looking outside America this Oscar season, there are plenty of candidates for the Best International Feature award. You might gravitate to Latvia’s Cannes entry Flow, a dialogue-free animation in which a black cat, a bird and a ragtag band of other creatures fight for survival in a human-free world after a catastrophic flood. Or maybe you’ll fancy the chances of raucous Irish-language Sundance comedy Kneecap, a wildly stylized biopic of the English-baiting, all-male hip-hop trio from Belfast.

But these two are outliers; the international Oscar race this year is dominated by stories of women, from all over the world. For example, the U.K.’s Hindi-language drama Santosh, filmed in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India, finds a policeman’s widow thrown into her late husband’s world, where she must battle police indifference and solve the murder of a low-caste local girl. From Bulgaria there is Triumph, a political...

"You might be missing your chance to win this war." FX on Hulu has debuted a second trailer for the series Say Nothing, set in Belfast during the infamous The Troubles period. It's out for streaming this week in the US. This historical drama limited series is created by Josh Zetumer for Disney+ and it's produced by FX Productions. Detailing four generations in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, it is an adaptation of the book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. The series follows the lives of people growing up in Belfast in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Starring Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan, and Maxine Peake. For another great film about Belfast, Ireland, I highly recommend watching Kneecap also from this year. This series seems to be more about how a divided nation is bad and hurting each other is bad,...

New York-based Fortress Investment Group has acquired Curzon, a leading U.K. arthouse exhibitor and distributor, the two companies announced Tuesday.

The deal gives Fortress control over Curzon’s 16 theaters, representing 46 screens, across the U.K., its distribution arm Curzon Film and its Curzon Home Cinema streaming platform. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. Allison Swayze, managing director at Fortress, said the company will support Curzon’s near-term plans in “expanding its cinema footprint, and delivering awards and release plans for an exciting slate of films. Our acquisition secures the jobs of more than 350 employees, and helps Curzon continue to offer film fans a range of independent and blockbuster movies both in cinema and at home.”

This is the second time in under five years that Curzon has changed hands, following Cohen Media Group’s acquisition of the company in 2019.

Fortress, which manages some $48 billion in assets, has been on a U.

UK arthouse cinema chain, distribution company and streaming platform Curzon has been bought by the US’ Fortress Investment Group for $5m.

Curzon has been owned by Charles Cohen’sdistribution and production company Cohen Media Group since December 2019.

In a statement, Fortress said the acquisition would secure the jobs of Curzon’s more than 350 employees.

“Curzon is an iconic film company, with global recognition for its long legacy of releasing and connecting independent and critically acclaimed films to UK audiences,” said Allison Swayze, managing director at Fortress. “We’re pleased to acquire Curzon, and bring our support to the company’s dedicated team.

Fortress Investment Group has bought British arthouse exhibitor and distributor Curzon in a deal that it claims will secure the company’s future across exhibition, distribution and streaming.

The acquisition, announced Tuesday, saw Fortress acquire the company from Charles Cohen’s Cohen Media Group in a foreclosure auction involving multiple Cohen assets, including the Landmark cinema chain. Fortress had lent Cohen $534 million but sued him earlier this year for default. Cohen acquired Curzon in late 2019 amid a buying spree by the U.S. real estate developer.

Financial details of the successful Fortress bid weren’t disclosed, but encompass Curzon’s 16-location theatrical footprint with 46 screens across the U.K., alongside its distribution arm Curzon Film and the Curzon Home Cinema streaming platform. The company said that the move secures positions for Curzon’s 350-plus workforce.

The venerable British outfit, which dates back to 1934, has been expanding its theatrical presence in recent years,...

Bei den Nominierungen für die British Independent Film Awards landete „Kneecap“ mit gesamt 14 auf Platz eins der meisten Nennungen. Jetzt gibt es den deutschen Trailer dieses hinreißend komischen fiktiven Biopics, das die Zuschauer mitnimmt auf einen Sex, Drugs & Hiphop-Trip durch Belfast. Atlas Filmverleih bringt die irische Oscareinreichung am 23. Januar in die Kinos.

Wir haben „Kneecap“ auf dem Filmfest Hamburg gesehen – und waren begeistert (hier die Spot-Besprechung). Atlas Filmverleih stellt nun den deutschen Trailer zur Verfügung sowie das offizielle Plakat. Kinostart ist dann am 23. Januar 2025. Weltpremiere feierte der neue wilde Film von Rich Peppiatt auf dem Sundance Film Festival, wo er den Publikumspreis Next gewann. Als rasend witzige Fiktion im Stil von „Trainspotting“ erzählt er über die real existierende irische Hiphop-Gruppe Kneecap, die mit Songs in irischer Sprache die Welt erobert. Bei den unlängst bekanntgegebenen BIFA-Nominierungen (British Independent Film Awards) liegt „Kneecap“ mit 14 Nennungen auf Platz eins. Wie viele er gewinnt,...

France’s Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 16th edition of its mountaintop movie marathon, taking place from December 14-21, 2024.

Eight European films will vie for the festival’s Crystal Arrow awards.

They include Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, a comedy about titular west Belfast hip-hop trio that is Ireland’s entry for the best international feature Oscar race and leads the Bifa 2024 nominations, Runar Runarsson’s Icelandic drama When the Light Breaks that opened this year’s Cannes Un Certain Regard, and Kurdwin Ayub’s Moon about a former Austrian martial arts master hired to train...

Der von den Kölner Weydemann Bros. mitproduzierte „The Outrun“ von Nora Fingscheidt hat tolle neun Nominierungen bei den British Independent Film Awards erhalten, darunter als bester Film, für Nora Fingscheidt als beste Regisseurin, Kameramann Yunus Roy Imer, Editor Stephan Bechinger und die Musiker John Gürtler & Jan Misere.

Saoirse Ronan in Nora Fingscheidts „The Outrun“ (Credit: Studiocanal)

Tolle neun Nominierungen hat „The Outrun“ von Nora Fingscheidt bei den British Independent Film Awards 2024 erhalten. Koproduzent ist Weydemann Bros. aus Köln, deutscher Verleih Studiocanal. Damit hat der Film die drittmeisten Nominierungen erhalten nach „Kneecap“ (14) und „Love Lies Bleeding“ (12). Die feierliche Gala im Roundhouse London findet am 8. Dezember statt.

Die Nominierungen für „The Outrun“, der auf Amy Liptrots autobiographischem Bestsellerroman basiert, erfolgten in den Kategorien: Best British Independent Film, Beste Regie (Nora Fingscheidt), Bestes Drehbuch (Nora Fingscheidt & Amy Liptrot), Beste Hauptdarstellerin (Soairse Ronan – sie hat den BIFA Award 2015 schon mal für „Brooklyn“ gewonnen), Beste...

Whilst the eyes of the world may be locked firmly on the other side of the Atlantic this morning, back here in Blighty there is at least some positivity still to be shared yet. Having shone last year when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought Hollywood to a standstill, the independent British cinema scene has continued to shine throughout 2024, with revered greats, rising stars, returning masters, and bold new narratives all emerging to ensure the flame for indies from these shores has never burned brighter. As such, it comes as no great surprise that the announcement of this year's British Independent Film Awards nominees is a veritable treasure trove of great art and great artists that stand to represent the very best British filmmaking has to offer.

Leading the pack with an impressive 14 nominations — including nods for Best British Independent Film, Director, Screenplay, and Debut Director — is British-Irish filmmaker Rich Peppiatt...

by Cláudio Alves

In a fascinating turn of events, the official Oscar submission from Ireland is the most nominated film at the British Independent Film Awards. Kneecap, a comedy about the homonymous Belfast hip-hop group, scored a grand total of 14 nods, including five for its director, Rich Peppiatt. In the second place, we find Rose Glass's Saint Maud follow-up, Love Lies Bleeding. A thriller flirting with body horror, it nabbed 12 honors. Coming in third, there's The Outrun which continues to grow its awards season profile. The Scottish drama scored nine nominations overall, but its best bet is probably Best Actress, where Saoirse Ronan is aiming for gold. If things go according to Sony Picture Classic's plans, the film might add an Oscar nomination to its bounty before the season's over…...

To say the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has become more international in recent years doesn’t quite paint a full enough picture of how tastes have changed. More accurately, the Academy has become more European, so when awards bodies like the British Independent Film Awards or the European Film Awards announce their nominations, take note.

The film that arguably got the biggest show of support from both parties is documentary “No Other Land,” directed by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, chronicling Israel’s destructive occupation of the West Bank’s Masafer Yatta, all before the events of October 7, 2023. While it’s been a mainstay at fall film festivals from Telluride to Toronto to New York after first winning Best Documentary at the Berlinale, “No Other Land” has been entirely self-distributed. Already without studio support, the film lacks the backing of celebrities the way “To Kill a Tiger” (another film...

Kneecap leads the race at the BIFAs

This year’s British Independent Film Awards nominations have been released, and Belfast-based comedy Kneecap is in the lead with an impressive 14 nominations. Directed by whistleblowing journalist Rich Peppiat, the Irish language film, in which members of the titular band play themselves, attracted controversy on release but quickly proved popular with the viewing public.

Following close on its heels are Love Lies Bleeding, with 12 nominations, and The Outrun, with nine. Bird, Unicorns and On Becoming A Guinea Fowl took seven apiece.

The winners will be revealed on 8 December.

Those nominations in full:

Best British independent film Kneecap - Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling Love Lies Bleeding - Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman On Becoming A Guinea Fowl - Rungano Nyoni, Tim Cole, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe The Outrun - Nora Fingscheidt, Amy Liptrot, Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden,...

The British Independent Film Awards this year honor two Sundance breakout films, with both “Kneecap” and “Love Lies Bleeding” atop the 2024 nominations list.

Rich Peppiatt’s “Kneecap” (repping Ireland for the 2024 Best International Feature Oscar) leads this year’s nominees with 14 nods, including Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best British Independent Film. “Kneecap” is based on the eponymous rap group, which star here alongside Michael Fassbender in a fictionalized band origin story.

Following “Kneecap” with 12 nominations is Rose Glass’s “Love Lies Bleeding.” Co-leads Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are nominated for Best Joint Lead Performance, and the film has also been recognized in the Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay categories.

Additional features that received multiple nominations include “The Outrun,” “Bird,” and “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.”

In 2023, “All of Us Strangers” swept the top categories with awards, in addition to “Rye Lane” and future...

“Kneecap” and “Love Lies Bleeding” led Tuesday’s nominations for the British Independent Film Awards.

Written and directed by Rich Peppiatt, “Kneecap,” Ireland’s Oscar entry, scored 14 bids, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Joint Lead Performance for Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh. It was shortlisted in a whopping eight crafts categories.

Rose Glass‘ “Love Lies Bleeding” was next in like with 12 nominations, including the same above-the-line categories as “Kneecap.” Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian are nominated for joint lead performance. It also earned eight crafts nominations.

Nora Fingsheidt‘s “The Outrun” received nine bids, including Best Lead Performance for Saoirse Ronan, who previously won the BIFA for Best Actress for 2015’s “Brooklyn.” The film is up for the top prize, while Fingsheidt is nominated for her direction and her script with Amy Liptrot.

Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Rungano Nyoni...

This morning, the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) announced their list of nominations for 2024.

‘Kneecap’ leads 2024 nominations with 14, ‘Love Lies Bleeding has 12, ‘The Outrun receives 9 nominations, 7 nominations each for ‘Bird,’ on becoming a guinea fowl and unicorns, 6 for ‘Hoard’ and ‘Civil War.’

Celebrating remarkable films and outstanding talent from the British film industry and beyond, this year’s list highlights the UK’s brightest new talent alongside BIFA heroes such as Andrea Arnold, Rose Glass, Rungano Nyoni, Saoirse Ronan, Jack O’Connell, Barry Keoghan and Hayley Squires.

Also in news – John Krasinski to return for ‘Jack Ryan’ movie

The nominations are;

The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film

Tba – This year’s award recipient will be announced in the coming weeks.

Best British Independent Film

Kneecap Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling

Love Lies Bleeding Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman

On Becoming A Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni,...

Belfast-set rap comedy leads the charge with 14 nominations, with Love Lies Bleeding and The Outrun close behind

Belfast-set rap comedy Kneecap has emerged as the frontrunner in the British independent film awards, after it picked up 14 nominations to lead the field including best British independent film and best joint lead performance for its three main cast members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh – Aka Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.

Kneecap, which was part funded by the British Film Institute and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish language broadcast fund, features the Irish-language rappers alongside Michael Fassbender, and scored multiple nominations for its director Rich Peppiatt, who is up for best director and screenwriter as well as the debut versions of both categories.

Neben der deutschen Oscareinreichung können sich auch Lars Eidinger, Franz Rogowski und Soleen Yusefs „Sieger sein“ Hoffnungen auf eine Auszeichnung bei den European Film Awards machen.

In einem Nominierungsvideo sind heute die Nominierungen in den Hauptkategorien für die Verleihung der European Film Awards am 7. Dezember in Luzern bekannt gegeben worden.

Insgesamt dreimal nominiert wurde Mohammad Rasoulofs „Die Saat des heiligen Feigenbaums“. Die deutsche Oscareinreichung wurde in der Kategorie European Film, in der in diesem Jahr erstmals auch Filme aus den Kategorien European Documentary und European Animated Feature berücksichtigt wurden, Rasoulof in den Kategorien European Director und European Screenwriter.

In der Kategorie European Actor konkurrieren die deutschen Schauspieler Franz Rogowski („Bird“) und Lars Eidinger („Sterben“) miteinander um einen European Film Award.

Für den European Film Award in der Kategorie Young Audience Award nominiert ist Soleen Yousefs „Sieger sein“.

Die Nominierungen im Überblick:

European Film:

• „Bye Bye Tiberias (Regie: Lina Soualem)

• „Dahomey...

The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) announced nominations for the 2024 ceremony this week. Irish language comedy “Kneecap” earned the most nominations with 14. The film centers on a hip hop group in Belfast trying to preserve their native tongue.

Rose Glass’s “Love Lies Bleeding” followed close behind with 12 nominations. The psychological thriller stars Kristen Stewart and explores themes of obsession. Both films are nominated for best film alongside nine other nominees.

Saoirse Ronan picked up a best actress nomination for her role in “The Outrun.” The film adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s memoir tells a story of recovery on the Orkney Islands off Scotland’s northern coast. Ronan previously won a BIFA for her role in “Brooklyn” in 2015.

Other acting nominees include Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski for “Bird,” Jack O’Connell for “Back to Black,” Elliot Page for “Close to You,” and Alicia Vikander for “The Assessment.” The BIFA aims...

Emilia Pérez and The Room Next Door have emerged as the front-runners for the European Film Awards 2024, with four nominations apiece.

The nominations for the main categories of this year’s awards, which take place on December 7 in Lucerne, were announced this morning by the European Film Academy.

Scroll down for full list of nominations

Fifteen features compete for the best European film prize, up from five last year. This follows a recent rule change which means that films shortlisted for the best documentary and animation categories can also compete in the section.

Emilia Pérez is nominated in the best European film category,...

The subversive Irish flick Kneecap leads this year’s British Independent Film Award nominations with 14 nods, including Best Director and Best Screenplay.

Directed by Rich Peppiatt, the film’s impressive noms haul also includes nods for Best Debut Screenwriter, Best British Independent Film, and eight craft categories, including Best Casting and Best Cinematography.

Kneecap debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and has been picked to represent Ireland in the International Feature Film category of the 97th annual Academy Awards.

Trailing Kneecap is Rose Glass’ punk rock flick Love Lies Bleeding, which landed 12 nominations. The film’s noms include Best British Independent Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The film’s two leads, Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart, also landed nods for Best Joint Lead Performance.

Elsewhere, Saoirse Ronan’s indie flick The Outrun landed nine noms, and Andrea Arnold’s fifth feature Bird picked up seven nods.

Winners...

“Kneecap” and “Love Lies Bleeding” lead the nominees for this year’s British Independent Film Awards.

“How to Have Sex” breakout Mia McKenna-Bruce and “Rye Lane” star Vivian Oparah announced the nominations in London on Tuesday morning. “Kneecap” received the most nods with 14, including best screenplay, director for Rich Peppiatt and joint lead performance for Kneecap members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh.

Rose Glass’ “Love Lies Bleeding” follows with 12, including best British independent film, director, screenplay and joint lead performance for Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian. “The Outrun,” starring Saoirse Ronan, received nine nods for best British independent film, director for Nora Fingsheidt, screenplay for Fingsheidt and Amy Liptrot and lead performance for Ronan.

Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” and James Krishna Floyd’s “Unicorns” each garnered seven nominations.

The winners will be revealed, in addition to...

The 2024 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) nominations were unveiled Tuesday morning by Mia McKenna-Bruce (How to Have Sex) and Vivian Oparah (Rye Lane) at One Hundred Shoreditch in London, with Kneecap, the Irish rap comedy featuring Michael Fassbender, and Love Lies Bleeding with Kristen Stewart leading the charge, followed by The Outrun with Saoirse Ronan, as well as Andrea Arnold’s Bird with Barry Keoghan, queer romance Unicorns, and Rungano Nyoni’s On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.

In the performance categories, big-name nominees include the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Barry Keoghan, Kristen Stewart, Alicia Vikander, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Elliot Page, and Jack O’Connell.

In the best international feature category, Sean Baker’s Anora will compete with the likes of Mohammad Rasoulof‘s The Seed of the Sacred Fig.

“Celebrating remarkable films and outstanding talent from the British film industry and beyond, this year’s list highlights the U.K.’s brightest...

Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding and Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun headed the nominations for the 2024 British Independent Film Awards (Bifas).

Comedy Kneecap about the eponymous west Belfast hip-hop trio scored the most nominations with 14, including director, screenplay and best British independent film for Peppiatt - the latter alongside producers Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling - and joint lead performance for its stars Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh.

Scroll down for the full list of Bifa 2024 nominations

Glass – a Bifa best debut director winner in 2020 for Saint Maud – has scored...

The first look of Éanna Hardwicke as Manchester United and Ireland soccer legend Roy Keane alongside Steve Coogan as his embattled Irish national manager Mick McCarthy, has been revealed from upcoming comedy biopic “Saipan.”

The film — first announced earlier in the year by Variety — chronicles one of the most infamous moments in Irish sporting history, when Keane and McCarthy had a very public falling out. Alongside Hardwicke and Coogan, the supporting cast includes Alice Lowe (“Sightseers”), Jamie Beamish (“Derry Girls”), Alex Murphy (“Young Offenders”), Harriet Cains (“Bridgerton”) and Peter McDonald (“The Batman”).

“Saipan” is being directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa — the duo behind “Good Vibrations” and “Ordinary Love” — — working from an original script by Paul Fraser (“Dead Man’s Shoes”). Bankside Films is handling sales and will be showing a promo to buyers at the American Film Market.

Described as a “true-life comedy of the most epic proportions,...

A coalman struggles to ignore the rotten heart of his idyllic community in a powerfully understated drama. Here’s our Small Things Like These review.

Cillian Murphy might not be the first actor you’d think of to play a coalman. But then, Bill Furlong isn’t quite what you’d expect from a coalman, either.

Shy, awkward, and the master of a comfortable silence, he doesn’t even greet his family with a “hello” when he walks in the door; he simply cleans the coal dust from his face, sits down with his tea, and helps his four daughters with their geography homework. There’s a gentleness to him, a charitability that rears its head when he meets the son of a local alcoholic on the road home or puts money behind the bar for his employees’ Christmas drinks.

Still, when he sees a young woman dragged, screaming into...

Budapest International Film Festival (Biff) is building a film funding initiative independent of the Hungarian state, as the festival’s first edition gets underway today.

The fund will launch during the festival, which runs from October 29 to November 3 at the Corvin Cinema Budapest.

The fund will be run in collaboration with the Sandor Simo Foundation, and will support at least one Hungarian feature film and a short film, from script development through to theatrical release.It will aim to raise between€500,000 to€1m in its first year, which organisers say is the current average budget of an independent Hungarian feature film.

Academy members who are voting in the Best International Feature Film category have been given 85 different films to consider, according to emails sent to voters on Friday and obtained by TheWrap.

The 85 films make up the smallest field in the category in nine years. Last year saw 88 qualifying films, after the total number of eligible films had topped 90 in five of the previous six years. The record was 93, set in 2000.

In late September, all prospective voters in the category received emails inviting them to vote in the international category and telling them that those who opted in would receive emails with their assigned viewing on Friday, Nov. 1. But those emails came a week early, going to prospective voters on Friday afternoon, Oct. 25, and separating the members into seven separate groups.

Each group was given a list of 12 or 13 films to view, either in the Academy’s members-only screening platform devoted...

"I would die for a united Ireland." FX on Hulu has revealed the full trailer for a series called Say Nothing, set in Belfast during the infamous The Troubles period. This historical drama limited series is created by Josh Zetumer for Disney+ and it's produced by FX Productions. Strangely not an Irish production and not really made for either Irish or UK audiences despite being about what happened over there. Detailing four generations in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, it is an adaptation of the book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. The claim is that it's a story of "both sides", but I do wonder if there's some kind of political angle buried within. Not to mention it feels odd adding in humor. Just to say that a divided nation is bad. The series follows the lives of people...

Rebekah Fortune’s Learning To Breathe Under Water, starring Rory Kinnear and The Apprentice actor Maria Bakalova, has wrapped production in Galway, Ireland, as Bankside Films unveils a slew of pre-sales on the project.

The comedy drama has sold to Benelux (September Film), Bulgaria (Beta), Eastern Europe excluding Poland (HBO), Former Yugoslavia (Karantanija Cinemas), Middle East (Front Row), Poland (Best Film) and airlines (Aardwolf).

The project is produced by Jack Tarling of the UK’s Shudder Films and Patrick O’Neill of Ireland’s Wildcard, who previously collaborated on Ireland’s international Oscar film race entry and box office success, Kneecap.

International awards contendersAll We Imagine As Light andThe Girl With The Needleare among the films screening as part of the international competition at the 30th anniversary edition of the Geneva International Film Festival, taking place in Switzerland from November 1-10.

Payal Kapadia’s Indian dramaAll We Imagine As Light centres on three woman living in modern-day Mumbai and was awarded the grand prix at Cannes earlier this year.

Several of the competition films are also representing their countries at the Oscars as international feature submissions includingMatthew Rankin’s Universal Languagefor Canada and Magnus von Horn’sThe Girl With The Needlefor Denmark.

Die österreichische Produktion ist einer von fünf Filmen, die für den European University Film Award nominiert sind.

„Mond“ ist für den European University Film Award nominiert (Credit: Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion)

2016 haben die European Film Academy und das Filmfest Hamburg den European University Film Award initiiert, dessen Gewinner von Studierenden aus ganz Europa gekürt wird. Heute wurden die fünf nominierten Filme bekannt gegeben, die auch in der Spiel- und Dokumentarfilmauswahl für den European Film Award sind.

Für den European University Film Award nominiert sind Kurdwin Ayubs von Ulrich Seidl produzierter zweiter Spielfilm „Mond“ (hier unsere Spot-Besprechung), der in Locarno seine Weltpremiere gefeiert hatte, Dea Kulumbegashvilis „April“ (hier unsere Spot-Besprechung), für den die Regisseurin beim Filmfest Hamburg mit dem erstmals vergebenen Albert Wiederspiel Preis ausgezeichnet wurde, Halfdan Ullmann Tøndels norwegische Oscareinreichung „Elternabend“ (hier unsere Spot-Besprechung), an dem die Berliner One Two Films als Koproduzent beteiligt ist, Rich Peppiats irische Oscareinreichung „Kneecap“ (hier...

Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap is among the five films nominated for the European University Film Award (Eufa) as announced by the European Film Academy and Filmfest Hamburg.

Irish-language hip hop biopic Kneecap is joined by Dea Kulumbegashvili’s Venice award winner April; Cannes award winnersArmand from Halfdan Ullmann Tondel and Three Kilometres To The End Of The World by Emanuel Parvu; and Kurdwin Ayub’s Austrian drama Moon.

The five selected features will be viewed and discussed across 23 universities in 23 countries with each institution choosing its favourite film.

A representative from each university will attend a three-day deliberation meeting in...

“Kneecap,” the wild Irish comedy biopic that took Sundance by storm earlier this year, is heading to Africa. The film, which is Ireland’s submission to the Oscars international film category and many have tipped for a nomination, has been acquired by international distributor What the Hero Wants (Wthw) in a multi-territory deal.

After impressive box office runs in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland and a global box office in excess of $4 million, “Kneecap” will now launch theatrically in early December 2024 across multiple African territories, including South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, with more to be announced. This will be followed by a digital release.

From writer-director Rich Peppiatt, “Kneecap” — which was picked up in Sundance by Sony Pictures Classics — is a raucous semi-autobiographical comedy about the wildly outspoken and hard-partying Northern Irish hip-hop trio of the same name. Set in Belfast, the film follows the group as they...

Subversive Irish breakout pic Kneecap and Sasha Nathwani’s gentle yet ambitious debut Last Swim are among the titles that have nabbed mentions on the new talent longlists at this year’s British Independent Film Awards.

Both Kneecap and Last Swim pop up on the Douglas Hickox Best Debut Director Award longlist. Other nominees include Hoard, directed by Luna Carmoon, and Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, which debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

All four films also feature on the best screenplay longlist alongside Christopher Andrews’s Bring Them Down starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott. Other pics on the screenplay longlist include The Ceremony by Jack King and Jed Hart’s Restless.

Overall, the longlists include 31 British features, with 20 fiction and 11 documentary features across four debut filmmaking categories. Within that, there are 13 first-time fiction feature directors, 16 first-time feature documentary directors, 11 first-time writers, and 19 breakthrough producers.

The final...

Rich Peppiatt’s “Kneecap” and Luna Carmoon’s “Hoard” are among the titles in the British Independent Film Awards’ (BIFA) 2024 filmmaker new talent longlists, unveiled Friday. The selections spotlight 31 British features across four debut filmmaking categories, encompassing both fiction and documentary works.

Peppiatt and Carmoon join a group of first-time directors vying for the Douglas Hickox Award, including Amrou Al-Kadhi for “Layla,” Christopher Andrews for “Bring Them Down,” and Daina O Pusić for “Tuesday.” Other contenders in this category are Lucy Cohen with “Edge of Summer,” James Krishna Floyd for “Unicorns,” Stuart Gatt’s “Catching Dust,” Karan Kandhari’s “Sister Midnight,” Jack King’s “The Ceremony,” Rob Morgan’s “Stopmotion,” Sasha Nathwani’s “Last Swim,” and Joshua Trigg’s “Satu – Year of the Rabbit.” The category is sponsored by BBC Film.

The best debut screenwriter category, sponsored by Film4, sees Andrews and Carmoon competing alongside Floyd, Jed Hart for “Restless,...