Does Irish Hit ‘Kneecap’ Have the Legs to Make It to the Oscars?

variety.com:

Alex Ritman It may still be early days in the awards race, but when it comes to the actual number of gongs won so far, a low-budget Irish-language comedy biopic about a rowdy Belfast rap trio can count itself among the leading pack of films. “Kneecap,” a wild and semi-autobiographical tale about the formation of the band of the same name which features proud use of the local language and frequent run-ins with the authorities, paramilitary groups and hard drugs, recently dominated the British Independent Film Awards (the U.K.’s scrappier, scruffier distant cousin of the BAFTAs).

On Dec. 8, it won the top prize of best British independent film, plus debut screenwriter for writer/director Rich Peppiatt and joint lead awards for Kneecap bandmates Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who all play themselves (Michael Fassbender, meanwhile, has a supporting role).

These awards join the four BIFA craft honors it had already won, plus the NEXT audience award in Sundance following its premiere in January and three honors on home soil at the Galway Film Festival.

But for all its success in 2024, the question remains whether “Kneecap” — which Sony Pictures Classics acquired in Sundance — has a cat’s chance in hell of keeping the party going into the new year once the awards big dogs start roaring to life.