Richard "Rich" Peppiatt is an Irish[1]writer and director.[2][3] best-known for films Kneecap and One Rogue Reporter.[4][5]
Rich Peppiatt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Richard Peppiatt |
| Citizenship | Ireland |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Notable work | Kneecap |
He received nominations in four categories at the 78th British Academy Film Awards for Kneecap, including Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, despite being an Irish, not British, citizen.[6] He was nominated in six categories of the 78th British Academy Film Awards for Kneecap, making him the most nominated debut director in the awards’ history.[7] Despite being Irish, not British, he won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.[8] He was awarded Best Director at the 2025 Irish Film and Television Awards,[9] Best Debut Screenwriter at the British Independent Film Awards,[10] and Breakthrough British/Irish filmmaker at the London Film Critics' Circle Awards.[11]
Career
editAfter graduating from the Warwick University, Peppiatt worked as a journalist across a number of national newspapers in the UK.[12] He first came to prominence in 2011 when his resignation letter to Daily Star proprietor Richard Desmond, accusing the paper of Islamophobia and unethical journalism, went viral when it was leaked to the The Guardian.[13][14][15] He became a prominent critic of tabloid behaviour, giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry into Press Ethics.[16][17]
One Rogue Reporter
editPeppiatt turned his experiences as a journalist and fallout from his resignation into a stand-up comedy show titled One Rogue Reporter which premiered at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, described as "hilariously turning the tables on the tabloid power players, testing the public’s right to know to its eye-opening extremity."[18][19] After Edinburgh the show toured across the UK, finishing with a run at London’s Soho Theatre.[20][21]
The stage show was transformed into a documentary One Rogue Reporter, starring Hugh Grant, Steve Coogan and John Bishop. It premiered at Sheffield DocFest in 2014 and was nominated for Best Independent Feature at the National Film Awards UK.[22]
Short films
editIn 2018, Peppiatt released two short films titled Backseat Driver and Grounded.[23][24] Grounded was long-listed for the 2020 Academy Awards.[2]
Television
editPeppiatt was the writer and occasional director of five seasons Channel 4’s satirical consumer affairs show Supershoppers.[citation needed] He was writer of season five of Channel 4’s Tricks of the Restaurant Trade.[25]
Kneecap
editIn 2024 Peppiatt wrote and directed his first narrative feature film Kneecap, about the rise of the Belfast-based hip-hop group Kneecap.[26] The film stars the band members as themselves, as well as Michael Fassbender. The idea for a film was first conceived in 2019 when Peppiatt watched the group perform in Belfast.[27] He went on to shoot the music video for their track “Guilty Conscience”.[28]
The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, winning the NEXT Audience Award.[29] It was released worldwide in August 2024 claiming the biggest Irish weekend opening ever for Irish language film.[30] At the 2024 Galway Film Fleadh, Kneecap won three main prizes: Best Irish Film, Best Irish Language Film and Audience Award. It is the first film in the 36-year history of the festival to do so.[31]
The film won seven awards at the 2024 British Independent Film Awards, including Best British Independent Film,[32] four awards at the Irish Film and Television Awards,[33] and a BAFTA. Kneecap was shortlisted as Ireland’s entry for the 2025 Academy Awards,[34] but failed to earn a nomination.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Contribution | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | One Rogue Reporter | Director, writer and producer | Documentary |
| 2017 | Hutching Up | Director, writer and producer | Short film |
| 2018 | Grounded | Director, writer and producer | Short film |
| 2018 | Backseat Driver | Director, co-writer and producer | Short film |
| 2018 | Who Killed the KLF? | Executive producer | Documentary |
| 2024 | Kneecap | Director and writer | Feature film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Contribution | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2018 | Supershoppers | Director, writer and producer | TV Series |
| 2019 | Tricks of the Restaurant Trade | Writer | 5 episodes |
Awards and nominations
edit| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Independent Film Awards | 2024 | Best British Independent Film | Kneecap | Won | [35] |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) | Nominated | ||||
| Best Debut Screenwriter | Won | ||||
| European Film Awards | 2024 | European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI | Nominated | [36] | |
| European University Film Award | Nominated | [37] | |||
| Galway Film Fleadh | 2024 | Best Irish Film | Won | [31] | |
| Best Irish Language Film | Won | ||||
| Audience Award | Won | ||||
| South by Southwest | 2024 | Audience Award | Nominated | [38] | |
| Sundance Film Festival | 2024 | NEXT Audience Award | Won | [29] | |
| Sydney Film Festival | 2024 | Best Film | Nominated | [39] | |
| Irish Film and Television Academy Awards | 2025 | Best Film | Nominated | [40][41] | |
| Best Director | Won | ||||
| Best Script | Nominated | ||||
| British Academy of Film and Television Awards | 2025 | Best Film Not In The English Language | Nominated | [42] | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding British Film | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt on awards wins, Irish citizenship and why he’ll keep making ‘important’ films here in Belfast", irishnews.com. Accessed 25 April 2025.
- ^ a b "'Kneecap' Helmer Rich Peppiatt Inks With Anonymous Content & WME Following Film's Splashy Sundance Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ ""I Knew Right Then the Filmmaking Gods Were Looking Down on Us" - Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap". filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "One Rogue Reporter: Richard Peppiatt's film on a journey from Daily Star reporter to pranking editors". theguardian.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ ""This film is going to be very controversial": Kneecap movie director Rich Peppiatt on Irish-language rappers' biopic premiering at Sundance Film Festival". irishnews.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ Profile, hollywoodreporter.com. Accessed 22 April 2025.
- ^ Ford, Lily (15 January 2025). "Rich Peppiatt Makes BAFTA History as Most Nominated Debut Director Ever With 'Kneecap'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Kneecap director picks up Bafta for outstanding debut – and all the other 2025 winners in full". Irish Independent. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Iftas: Small Things Like These beats Kneecap to win best film award". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "'Kneecap' leads winners at 2024 Bifas with seven awards". Screen. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ Parfitt2025-02-02T19:01:00+00:00, Orlando. "'The Brutalist' wins top prize at London Film Critics' Circle awards". Screen. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Interview: Daily Star former reporter Richard Peppiatt". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Richard Peppiatt's letter to Daily Star proprietor Richard Desmond". theguardian.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "'You can shove your job': a history of dramatic resignations". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Question: As Richard Peppiatt quits Daily Star have tabloids hit rock-bottom?". thedrum.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Richard Peppiatt". discoverleveson.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "The Leveson inquiry: what we've learned so far". theguardian.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "David Hasselhoff, Eddie Izzard, Jimmy Carr to Perform at Edinburgh's Fringe Festival". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "The camera is turned on tabloid editors in Richard Peppiatt's 'One Rogue Reporter'". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "One Rogue Reporter". frontlineclub.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Telling it like it is - a rogue reporter and a piece of promenade theatre". theguardian.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Nomination announced for the National Film Awards UK 2015". nationalfilmawards.org. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Grounded". stockholmfilmfest.net. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Backseat Driver, the perfect psychological short film". collater.al. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Tricks of the Restaurant Trade". avclub.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "'Kneecap' Review: Irish Rap Group Flips the Finger at British Imperialism in Wonderfully Offbeat Docudrama". variety.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Kneecap film: Irish language rappers head stateside for Sundance". bbc.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Rich Peppiatt's comedy featuring Irish rap group Kneecap slated for GREAT 8 Showcase in Cannes". screenireland.ie. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ a b "2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Award Winners". Sundance Institute. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Kneecap movie claims biggest Irish weekend opening ever for Irish language film". irishnews.com.
- ^ a b Clarke, Donald (15 July 2024). "Galway Film Fleadh 2024: Kneecap scoops three main prizes". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ McLaughlin, Sophie (9 December 2024). "KNEECAP wins 'Best British Independent Film' at BIFA Awards". Belfast Live. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Kneecap big winners as Belfast stars shine at the IFTAs". Belfast Media Group. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Kneecap movie chosen as Ireland's Oscar entry for Best International Feature". rte.ie.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (8 December 2024). "'Kneecap' Dominates British Independent Film Awards With Seven Wins, Including Top Honor". Variety. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "Celebrating the best of European Cinema". European Film Academy. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ Calnan, Ellie (23 October 2024). "'Kneecap' among European University Film Award 2024 nominees". Screen Daily. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "2024 FILM & TV LINEUP". sxsw.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ Rosser, Michael (7 May 2024). "Sydney Film Festival reveals 2024 competition line-up". Screen Daily. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "2025 IFTA Nominations Announced". ifta.ie. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
- ^ "IFTA Awards 2025 winners announnced". ifta.ie. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
- ^ "Film". Bafta. Retrieved 5 March 2025.