Kneecap stars JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin lead the longlist for the British Independent Film Awards‘ (BIFA) breakthrough performance prize.
Sponsored by Netflix, 12 actors have been spotlighted on the list this year after “remarkable” performances in stand-out British features. Past winners include Ben Whishaw, Jamie Bell, Dev Patel and Jessie Buckley.
Among the long list are Bird actors Nykiya Adams and Jason Buda, as well as Susan Chardy from On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.
Treading Water‘s Joe Gill, Layla‘s Bilal Hasna and Last Swim‘s Deba Hekmat have also been recognized. After the Kneecap actors, Saura Lightfoot Leon for Hoard, Ruairdh Mollica for Sebastian and Jason Patel for Unicorns rounds out the list.
The critically-acclaimed film on Irish rap trio Kneecap was described by The Hollywood Reporter as a “gleefully irreverent feature [which] offers an origin story for the real-life band of the title, whose members also play themselves with admirable naturalism.”
Andrea Arnold’s Bird, meanwhile, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. THR said Adams’ performance was “entrancing”. It was a fierce competitor in Cannes for the coveted Palme d’Or (which eventually went to Sean Baker’s Anora).
The five final nominees of the BIFA breakthrough performance award will be announced on Nov. 5, and the winners revealed at the BIFA awards ceremony on Dec. 8 in London.
