As Kneecap is set to premiere next month, the Enniskillen-born producer of the film has announced plans to expand his work in the media industry.
Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Trevor Birney has expanded his production empire and will now join forces with director Rich Peppiatt to form Coup d’état Films.
The pair worked together on Kneecap, the film which stormed the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year -winning an audience award- is set to premiere in Ireland and the UK next month.
Mr. Birney is the founder of television production companies Below the Radar and Fine Point Films and has produced major documentaries and films including: ‘Quinn Country’, ‘No Stone Unturned’ and Cyndi Lauper documentary ‘Let the Canary Sing’.
Coup d’état Films was announced on the first day of the Galway Film Fleadh, where “Kneecap” is getting its Irish premiere as the festival opener.
Speaking as the announcement was made, Mr. Birney said: “Rich is a creative powerhouse, and our collective production experience offers something special – the setting up of Coup d’état was a natural evolution of that partnership.
“Marrying together creative talent with the commercial realities of a film like Kneecap requires a level of ingenuity, never mind sheer hard work. I think we’ve been able to prove that we can do it. The potential as we move forward with the new venture is a really exciting proposition.”
Mr. Peppiatt said that he and Mr. Birney are “kindred spirits” when it comes to “anarchic, provocative filmmaking” and stated that he believes that Northern Ireland can be the home to a world-class production base for film.
“We believe there’s an irreplaceable power in the collective experience of cinema. And we believe in the North of Ireland — and its talent and crew — as a world-class production base. We see what friends like Element Pictures have done in the South of Ireland and see no reason that success can’t be emulated here.”
The Irish language film which is slated to be Ireland’s entry for the 2025 Academy Awards focuses on the origin story of the riotous and ground-breaking Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, the film stars the band’s Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí in their acting debuts alongside Michael Fassbender. Funding for the film was provided by Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Screen Ireland, the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), Coimisiún na Meán, and TG4, with backing from Great Point Media.
The film is set in West Belfast in 2019 and chronicles the rise to fame of the group who have made their mark not just on the Irish music scene but music around the world.
The film is already taking advanced bookings in Enniskillen’s IMC cinema for its Irish premise on August 8.
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