Rich Peppiatt is an Irish writer and director.[1][2] He is best known for films Kneecap and One Rogue Reporter.[3][4]

Rich Peppiatt
Born
England
Occupations
  • Writer
  • director
Years active2012–present

Career

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After graduating from the University of Warwick, Peppiatt worked as a journalist across a number of national newspapers.[5] He first came to prominence in 2011 when his resignation letter to Daily Star proprietor Richard Desmond, for accusing the paper of Islamophobia and unethical journalism, which went viral when it was leaked to the Guardian newspaper.[6][7][8] He became a prominent critic of tabloid behaviour, giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry into Press Ethics.[9][10]

One Rogue Reporter

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Peppiatt 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."[11][12] After Edinburgh the show toured across the UK, finishing with a run at London’s Soho Theatre.[13][14]

The stage show was transformed into a documentary One Rogue Reporter, starring the likes of 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.[15]

Short films

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In 2018 Peppiatt released two short films through his production company Naughty Step titled Backseat Driver and Grounded.[16][17] Grounded was long-listed for the 2020 Academy Awards.[1]

Television

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Peppiatt 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.[18]

Kneecap

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In 2024 Peppiatt wrote and directed his first narrative feature film Kneecap, about the rise of the Belfast-based hip-hop group Kneecap.[19] 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.[20] He went on to shoot the music video for their track “Guilty Conscience”.[21] The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, winning the NEXT Audience Award.[22] It is due to be released theatrically worldwide in August 2024.[23]

Personal life

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Peppiatt lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[24]

Filmography

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Film

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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

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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

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Year Result Award Category Work Ref.
2024 Won Sundance Film Festival NEXT Audience Award Kneecap [22]
Nominated NEXT Innovator Award
Nominated South by Southwest Audience Award [25]
Nominated Sydney Film Festival Best Film [26]

References

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  1. ^ a b "'Kneecap' Helmer Rich Peppiatt Inks With Anonymous Content & WME Following Film's Splashy Sundance Debut". deadline.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  2. ^ ""I Knew Right Then the Filmmaking Gods Were Looking Down on Us" - Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap". filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  3. ^ "One Rogue Reporter: Richard Peppiatt's film on a journey from Daily Star reporter to pranking editors". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  4. ^ ""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 2024-06-01.
  5. ^ "Interview: Daily Star former reporter Richard Peppiatt". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  6. ^ "Richard Peppiatt's letter to Daily Star proprietor Richard Desmond". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  7. ^ "'You can shove your job': a history of dramatic resignations". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  8. ^ "Question: As Richard Peppiatt quits Daily Star have tabloids hit rock-bottom?". thedrum.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  9. ^ "Richard Peppiatt". discoverleveson.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  10. ^ "The Leveson inquiry: what we've learned so far". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  11. ^ "David Hasselhoff, Eddie Izzard, Jimmy Carr to Perform at Edinburgh's Fringe Festival". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  12. ^ "The camera is turned on tabloid editors in Richard Peppiatt's 'One Rogue Reporter'". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  13. ^ "One Rogue Reporter". frontlineclub.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  14. ^ "Telling it like it is - a rogue reporter and a piece of promenade theatre". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  15. ^ "Nomination announced for the National Film Awards UK 2015". nationalfilmawards.org. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  16. ^ "Grounded". stockholmfilmfest.net. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  17. ^ "Backseat Driver, the perfect psychological short film". collater.al. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  18. ^ "Tricks of the Restaurant Trade". avclub.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  19. ^ "'Kneecap' Review: Irish Rap Group Flips the Finger at British Imperialism in Wonderfully Offbeat Docudrama". variety.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  20. ^ "Kneecap film: Irish language rappers head stateside for Sundance". bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  21. ^ "Rich Peppiatt's comedy featuring Irish rap group Kneecap slated for GREAT 8 Showcase in Cannes". screenireland.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  22. ^ a b "2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Award Winners". sundance.org. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  23. ^ "Irish rappers Kneecap on drugs, death threats, and playing themselves (sort of) in their new movie (exclusive)". ew.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  24. ^ "Is Sundance Ready for Irish Rap Trio Kneecap's Wild Michael Fassbender-Starring Biopic? They 'Just Don't Give a S—,' Director Says". variety.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  25. ^ "2024 FILM & TV LINEUP". sxsw.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  26. ^ "Sydney Film Festival reveals 2024 competition line-up". screendaily.com. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
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