Despite a sea of disappointment rushing over the faces of those attending an Oscars viewing party in Madden's in Belfast on Thursday, director Rich Peppiatt is still celebrating 'the best year of his life'.
The Irish language film about the Belfast rap trio was snubbed for a spot in the top 5 for Best International Film and Best Original Song when the final Oscar shortlist was announced on January 23.
Speaking to Belfast Live in Belfast after the news, Rich Peppiartt said the love and success of the film has been a "real blessing" - regardless of an Oscar nomination under his belt.
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He said: "It is what it is - you roll the punches.
"The film has won so many things and has done amazing all around the world for a year now - we've won awards, we've been at the biggest festivals so we can't sit here now and fallen at the final hurdle of the biggest of the biggest and feel like we've been hard done by.
"It was always going to be a film that is controversial. It's loud, it's brash and maybe that's not to the taste of something quite as serious as the Oscars."
Rich continued: "We were always shocked that we were even in the conversation given what KNEECAP is about so we'll have a few drinks tonight and we'll go again.
"It's been an amazing year - a year to the day since Sundance - and it's been the best year of my life. I'd struggle to ever have a year that could top the year I've just had.
"I'm just very grateful for that- that's a real blessing... The mark of a filmmaker's success is you get to make another film because there's no guarantee of that, and KNEECAP's given me the platform to hopefully go and make another film and so to me, that's the main thing."
Rich hasn't ruled out working with KNEECAP in the future as they become some of his "best friends" and said they will have "fantastic careers doing whatever they want to do."
See our photos from the KNEECAP party in Madden's Belfast below...
English (United States) ·