The Brit 50: DMC Film

Need to know: Last year’s Kneecap encapsulated DMC Film’s connections on both sides of the Irish Sea. Produced with Fine Point Films and Shudder Films, Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language hit was backed by the BFI, Northern Ireland Screen and Screen Ireland. It won three Sundance prizes, seven Bifas including best British independent film, four prizes from the Irish Film and Television Academy, then six Bafta nominations, with Peppiatt winning outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer.

Kneecap co-starred Michael Fassbender, one of the company’s three directors with Troika agent Conor McCaughan and Daniel Emmerson. Formed in 2011 with Emmerson joining in 2014, DMC has balanced Fassbender-led projects – such as Justin Kurzel’s 2015 Macbeth – with character-driven stories and some of the most exciting debut filmmakers of the last decade. In 2023, it launched Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper – another Sundance winner and 14-time Bifa nominee – and Netflix title The Kitchen, by Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya.

The company’s films have provided a showcase for rising UK and Irish talent such as Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan, Cosmo Jarvis and Niamh Algar; the latter trio led Nick Rowland’s crime drama Calm With Horses, written by Joe Murtagh. Most of these titles had development periods of 5 to 10 years; DMC has stayed the course with its projects while maintaining a regular output.

They’ve kept up that pace in 2025, with Ronan Corrigan’s SXSW Bitcoin heist LifeHack, and Bradley Banton’s Instagram-framed LFF premiere More Life starring Tuwaine Barrett and Paapa Essiedu. DMC is also focusing on international projects and a growing TV slate, through a first-look film and TV partnership with Yellowstone producers 101 Studios.

Key personnel: Michael Fassbender, Conor McCaughan, Daniel Emmerson, directors.

Incoming: DMC recently wrapped Bijan Sheibani’s The Arrival, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir and Archie Madekwe, co-produced with House Productions and financed by Film4 and the BFI.

Two projects starring Fassbender are coming soon: the Murtagh-penned Dreadful Ned, a revisionist revenge Western set in the Irish War of Independence aiming to shoot next year; and Nightboat To Tangier, adapted by Kevin Barry from his Booker Prize-longlisted novel, produced with Andrew Eaton.

Further upcoming works include Charlie Manton’s family drama A Family with BBC Film, produced with Teo Shaleva; and Eimear McBride’s adaptation of her novel The Lesser Bohemians.

Michael Fassbender says: “We’re defined by taking risks, supporting emerging filmmakers and getting behind the material that we love.”

Conor McCaughan says: “We always knew Kneecap could be controversial, but the guys are so sincere and authentic, that if you’re open to it, you’re going to be charmed by what they present. That authenticity is something independent cinema has to do.”

Daniel Emmerson says: “Our two micro-budget features this year are both screen life films but are completely different. They’re ridiculously inventive; when I first watched them I couldn’t conceive of how the filmmakers had managed to do so much with such limited resources. I find that sort of creativity inspiring and hopeful.”

Contact: info@dmcfilm.co.uk  

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