Set Fire to the Stars – a black-and-white ‘modern classic’ about Dylan Thomas in New York, starring Elijah Wood and Celyn Jones – will open in the USA on Friday, June 12 with special appearances of the stars at Village East Cinema shows in New York over the weekend.
Based on true events, the movie features Elijah Wood as John Malcolm Brinnin, the New York academic who brought lauded Welsh poet Dylan Thomas to America. Actor/co-writer Celyn Jones plays the volatile celebrity poet who scandalized the Manhattan literati of the Fifties and challenged Brinnin’s hero-worship of his work. In the face of the Welsh poet’s wilder excesses in the Big Apple – angel, beast and madman – John has no choice but to hijack Dylan to a private retreat to get him ready for America. The days and nights that follow will change his life forever. Part literary biopic and part love-letter to the American B-movies of the Forties and Fifties, Andy Goddard’s debut feature is both a character-driven chamber piece and a cautionary tale about the fly trap of meeting your heroes.
The cast is made up of Elijah Wood, Kelly Reilly, Shirley Henderson, Steven Mackintosh, Kevin Eldon, and Celyn Jones. The Director is Andy Goddard and the producers are Andy Evans and AJ Riach. Special music was composed for the movie by Gruff Rhys.
The movie will open in New York at the Village East Cinema on June 12. Special events will be held around the screenings at the cinema as follows:
Friday June 12:
7.10 p.m. show is followed by a Q&A with Elijah Wood, Celyn Jones, Andy Goddard and Andy Evans
10.05 p.m. show will be preceded by introduction of guests & poetry reading
Saturday, June 13:
2.20 p.m. show is followed by a Q&A with Celyn Jones, Andy Goddard and Andy Evans
5.05 p.m. show has an introduction & poetry reading prior to show and brief Q&A with Celyn Jones and Andy Goddard following the show
Tickets and full details of show times at Village East Cinema: https://www.citycinemas.com/villageeast/film/set-fire-to-the-stars or via Fandango.
The movie will be rolled out in North American cinemas over the coming weeks. Some dates are below and further updates will be posted here as they are confirmed: http://strandreleasing.com/films/set-fire-stars/
6/12/15 City Cinema’s Village East 7 New York, NY
06/19/15 Laemmle’s NoHo Theatre North Hollywood, CA
06/26/15 Art House Cinema 502 Ogden, UT
07/03/15 Jean Cocteau Cinema Santa Fe, NM
The North American premiere and promotion for the film has been sponsored by Welsh Government North America, Visit Wales, Saint David’s Society of the State of New York, the Welsh Society of Philadelphia, the British Consulate-General New York, BAFTA Cymru, BAFTA New York, and the North American Festival of Wales. Full story: http://blog.justask.wales.com/set-fire-to-the-stars-movie-opening-in-the-usa
