This film closes on Thursday, November 20th. 

It is New York in 1950 and John Malcolm Brinnin (Elijah Wood) is an uptight Harvard graduate, an aspiring poet and critic who is in awe of Dylan Thomas. Despite the Welsh writer’s reputation as a hell-raiser, Brinnin persuades conservative powers-that-be to bankroll a university speaking tour, volunteering to co-ordinate the events and to chaperone Thomas on his visit. Yet when Thomas (portrayed with scene-stealing relish by the film’s co-writer, Celyn Jones) arrives in America, neither Brinnin nor the country is prepared for what hits them.

The release of Set Fire to the Stars coincides with celebrations marking Dylan Thomas’ centenary and it succeeds in being more than simply a tribute to wayward genius. With an impeccable supporting cast, it is an engaging, ingenious and handsomely mounted film, brooding on the nature of creativity and inspiration. (Notes by Michael Hayden.)                                     

These screenings will be preceded by Conor Ferguson’s IFB-funded short film Un Peu Plus. (7 mins, 2012, Ireland.)

Don’t forget we now schedule weekly.