Guernsey will host two special gala events to celebrate the big-screen adaptation of THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, ahead of its release in cinemas on April 20th 2018.
Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and based on the best-selling and much loved novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY sees Lily James (Downtown Abbey, Cinderella) play free-spirited journalist Juliet Ashton, who forms a life-changing bond with the delightful and eccentric Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, when she decides to write about the book club they formed during the occupation of Guernsey in WWII. The film also stars Michiel Huisman (The Age of Adaline), Glen Powell (Everybody Wants Some, Hidden Figures), Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game, Downton Abbey), Jessica Brown Findlay (Victor Frankenstein, Downton Abbey) and Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, The Boat That Rocked) with Tom Courtenay (45 Years, Doctor Zhivago) and Penelope Wilton (The BFG, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel).
On April 12th the Beau Sejour will be rolling out the red carpet for a black-tie reception and gala screening of THE GUERNSEY LITERARAY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, with Mary Ann Shaffer’s daughter Liz Froneberger confirmed to attend, on behalf of her late mother. Further film talent in attendance still to be announced. (Please note that this event has sold out)
The celebrations are set to continue on April 13th with a more informal red-carpet event at Beau Sejour. The event will have a relaxed dress code but still with all the fun of the movies with snacks on offer, including popcorn, ice cream and sweets, prior to the screening.
To highlight the island’s incredibly important role as a source of inspiration for both the book and film, an exhibition of historical photos and information on the Guernsey occupation will be on display at both events.
The events and screenings are made possible by grant funding from the States of Guernsey and sponsorship by Specsavers. Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder of Specsavers said ‘Specsavers is proud to be sponsoring THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY film events here on the island. We are very keen to support events that promote art and culture in Guernsey, and as with so many people, I have hugely enjoyed the book with an extra sense of pride that it was based in my home island. I can’t wait to see how it translates to the big screen.’
The events, which are being organised by the Arts Foundation Guernsey on behalf of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture and supported by the Guernsey Arts Commission, will act as a fund raiser for the Arts Foundation Guernsey. President for the Committee of Education, Sport & Culture, Matt Fallazie, said “What a wonderful opportunity to support a film that portrays such an historic moment in our Island’s history. We thank the Arts Foundation for hosting these unique events on our behalf”.
The Arts Foundation Guernsey is a Guernsey charity set up to support, promote and broaden art and cultural activities in Guernsey and to make the “Arts” an integral part of the island experience. The Arts Foundation was launched in July 2017 and is supporting a range of arts events including Amazing Women by Olympia McEwin and supporting local artists travel to the UK. It also aims to enable emerging talent across the spectrum of the arts including Performing and Visual Arts, Literature, New Media, Film and Design. While independent from the Guernsey Arts Commission, it works closely together with it to support the arts. The Foundation has a membership scheme whereby members can get special access to events while continuing to support the arts. Melissa Mourton, Co-founder of the Guernsey Arts Foundation along with Connie Helyar-Wilkinson, Guernsey said “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the glamour of a red carpet Hollywood-style event while raising funds to support the arts in Guernsey.“
Tickets for the April 12th black-tie event are £80 each, with all of the profits going to the Arts Foundation Guernsey. Tickets are expected to sell quickly. Enquiries can be made by emailing artsmovieevents@gmail.com.
Tickets for the April 13th event are available to the general public via a lottery, with a chance to win a pair of tickets to the celebration party for a £10 donation to the Arts Foundation Guernsey. These will be available from the Guernsey Information Centre and the Information booth at the Guernsey Eisteddford at Beau Sejour Leisure Centre.
ENDS
Issued by Melissa Mourton and Jennifer Strachan, Arts Foundation Guernsey, 01481 251 252, email artsfoundationgsy@gmail.com
Notes to editors
The film will be released in cinemas nationwide on the 20th of April by STUDIOCANAL.
For any enquiries relating to the film and its release please contact, Natacha.Clarke@studiocanal.co.uk
About Arts Foundation Guernsey
The Arts Foundation Guernsey has been set up to support, promote and broaden art and cultural activities in Guernsey and to make the “Arts” an integral part of the island experience. It also aims to enable emerging talent across the spectrum of the arts including Performing and Visual Arts, Literature, New Media, Film and Design. It acts as an autonomous fundraising organization within the Guernsey Arts Commission to support local artists in all sectors and to enable a wider presence of the Arts across the Bailiwick. The Patron of the Arts Foundation Guernsey is Lady Corder.
The Arts Foundation Guernsey can be contacted on, artsfoundationgsy@gmail.com, Facebook Arts Foundation Guernsey, Melissa Mourton 01481 251 252.
Book and Film Backstory: In 1976, when visiting London for research on another book, Mary Ann Shaffer decided to visit Guernsey. When leaving Guernsey, Shaffer was stranded at the airport when a thick fog descended, and all boats and planes were forbidden to leave the island. As she waited for the fog to lift, she warmed herself by the heat of the hand-dryer in the men’s restroom! More importantly, Mary Ann bought all the books in the Guernsey airport bookstore about the German Occupation and thus began her fascination with the island and the German Occupation of the Channel Islands. A film tie-in version of the book will be available at the beginning of April to coincide with the cinema release.
