Free screenings at Welsh cinemas of ‘joyful’ new movie with all-star cast

Nation.Cymru staff

Coming-of-age comedy drama Sunny Dancer, starring Game Of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey, will screen for free at over 120 independent UK cinemas this month.

The free screenings on July 27-28 ahead of the movie’s official release in August are part of the Escapes scheme.- a nationwide free cinema initiative on a mission to bring cinema to all by hosting more than 100 free film screenings every month.

Welsh cinemas taking part include the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Gwyn Hall (Neath), Theatr Gwaun (Fishguard), Penarth Pier Pavilion Cinema, Memo Arts Centre (Barry), Brynamman Cinema (Ammanford), The Welfare (Ystradgynlais), The Strand (Rhyl), Reel Cinema (Port Talbot), Theatr Clwyd (Mold), Palace Cinema (Haverfordwest), and Commodore Cinema (Aberystwyth).

Sunny Dancer follows 17-year-old Ivy. After Ivy beats cancer she can’t think of anything worse than to become a Make-A-Wish kid. When her parents send her to a summer camp in Scotland for kids affected by cancer, Ivy has a hard time adjusting to the rules. But as the weeks progress, she manages to find unexpected friends in a group of misfits and has a summer she’ll never forget at ‘Chemo Camp.’

Shot entirely in Scotland, Sunny Dancer comes from 26-year-old writer-director George Jaques, starring a beloved ensemble cast including Bella Ramsey (GAME OF THRONES, LAST OF US) as Ivy, as well as James Norton (HAPPY VALLEY, HOUSE OF GUINNESS) and Jessica Gunning (BABY REINDEER) as Ivy’s parents.

Also starring is Neil Patrick Harris (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, IT’S A SIN), alongside rising stars Ruby Stokes (ROCKS, MADFABULOUS), Earl Cave (THE SWEET EAST), Conrad Khan (COUNTY LINES), Daniel Quinn-Toye (VOLTRON), and Jasmine Elcock. You’re Beautiful singer James Blunt even makes a cameo as himself.

Sunny Dancer’s soundtrack comes from Haim sister Este Haim and Zachary Dawes, best-known as a regular Lana Del Rey collaborator and member of the British supergroup The Last Shadow Puppets.

These free screenings are some of the first chances for UK audiences to see Sunny Dancer before the film’s UK-wide cinema release on August 14.

Bella Ramsey said after reading the script, they were convinced: “There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that this was something I absolutely needed to do.”

For Sunny Dancer’s writer and director George Jaques, the film’s inspiration was personal: “My mum had cancer for a long time when I was growing up. I think it was part of why I got into writing. Having that background as a teenager, and her getting diagnosed massively impacted the way I saw the world. So I knew I wanted to tell a cancer story.”

Jaques remembers saying “I want to make a film about cancer but I don’t want to make it depressing. I want to do a film with no hospital scenes.” Jaques wanted to reflect the teenage cancer patients he met as an ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust. “I wanted to make a film where cancer was the least interesting thing about the characters. They have these skills, this whole life, because they are still teenagers.”

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Escapes is supported by the BFI awarding National Lottery Funding. The nationwide free cinema initiative is designed to make cinema more accessible, celebrate independent cinemas and bring new audiences to local venues. Every month, Escapes gives away free cinema tickets in over 120 locations across the UK. Since its launch in 2024, over 240,000 free cinema tickets have been claimed.

Sunny Dancer screens for free at over 120 UK independent cinemas on July 27-28. Tickets are available now at escapetothecinema.co.uk

About Escapes
Escapes is a nationwide initiative supported by the BFI awarding National Lottery funding, on a mission to bring cinema to all. Through free screenings at over 150 independent cinemas across the UK, Escapes provides an opportunity for new and returning audiences to discover the magic of cinema. Whether it’s a blockbuster, an indie gem, or a cult classic like Point Break, Escapes is committed to engaging local communities and breaking down barriers to cinema-going.