BU Research Blog

RUFUS STONE gay short biopic to screen at historic Shelley Theatre in Boscombe 

A gala 5^th Anniversary Screening and Reception for the award-winning research based biopic, RUFUS STONE will be held at the historic Shelley Theatre in Boscombe (Bournemouth) on 7 November from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. The screening is free but registration is necessary as seating is limited.

BREAKING NEWS! Lin Blakley, who played Abigail in RUFUS STONE and is known for her work as Pam Coker on EastEnders, will be attending the gala.

The film is the story of Rufus, an ‘out’ older gay man who was exiled from his village as a youth and reluctantly returns from London to sell his dead parents’ cottage, where he is forced to confront the faces of his estranged past.

RUFUS STONE, is part of wider research from ‘The Gay and Pleasant Land? Project’ that took place at Bournemouth University as part of the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme (a unique collaboration between five UK Research Councils on ageing in 21st Century Britain).

Over the past five years, RUFUS STONE has been viewed in academic, community and service provider settings throughout the U.K. Uploaded to the Internet for just over a year, the film was viewed on line by more that 12 thousand viewers in 150 countries.  It has won several film festival awards and was shortlisted for the AHRC Anniversary Prize in 2015.

The gala event is expected to attract an audience of the film’s cast and crew members, past participants in the research project, community workers and service providers, and a range of citizens, young and old,  gay and straight, with an interest in LGBT history and the contributions that the film has made to myriad diversity efforts.

“Whether you have seen the film before, or this will be the first time on a large theatre screen, you will enjoy the occasion,” says Dr Kip Jones, Exec Producer.

The screening is presented by Bournemouth University as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Science – a week-long festival that celebrates some of the country’s leading social science research, giving an exciting opportunity to showcase the valuable work of the UK’s social scientists and demonstrate how their work has an impact on all our lives.

To find out more information about the film or the research behind it, please visit the website.

Click here to view the trailer

If you have any questions for Dr Jones, then please get in contact.

To find out more about the ESRC Festival of Social Science and all the events taking place please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/esrc-fss you can also email Joanna Pawlik or Naomi Kay to find out more.

Notes to editor

• The 14th annual Festival of Social Science takes place from 5-12 November 2016 with more than 250 free events nationwide. Run by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Festival provides an opportunity for anyone to meet with some of the country’s leading social scientists and discover, discuss and debate the role that research plays in everyday life. With a whole range of creative and engaging events there’s something for everyone including businesses, charities, schools and government agencies. A full programme is available at esrc.ac.uk/festival. You can also join the discussion on Twitter using #esrcfestival