New York Film Premiere of THE MAN WHO WANTED TO FLY to be Screened by Irish Repertory Theatre

Irish Repertory Theatre announced today that they will host virtual screenings of the New York film premiere of The Man Who Wanted to Fly. Directed by Frank Shouldice and produced by Trisha Canning and Cormac Hargaden of Loosehorse Productions, The Man Who Wanted to Fly will be screened online on Tuesday May 25 at 7pm ET and Wednesday May 26 at 2pm & 7pm ET. All screenings will include closed captions.

The Man Who Wanted to Fly tells the irresistible story of 80-something bachelor farmer Bobby Coote from Cavan who has had a lifelong dream to fly a plane. Enlisting the help of his neighbour Seán, the two set out to build their own field of dreams, cutting out a runway in Sean's farm and even building a hangar in this small rural community. Bobby will get no encouragement from his brother Ernie, another octogenarian in the Coote family home. Ernie thinks the whole thing is daft, but Bobby is determined to take to the skies if it's the last thing he does. Capturing the wonder of one man's dreams, The Man Who Wanted to Fly is a unique journey into a disappearing border hinterland and is sure to delight audiences all over the world.

The cast of The Man Who Wanted to Fly features Bobby Coote, Ernie Coote, Seán McBride, and Gerry Snodden.

The Man Who Wanted to Fly is directed by Frank Shouldice, edited by Emer O'Clery and features cinematography by Dave Perry and original music composed by Giles Packham. The film is produced by Trish Canning and Cormac Hargaden of Loosehorse Productions.

Following acclaimed festival screenings at the Galway Film Fleadh, Guth Gafa and winner of the Audience Award at the IFI Documentary Film Festival, The Man Who Wanted to Fly landed in cinemas across Ireland in March of 2019. To date, the film has won 11 awards internationally including the Best Feature Documentary at the Barnes Film Festival, London and Alvsbyn Film Festival, Sweden.

This event is free, with a suggested donation of $10. Advance registration is required and can be made at irishrep.org. There will be a talkback following the screening on May 25 featuring the film's director, Frank Shouldice.

Irish Repertory Theatre is committed to making theatre that is affordable and accessible. In pursuit of this goal, they have chosen to make this event free to the public. They ask that if you are in any position to support them, you might consider making a donation in conjunction with this digital event. Your contribution will ensure that they can continue to offer top-quality digital events, hire artists and actors, keep their staff employed, and be artistically and financially ready to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.

The film is sponsored by Screen Ireland, RTÉ, Dublin Aerospace, and the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Irish Repertory Theatre leapt into digital theatre in May of 2020 with full-length programming created during the COVID-19 shutdown. The resulting Performances on Screen include works by Brian Friel, James Joyce, Conor McPherson, Eugene O'Neill and more. After their initial public release, Irish Rep is proud to partner with Broadway on Demand to offer all productions for rent, allowing theater fans to watch (or re-watch) the productions that inspired Theatermania to call Irish Rep "the leader in streaming theater."

The Performances on Screen that are available to rent include Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney**; Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom, adapted from the novel Ulysses by James Joyce by Aedín Moloney and Colum McCann; Conor McPherson's The Weir; Love, Noël: The Songs and Letters of Noël Coward, written and devised by Barry Day; Belfast Blues, written and performed by Geraldine Hughes; Give Me Your Hand with poems by Paul Durcan performed by Dermot Crowley and Dearbhla Molloy; Eugene O'Neill's A Touch of the Poet; On Beckett / In Screen, an exploration of the works of Samuel Beckett conceived and performed by Bill Irwin; Meet Me in St. Louis, adapted from the 1989 Broadway production and directed by Charlotte Moore; The Aran Islands by J.M. Synge, adapted and directed by Joe O'Byrne; and Little Gem, by Elaine Murphy and directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull. **Please note: Molly Sweeney is available to rent in North America only and is a limited release through September 7, 2021.

Rentals are $25 and will be available for 48 hours from the time of check-out. Irish Rep Members are eligible for discount and complimentary rentals. Learn more at irishrep.org/membership. To rent an Irish Rep production, audiences must register and view on Broadway on Demand at livestream.broadwayondemand.com/irish-rep.