Actor and New York Times best-selling author Greg Sestero is coming to Sheffield for a 19th-anniversary screening and Q&A session on the cult classic ‘The Room’, alongside a screening of his new film, ‘Miracle Valley’.
It is being hosted by Film Unit, a student-led independent cinema located in the University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union.
Loved for its quirky and offbeat dialogue, various unresolved plotlines and bizarre themes, ‘The Room’ was initially received very poorly by critics but has since become increasingly popular.
On the topic of visiting Sheffield, Sestero said: “I have a lot of friends there, it’s always absolutely beautiful.
“I went up to Castleton last time and it’s still some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen, so I’m very very stoked to be coming back.
“Sheffield’s always brought good memories over the years, it’s a very excitable crowd and big support so I’m very excited.”
Often called the ‘worst movie ever made’, Sestero stars as Mark in ‘The Room’, the best friend of director and actor Tommy Wiseau’s character, Johnny. But when Mark has an affair with Johnny’s fiancée Lisa, ‘nothing is the same’.
Taking place in The University of Sheffield’s Student Union Nelson Mandela Auditorium, the event will start at 7:00pm with a screening of Sestero’s new horror film ‘Miracle Valley’, which follows an obsessive photographer and his girlfriend who are invited to a desert getaway in search of an ultra-rare bird.
Sestero has written, starred and directed in his new film, which premiered back in October 2021 and has so far received positive reviews, with an overall IMDB rating of 6.8/10.
When asked if he had been inspired by watching Tommy Wiseau direct, Sestero said: “The Room is something that’s obviously been on for 20 years, which is amazing, and I’ve learnt the biggest thing is collaboration.
“I think you’ve got to have a vision but then you also need to be able to articulate that to a team so everyone on set is involved and having fun.”
The screening will be one of Film Unit’s first big events post-covid and the team are planning on making the screening fully interactive with all the typical The Room-screening traditions of spoon throwing, yelling in unison ‘but he’s my best friend!’ and shouting “Sesterone!” whenever Sestero does something manly.
Film Unit’s Committee Chair, Gwynnie Naylor, 22, said of Sestero’s visit: “We’re really excited about this. We have some other big things going on, but nothing as high profile as this.
“It’s going to be very fun.”
At 8:30pm the live Q&A will then take place and Sestero will answer audience questions. This will then be followed by a 20 minute intermission, with the screening of ‘The Room’ starting at 9:05pm.
The event will take place on Wednesday 6 May and tickets can be booked here.
