Screening of the documentary Nova '78, a restored film about the 1978 New York convention of Burroughs, Zappa and Ginsberg, within the Poetry on Screen cycle at the Electric Palace.
Nova '78 comes to the Electric Palace on Thursday 19 November, as part of the Poetry on Screen series curated by Chris McKenna. It's a 78-minute film brought back through a UK-led archival restoration, and it's built around a legendary New York convention where William Burroughs, Patti Smith, Frank Zappa, and Allen Ginsberg all collided in one room. The footage is described as never-before-seen, so it's a look at that particular crowd of writers, musicians, and poets that hasn't really been out in the open until now.
Rodrigo Areias and Aaron Brookner directed the film, and it's set across the UK and Portugal. The title Nova '78 points straight to the convention it centres on, and the 78-minute runtime keeps it tight—roughly an hour and a quarter of that New York scene. It carries a 15 rating, so keep that in mind if you're bringing anyone younger.
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The screening is part of Poetry on Screen, the series Chris McKenna is curating at the Electric Palace, which is an independent 48-seat cinema on the Old Town High Street in Hastings. With only 48 seats, it's a small room, so it's the kind of night that fills up fairly quickly. If you're into the beat generation, the New York underground, or just seeing some of those names in the same frame, this is exactly that. It's on Thursday 19 November at the Electric Palace.
Date
Thursday, 19 November 2026
11:00
Location
Electric Palace cinemaRecommended Age
+14 years
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