THE star of the iconic 1969 British film Kes is making a rare public appearance outside Yorkshire to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film's release.

Actor David 'Dai' Bradley became familiar to a generation of filmgoers as the troubled Yorkshire boy Billy Casper, whose relationship with a wild kestrel formed the basis of the multi-award winning movie.

Fifty years on, he is attending a special screening of the film at Newport's Quay Arts, to meet fans and share insights about Kes, the influential film that became identified with the fifteen-year old lead actor.

The film was the second feature film by director Ken Loach, and it cemented his reputation as a filmmaker willing to tackle social injustice and class inequality, that featured strongly in the film.

Dai won a BAFTA award for his role in Kes, which is ranked seventh in the British Film Institute's top ten British films and holds a score of 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

The event will be Dai's only public appearance this year outside the north of England.

The film screening will be followed by a question and answer session led by Dr Sally Shaw from Portsmouth University's school of film, media and communication.

Dai said: "Playing Billy Casper in Kes was an incredible experience for me, and I have enjoyed helping celebrate the film with fans across the country.

"The popularity of Kes is not confined to Yorkshire. I have heard from people all over England and beyond about how the film affected them."

Dr Shaw said: "The screening is an unusual chance to speak with Dai Bradley, the man who was at the heart of this extraordinary piece of cinema history.

"The impact of Kes and the work of Ken Loach is hard to overestimate. As well as providing an insightful social commentary on Yorkshire in the 1960s, this ground-breaking film still has relevance for us today."

An Evening with Dai Bradley is on Friday, August 30, at 8pm.