Marilyn Monroe film to open New York film festival

Blue Valentine actress Michelle Williams stars as Marilyn Monroe in the film

A film about Marilyn Monroe's time in England in 1956 is to premiere at the New York Film Festival.

My Week With Marilyn tells of a fleeting encounter between Monroe and a set assistant while she was filming The Prince and the Showgirl opposite Laurence Olivier.

The film stars Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams as Monroe, with Kenneth Branagh as Olivier.

It will premiere during the two-week festival on 9 October.

Directed by Britain's Simon Curtis, the film is based on a week that British writer Colin Clark spent with Monroe filming the romantic comedy, while on honeymoon with her husband, playwright Arthur Miller.

During that time, he kept a diary documenting the interactions between the two lead actors.

Clark was later assigned to introduce Monroe to British life.

Dougray Scott also stars in the film as Miller, while Dame Judi Dench, Emma Watson and Dominic Cooper also star.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles star Eddie Redmayne stars as the 23-year-old Clark.

"After seeing Marilyn Monroe so often portrayed in films as a caricature, it is a pleasure to see this complex personality and unique on-screen presence portrayed so well," said Richard Pena, programme director for The Film Society of Lincoln Center, which backs the festival.

The film will be released in UK cinemas on 14 November.