festival

Raindance Film Festival

Festival Description: 

Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK, currently rated top 10 international film festival for filmmakers to consider, according to studiobinder. It is based in the heart of London’s buzzing West End film district.

Raindance Film Festival is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. Winners of Best Animation Short/Best Documentary Short/Short of the Festival) categories will qualify for Oscar®, and selected shorts also for BAFTA considerations.

Festival Sections:
- World-renowned programme of the best UK and international independent films
- Masterclasses with special guests
- Raindance Industry Forum – talks and panels
- Raindance Virtual and Augmented Reality Strand
- Networking events

Each year, Raindance attracts dozens of thousands of visitors including hundreds of industry professionals into London. 

More:

Amongst others, Raindance has hosted the UK premieres of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Blair Witch Project, Dead Man’s Shoes, Memento, Humpday, Love Exposure, Ghost World, Capturing the Friedmans, Down Terrace, I Origins and Old Boy. Our programming receives plaudits from press and public alike. We have a keen interest in work from first time filmmakers, female filmmakers, stories from the LGBTQ+ community, stories on social injustice and environmental issues, horrors and last but not least music documentaries.

Over the years, the festival has hosted such guests and filmmakers as Christopher Nolan, Terry Gilliam, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway and Lou Reed. Over the last few years our international Jury has included Sean Bean, Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Martin Freeman, Gareth Edwards, Ewen Bremner, Jason Flemyng, Andrew Scott, Tom Waits, Vicky McClure and Sheridan Smith among top UK industry guest jurors.

Awards & Prizes: 

Raindance Jury Awards:
- Best Director
- Best Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Performance
- Best International Feature
- Best UK Feature
- Best Documentary Feature
- Discovery Award
- Best Short of the Festival
- Best UK Short
- Best Documentary Short
- Best Animation Short
- Best Music Video

Raindance Special Awards:
- Film of the Festival decided by audience
- Spirit of the Festival

Raindance Immersive Stories Awards:
- Best Immersive Game
- Best Interactive NarrativeExperience
- Best Cinematic Experience
- Best Animated Experience
- Best Documentary Experience
- Outstanding Achievement in Art
- Outstanding Achievement in Audio
- British Award: Best UK Experience
- Discovery Award: Best Debut Experience
- Grand Jury Prize: Best Immersive Experience of the Festival

Rules & Terms: 

The Raindance will take place in London.

1. Submission Deadlines
Submissions will be accepted.

2. Submission Format
Films must be submitted via online screener ONLY. We do not accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is not accepted. Only one version of the film will be reviewed by programmers.

3. Submission Eligibility
- All submissions must have been completed.
- Raindance requires at least a UK premiere for any feature film.
- There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos.
- Work-in-progress and films with distribution are accepted.

4. Premiere Status
- Feature Films must be at least UK Premieres: they must not have been released in the UK on any format, nor screened publicly online.
If, after you submit, the premiere status of your feature film changes rendering it no longer available for at least UK premiere, please let us know immediately and withdraw your film from submissions.
- There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos, they may have screened at other Festivals and/or online.

5. Film Classification
All films screened during the Raindance Film Festival receive a blank 18 certificate from Westminster Council (London). This means we cannot accept anyone underage during any screening of the Festival. Please take this into account when submitting to Raindance.

6. Submission Fee
All submissions for Raindance are to be paid.

 

Festival Contact Information: 
Contact Information Displayed publicly
Website: 
http://www.raindance.org/festival
Submission requests email: 
worldfilmfair@gmail.com
Opening Date: 
July 04, 2024
Address: 

Raindance Film Festival
10a Craven Street
London WC2N 5PE
United Kingdom

Earlybird Deadline: 
April 10, 2024
Regular Deadline: 
May 08, 2025
Submission Address: 
My festival has the same submission address.
Late Deadline: 
May 25, 2025
Social: 
https://www.facebook.com/RaindanceFilmFestLondon
Extended Deadline: 
June 12, 2025
Notification Date: 
September 15, 2025
Event Date: 
October 25, 2025 to November 04, 2025

Register to Submit now