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. Selected shorts will qualify for Oscar® and BAFTA considerations.
Festival Sections:

- World-renowned programme of the best UK and international independent films
- Masterclasses with special guests
- Raindance Forum and Marketplace – talks and panels
- Raindance Virtual and Augmented Reality Strand
- Raindance Web Fest
- Networking events

Each year, Raindance attracts dozens of thousands of visitors including hundreds of industry professionals into London. The 27th Raindance will take place 18-29 September 2019 in central London.

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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.

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.

Raindance members can submit one short/music video or a feature at half price. If you are a member email festival@raindance.co.uk to receive your unique waiver code. Please include your membership number and expiry date. To join Raindance please go to: https://www.raindance.org/membership-hubs/

Submissions for the Raindance WebFest should go through https://filmfreeway.com/festival/RaindanceWebFest

Winners of Best UK Feature, Best UK Short and Best Screenplay will receive an InkTip Script Listing to promote themselves and their scripts to InkTip’s entire network of producers, managers, and agents.

Awards & Prizes

The Raindance Jury Awards:

- Best Film
- Film of the Festival
- Best Director
- Best Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Performance
- 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 Immersive Stories Awards:

Best Interactive Narrative Experience
Best Animation Experience
Best Cinematic Experience
Best Documentary Experience
Best Social Impact Experience
Best Music Experience
Best Multi-Person Experience
Discovery Award: Best Debut Experience
British Award: Best UK Experience
Grand Jury Prize: Best Immersive Story

Rules & Terms

The 27th Raindance will take place 18-29 September 2019 in central London.

1. Submission Deadlines
Submissions will be accepted from 12 September 2018. The early deadline is Friday 26 April 2019 the regular deadline is Friday 17 May 2019 the late deadline is Friday 31 May 2019. Early entry is encouraged but in no way guarantees acceptance.

2. Submission Format
Films must be submitted via online screener ONLY. We do not accept films sent over by DVD.
We do not accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is not accepted.

3. Submission Eligibility
- All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2018.
- 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 through FilmFreeway platform. The submission fee is non-refundable.

7. Shipping - for selected films ONLY
If selected your DCP should be sent to:

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

If the film is selected for the Festival all shipping and postage costs for DCPs and additional materials sent to and returned from Raindance must be borne by the submitting party. Raindance will not accept Cash On Delivery shipments. Raindance will not absorb any fees incurred in British customs. All charges must be pre-paid.

8. Selection of Films
Submissions are reviewed and selected under the following criteria:
- Quality of narrative and production values.
- Independent nature of the production.

9. Notification
Raindance endeavours to complete all selection procedures by Friday 31 August 2019 and inform all submitting parties, in writing, if their film has been successful or not after that time. Successful submissions will receive a Filmmaker Festival Pack that will include important information on shipping the DCP to the Festival, press and publicity, guest accreditation, contact information and how to make the most of participating in the Festival.

10. Festival Screenings
Selected films MUST provide a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) in order to be screened at the Raindance Film Festival, as well as a backup Blu-ray. The film title MUST be clearly labelled on the DCP and Blu-ray. All foreign language films MUST contain English subtitles files.
Blu-ray will be used as backup only. Please clearly label whether your film is PAL or NTSC. Our facilities do NOT support DVD, tape, 35mm, Super 16mm, 8mm or double-head formats.
A selected DCP must be received at Raindance no later than TWENTY days prior to its scheduled screening date.
Our partner cinema uses pin sharp Sony 4K Digital Cinema projection, making DCP screenings look incredible. Raindance aspires to provide the best quality projection possible but will not be held liable for any failure in the technical quality of the projection, nor will fees be refunded in any such case. Raindance assumes that the submitting party or filmmaker(s) or entrant(s) or print source company has insured for damage and loss of the festival DCP.

11. Scheduling
Screenings are scheduled at the discretion of Raindance. Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the published schedule, Raindance reserves the right to make changes at any time for any reason. Raindance will not be liable for any costs claimed as a result of a change in scheduling.
No film may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its selection.

12. Festival Awards
Jury prizes for Feature Films: Film of the Festival, Best UK Feature, Best International Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Documentary and the Discovery Award.

Jury prizes for Short Films: Best Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Animation Short, Best UK Short.

Jury prizes for Music Videos: Best Music Video.

If shortlisted for a Jury prize the online screeners of the film must be made available for the duration of the festival for all the jury members.
10 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Inti Javier Carrizo Ortiz

    Raindance was absolutely thrilling! We'll never forget it!

    November 2018
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  • Pádraig Greenwood

    Raindance is a phenomenal festival. It was a privilege to have our film's world premiere there, and to see so many great films.

    October 2018
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  • Mike Rogers

    Raindance is a class operation from start to finish. Management are excellent and it shows in the dedication and quality displayed by staff and volunteers; there is a "company" culture at Raindance that I think rivals that of other world-class quality organizations like Apple Computers or Google. This culture exudes positivity and good vibes. I was there for the entire festival from start to finish and didn't meet a single person who wasn't extremely happy with the entire experience.

    October 2017
    Helpful
  • John Hopkins

    Highly recommended, great networking, well organized, fantastic social events, staff like family. Five STARS!!!

    October 2017
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  • Also Sisters

    Great Film Festival!! Truly committed to support real independent filmmakers. They watch every film submitted, in their entirety!
    Film Festival distribution can get very expensive, if your budget for film festival submissions is very low, at least submit to Raindance, it will be worthwhile!

    October 2017
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