GENERAL FESTIVAL INFORMATION

Submissions are open for the 34th Raindance Film Festival
London, 17 - 26 June 2026

To be eligible for Raindance 2026, films must be completed on or after January 2025.

Since 1992, Raindance has supported a new generation of creative and innovative filmmakers in the UK and worldwide. The Raindance Film Festival takes place in Central London, providing international filmmakers with a West End premiere and a truly authentic London experience.

The festival welcomes over 16,000 visitors annually, including buyers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers, producers, press, and film enthusiasts.

The Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK, officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the British Independent Film Awards. Winners of the Best Animation Short, Best Documentary Short, and Short of the Festival categories will qualify for the Oscar®, and selected shorts will also be considered for BAFTA awards.

Festival Sections:
• World-renowned program showcasing the best UK and international independent films
• Masterclasses featuring special guests
• Raindance Industry Forum – talks and panels
• Script Competition (To submit, click HERE) (https://raindance.org/festival/submit/scripts/)
• Raindance Immersive strand
• Networking events
• Focus on emerging filmmakers

The 34th Raindance Film Festival will take place from 17-26 June 2026.

MORE
Among 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 has received praise from both the press and the public alike. We have a strong interest in works from first-time filmmakers, female filmmakers, stories from the LGBTQ+ community, narratives addressing social injustice and environmental concerns, horror films, and, last but not least, music documentaries.

Over the years, the festival has welcomed notable guests and filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, Terry Gilliam, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway, and Lou Reed.

Our international jury has included Olivia Colman, Sean Bean, Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Martin Freeman, Gareth Edwards, Ewen Bremner, Jason Flemyng, Andrew Scott, Tom Waits, Vicky McClure, and Sheridan Smith among the top UK industry guest jurors.

RAINDANCE MEMBERS

Raindance members receive a discount on their first submission each year. If you are a pro member, please email festival@raindance.co.uk to obtain your unique waiver code. Be sure to include your membership number and expiry date.

RAINDANCE FILM SCHOOL

As a professional, accredited film school with an independent spirit, Raindance has been teaching both novice and experienced filmmakers since 1992. Our ethos is centered on independence, and our courses are designed to help you develop your skills in your unique style.

Awards & Prizes

• Raindance Jury Awards:
- Best Documentary Feature
- Best International Feature
- Best UK Feature
- Best UK Director
- Best UK Cinematography
- Best Performance in a UK Feature
- Discovery Award for Debut Feature (The Elisar Cabrera Award)
- Best Debut Director
- Best Performance in a Debut Feature
- Best Live Action Short
- Best Documentary Short
- Best Animated Short
- Best UK Short

• Raindance Icon Award
• Raindance Immersive Awards

Rules & Terms

The 34th Raindance Film Festival will take place from 17-26 June 2026.

1. Submission Deadlines

• Early deadline: Monday, 8 December 2025
• Regular deadline: Monday, 19 January 2026
• Final deadline: 1 March 2026

Early entries are encouraged but do not guarantee acceptance.

2. Submission Format
Filmmakers must submit their films via an online screener. Please note that we do not accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films. Therefore, changing or updating the originally submitted link is not allowed. Our programmers will only review one version of your film.

3. Submission Eligibility
• All submissions must be completed after 1 January 2025.
• Raindance requires no public UK premiere prior to entry (private screenings are eligible).
• For the competition sections, we prioritize first- and second-time filmmakers but also consider other films for special off-competition screenings and galas.
• There is no premiere policy for short films.
• 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 in any format or screened publicly online.
• If, after you submit, your feature film's premiere status changes, rendering it ineligible for at least a UK premiere, please inform us immediately and withdraw your film from submissions.
• There is no premiere policy for short films.

5. Film Classification
All films screened during the Raindance Film Festival receive a blank 18 certificate from the relevant council in London. This means we cannot accept anyone under 18 during any screening of the festival. Please consider this when submitting to Raindance.

6. Submission Fee
All submissions for Raindance must be paid through the 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, the submitting party must bear all shipping and postage costs for DCPs and additional materials sent to and returned from Raindance. Raindance will not accept Cash On Delivery shipments. Raindance will not cover any fees incurred in British customs. All charges must be pre-paid.

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

9. Notification
Raindance aims to complete all selection procedures by 16 May 2025 and inform all submitting parties in writing if their film has been selected after that date. Successful submissions will receive a Filmmaker Festival Pack that includes important information on shipping the DCP to the festival, press and publicity, guest accreditation, contact information, and how to maximize participation.

10. Festival Screenings - for selected films ONLY
Selected films MUST provide a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) for screening at the Raindance Film Festival, as well as a backup Blu-ray. The film title MUST be clearly labeled on both the DCP and Blu-ray. All foreign language films MUST include English subtitle files.
The Blu-ray will be used as a backup only. Please clearly indicate 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 before its scheduled screening date.

Our partner cinema uses pin-sharp Sony 4K Digital Cinema projection, ensuring DCP screenings look incredible. Raindance aims to provide the best projection quality possible but will not be held liable for any technical quality issues, nor will fees be refunded in such cases. Raindance assumes that the submitting filmmaker(s), entrant(s), or print source company have obtained insurance for damage and loss of the festival DCP.

11. Scheduling - for selected films ONLY
Screenings are scheduled at Raindance's discretion. While 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 schedule change. No film may be withdrawn from the festival program after selection.

12. Promotion - for selected films ONLY
Selected films must acknowledge that Raindance reserves the right to promote the films on its website and social media using both images and videos provided by you.

13. Festival Awards
Raindance Jury prizes for feature films, short films, and VR will be confirmed later.

If the film is shortlisted for a jury prize, the online screeners must be available for all jury members for the duration of the festival.
46 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Festival Formula

    What people don't realise is that whilst Raindance has the large kudos attached to it, it's run by a small team that put the hours in. We were very proud to have two clients screen in their 2024 edition in the new time of the year:

    Homemaker
    I'm Still Here

    July 2024
    Helpful
  • Joshua Trigg

    The Raindance team is amazing. I am very honoured my debut feature premiered here. If you want to jump start your career and an independent filmmaker then Raindnace is a beacon of hope.

    July 2024
    Helpful
  • Liam White

    Incredible experience being part of Raindance for a second time. The picture and sound in the screening was top notch, I and the other filmmakers were given time and space to talk about our films at the end and I spent (literally) hours afterwards talking to fellow filmmakers and audience members. I didn’t feel anonymous either as it’s possible to feel at some bigger festivals - the communication from Ana, Danny, Christina and the whole team was personal, personable and rapid.
    Winning Best UK Short for my film Housewarming was the cherry on a delicious cake, but honestly my review would be the same if it hadn’t. Fully recommend.

    July 2024
    Helpful
  • Adam Ethan Crow

    I've been to Raindance as a punter, but to be part of this fantastic film festival with a film screening at the event was a unique experience! We saw incredible films, met passionate and exciting people, got to network and party, and we will be back!
    Elliot, David and the team made us feel like we belonged on the red (orange) carpet and inspired us to keep making movies and chasing our dreams. Thank you, Team Raindance!

    November 2023
    Helpful
  • Chris Overton

    One of the worlds best festivals. An honour to be part of it.

    November 2023
    Helpful