Raindance Web Fest is a strand of Raindance Film Festival dedicated exclusively to content created specifically for online distribution. In 2019 Raindance Web Fest will be hosted online, running concurrently with the 27th Raindance Film Festival, showcasing new web series from independent creators on a bespoke online platform.

Raindance Web Fest will be hosted online for the duration of the Raindance Film Festival 2019 (18th - 29th September) on the high-traffic Raindance Film Festival website. Audiences will have the opportunity to watch all selected web series and vote for their favourite works.

Developments in technology have opened up new opportunities for independent filmmakers. Web series has become the new short-form content that film and television executives have started looking to in order to find the next generation of filmmakers and stars. Popular television shows that originated as web series include Broad City (Comedy Central), High Maintenance (HBO), Insecure (HBO), Venus vs Mars (Sky Living), Drunk History (Comedy Central) and Web Therapy (Showtime), to name just a few.

In addition to the online platform, Raindance Web Fest will also incorporate panels and talks during the Raindance Industry Forum days at the Vue West End cinema during Raindance Film Festival.

Selected web series creators will receive 2 talent passes to attend Raindance Film Festival 2019, which provides access to all screenings, talks, events and networking sessions throughout the festival.

Many online video and streaming TV industry experts have attended, been on our jury or taken part in our panels and industry events including representatives from:

BBC Comedy, All4, Zoomin.TV, Victorious, Time Inc, BuzzMyVideos, Maker Studios, Yahoo! Entertainment, Channelflip, Endemol Beyond, AOL On, Content Media Group, App Media Network, #mashed, Comedy Central, BigBalls Films, TBI, Broadcastnow, Frostbite UK, Wildseed Studios, Little Dot Studios, Facebook, Orama.TV, Tello Films, Dailymotion, Pure Grass Films, Digital Jam, Digital Creators UK, Th@t Lot, and many more.

Please ensure that you read the rules in full before submitting.

This submission page is for web series only. To submit a feature film, short film or music video please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/Raindance

RAINDANCE MEMBERS GET 50% DISCOUNT
Raindance Members can get 50% off their first submission. To request your 50% discount code, please email webfest@raindance.co.uk with ‘Member Submission’ as the subject line and include your name, email address and Membership Number in the body of the email.
To become a Raindance Member, please visit: http://bit.ly/RaindanceMembership

Selected web series at Raindance Web Fest 2019 will compete for two awards: the Jury Award and the Audience Award.

Online audiences will be able to vote for their favourite web series (Audience Award), alongside a jury of high-calibre web series, digital content and television professionals who will select the winning series (Jury Award).

Award winners will be announced during the Raindance Film Festival 2019 Awards Ceremony at a lavish venue in central London. Winners will receive the iconic Raindance trophy, and will continue to be hosted on the Raindance Film Festival website after the festival in order to maximise exposure.

IMPORTANT: Please include either a YouTube playlist in your submission on FilmFreeway or links to at least three episodes (with passwords if necessary).

We are looking for scripted and documentary web series. A qualifying web series must have at least 3 episodes available for festival programmers to view (these can be password protected for unreleased episodes). Web series must have been released after 1 January 2018 to be eligible for Raindance Web Fest 2019.

Any non-English language web series must be submitted with subtitles in English. If accepted, all non-English language web series must have English subtitles on the projection copy.

If you are accepted your web series must be available to stream on the Raindance Film Festival website without a password requirement.

General Rules Regulations and Procedures

The 7th Raindance Web Fest will be hosted online from 18-29 September 2019 at www.raindance.org/festival.

1. Submission Deadlines - submissions will be accepted from 11 September 2018 until the final submission deadline on 31 May 2019. Early entry is encouraged but in no way guarantees acceptance.

2. Submission Format - a minimum of 3 episodes must be submitted online. Include a YouTube playlist as your submitted video in FilmFreeway or submit at least 3 episode links (and passwords if required).

3. Submission Eligibility - all submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2018. Works-in-progress will be accepted provided the final version is available by the start of the Festival. Web series that have screened in previous Raindance Web Fests are not eligible in 2019 (this means we are not accepting new seasons of previous official selections in 2019).

4. Premiere Status - no premiere status required, but world premieres are encouraged. If you are submitting a World Premiere please notify the organisers by emailing webfest@raindance.co.uk.

5. Submission Fee - all Raindance Web Fest submissions must be processed via FilmFreeway. The submission fee is non-refundable.

6. Sending Your Online Link - all selected web series will need to send the link on the indicated deadline. Raindance will not accept links after the deadline stated in your acceptance letter.

7. Selection of Web Series - submissions are reviewed and selected under the following criteria:
a) Quality of narrative and production values
b) Independent nature of the production
We endeavour to complete the selection process by 31 August 2019 and inform all submitting parties of the outcome, in writing, shortly after. Selected web series creators will receive a Filmmaker Festival Pack, which will include important information on guest accreditation, marketing and publicity, contact information, and how to make the most of participating in the Festival.

9. Raindance Web Fest Awards - In Competition web series will be selected from the Official Selection. An independent jury will judge the winner of the Jury Prize from the nominations.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Martijn Winkler

    We were very happy to be selected and to screen in London, amongst several terrific shows. Also the panel talk was interesting, with great guests. We were a bit disappointed with the exposure and scope of the event, however, since it was much more low key than as advertised. In the description it says: 'Raindance Web Fest will be hosted online for the duration of the Raindance Film Festival 2019 on the high-traffic Raindance Film Festival website, on a bespoke online platform. Audiences will have the opportunity to watch all selected web series and vote for their favourite works.' However, none of this took place. No exposure AT ALL on the web site, let alone online viewing of the series, and certainly no audience voting. This left us a bit underwhelmed; we would have liked some more attention by the festival for the web series, both online and publicly. To feel more part of the Raindance experience...
    That said, the curation was heartfelt and certainly focused on quality, so those intentions were quite good. And we were truly honoured to be nominated, amongst such a great selection of works.

    October 2019
  • Bob DENHAM

    Good festival. Wish had spent longer there to really experience it.

    December 2016