The Raindance Project was launched in 1992 by Canadian-born film producer Elliot Grove. He offered film training courses for emerging filmmakers. The next year, the first Raindance Film Festival took place. It opened with the world premiere of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, an American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström. The next year, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction made it UK debut at Raindance.
Some of the main milestones of the festival’s history include the years 1998, when the first British Independent Film Awards ceremony took place, and 2012, when the Raindance Film Festival was accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and short films screened at the festival became eligible for Academy Award nominations.
Raindance screens feature films, short films and music videos made by British and international filmmakers. Alongside film screenings, its program includes seminars, workshops, and other events and activities for film fans, journalists, and industry professionals, from filmmakers to film executives. Every year, Raindance attracts 16,000 attendees including 500 industry professionals.
According to the Raindance team, Raindance is more than just a film festival. Not only does it showcase the best independent films from around the world to a wide audience, but it also strives to support young, independent and alternative filmmakers all year round. Raindance hosts a series of courses and events in several cities around the world, including London, Toronto, Los Angeles, Berlin, Vancouver, Montreal, Brussels, Barcelona, and New York.
In 2013, Raindance launched Raindance Releasing, a video on demand (VOD) platform designed to bring the Raindance Film Festival to audiences all year round. It exclusively features some of the best UK and international independent films. Another Raindance project is the Raindance Web Fest that runs concurrently with the main event but has its own program.
Photo: raindancefestival.org
