RAINDANCE RETURNS TO CINEMAS 27 October to 6 November for the 29th edition of the Raindance Film Festival. As the world begins to emerge from a Covid cocoon, Britain’s biggest independent film festival Raindance is poised and ready to return to cinemas – and after the last 18 months of isolation and uncertainty, Raindance is coming back reimagined, reinvented, and with a host of new partners and of course some incredible new films.

“There’s nothing new about independent film, except that indie film is forever new,” says Raindance founder Elliot Grove. “Independent filmmakers tell the most original and individual stories, using the medium of film to show every facet of the complex world we live in. Now that cinemas have reopened, Raindance is ready to re-connect with the energy, vibrancy and insurgent spirit of indie film – and this year we have some exciting new partners to join us on our mission. We hope you will join us too.” #TheyWillCome

The festival will bring this year’s programme of ground-breaking indie features and shorts to a range of new venues as Raindance partners for the first time with local cinemas across London: Curzon Hoxton, Curzon Soho, Curzon Mayfair, Genesis Cinema, Regent Street Cinema, Bertha DocHouse. Expanding on the experience of hosting a hybrid festival in 2020, when around 70% of the online audience was located outside of London, this year Raindance endeavours to cultivate its digital reach. The in-cinema premieres will be supplemented by a full online programme of films via new digital partner Curzon Home Cinema. Festival titles from the Official Selection will have a digital repeat screening, available UK-wide via the Curzon Home Cinema platform. Films will be available on a ‘pay per watch’ basis via Curzon Home Cinema’s iOS app, Android app and on Smart TVs.

OPENING GALA: BEST SELLERS (dir: Lina Roessler, Canada)
The 29th Raindance Film Festival opens on 27 October with the UK theatrical premiere of BEST SELLERS, the first feature by actor and award-winning short filmmaker Lina Roessler. Starring Aubrey Plaza, Michael Caine and Cary Elwes, it portrays a cranky retired author who reluctantly embarks on a final book tour to help out a young publisher. Director Lina Roessler will join special guests on the red carpet at Curzon Mayfair, followed by a party at The Dorchester.

CLOSING GALA: MEDUSA (dir: Anita Rocha da Silveira, Brazil)
Following its debut at Cannes Directors Fortnight, Raindance presents the UK Premiere of MEDUSA as closing gala on 6 November at Genesis Cinema. Inspired by mythical and real-life violence by women against women and set against a backdrop of toxic masculinity and right-wing politics, the second feature by Brazilian filmmaker Anita Rocha da Silveira sees a group of Christian women gang up to attack women who they judge to be too liberal or too promiscuous.