For the 31st edition of the Raindance Film Festival, the UK’s leading indie film festival, the event is returning to the heart of London’s West End, the spiritual home of cinema in the UK.
Raindance founder Elliot Grove:
“When Raindance first launched back in 1993 with the World Premiere of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, the festival found itself at home in London’s iconic West End, championing indie film in cinemas more accustomed to playing Hollywood blockbusters.”
Running 25 Oct– 4 Nov, host cinemas include Vue Piccadilly, Curzon Soho, Curzon Mayfair and the Garden Cinema, with The House of Raindance industry hub and the Raindance Immersive VR Showcase hosted this year at Wonderville on Haymarket – all located an arrows-shot from the iconic Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus. Further films will be screened at Genesis Cinema in east London.
Raindance celebrates this West End return with a programme of fresh, relevant, and radical premieres of must-see titles. A champion of new and vibrant voices in cinema, this year’s selection altogether prioritises the work of first, second, and third-time filmmakers across the entire feature programme, re-enforcing the Raindance mandate as a place to discover and be discovered. This year, over 75% of the films are debut features, with 14% being 2nd or 3rd features.
Elliot Grove:
“Year after year, Raindance proved that the West End could be a home to film of every budget and genre. In our most recent editions, Raindance embraced local neighbourhood cinemas across London. Now for this, our 31st edition, we are wholeheartedly back in London’s West End, the beating heart of cinema in the UK.
“And we will continue to champion new filmmakers and the edgy, under-the-radar films that we at Raindance love so much. Join us in 2023, in the shadow of Eros in the heart of London – and maybe with a little help from Eros’s mythical arrows, we’ll all fall just a bit in love with independent film.”
25 Oct – 4 Nov, in London cinemas: www.raindance.org/festival
