Raindance Film Festival

Raindance is dedicated to fostering and promoting independent film around the world. Based in the heart of London, Raindance combines Raindance Film Festival, training courses — which are offered throughout the year at our 10 international hubs — and the British Independent Film Awards.

The organisation was founded in 1992 by Elliot Grove as a thought experiment: can you make a film with no money, no training and no experience? The first Raindance event was a masterclass with Dov Simens held in London in April 1992.

Just over one year later in October 1993 Raindance Film Festival was born, held at London’s Prince Charles Cinema and Ciné Lumière, giving What’s Eating Gilbert Grape its UK premiere. Since then, Raindance has hosted the UK premieres of The Blair Witch Project, Dead Man’s Shoes, Memento, Ghost World, Capturing the Friedmans, Down Terrace, I Origins and Old Boy. The festival runs annually in September in London’s West End.

In 1998 Raindance created the British Independent Film Awards, an annual celebration of the best UK independent films of the year held in December. Top honours have been awarded to My Name is Joe, Billy Elliot, Vera Drake, This Is England, Slumdog Millionaire, Pride and American Honey.

Operating for more than 25 years, Raindance offers a wide range of evening and weekend film training courses in cities around the world, including London, Toronto, LA, Berlin and Paris, as well as online — all taught by experienced film professionals. Our courses, classes and workshops include some of the most popular in the world, spanning disciplines and crafts such as screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, special effects, editing, lighting, sound and short film making to name just a few.

Past students of Raindance film training courses include Sahsa Baron Cohen (Borat, Les Miserables), Sadie Frost (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Set the Thames on Fire), Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, The Tourist), Nick Hornby (An Education, Brooklyn), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception), Oscar-nominated producer Alison Owen (Elizabeth, Saving Mr Banks), Guy Ritchie (Snatch, RocknRolla), Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class), Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, The Danish Girl), Russell Howard (Mock The Week, Russell Howard’s Good News), Bonnie Wright (Harry Potter series), BAFTA-winning producer Charles Steel (The Last King of Scotland, How I Live Now), Ken Marshall (Filth, London to Brighton), Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee, Everybody’s Fine), BAFTA-winning producer Richard Holmes (45 Years, Eden Lake) and BAFTA-nominated producer Philippa Braithwaite (Sliding Doors, Doc Martin).