Raindance, the UK’s leading indie film festival, have announced that the UK premiere of Tilman Singer’s second feature ‘Cuckoo’ will be the opening gala, and that the European premiere of Luke Gilford’s ‘National Anthem’ will be the closing gala of the upcoming 32nd edition of the film festival.
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The festival, which usually runs during the Autumn season, has this year transitioned into the summer season, as it will run from the 19th to the 28th June. Host cinemas for this edition include Curzon Mayfair, Curzon Soho, and The Prince Charles Cinema in central London, and Genesis Cinema in east London. At the 32nd edition of the Raindance Film Festival, 90% of the films screening in competition are debut features.
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Raindance founder, Elliot Grove, released a statement saying:
Raindance is known as a festival of discovery. Ever since Raindance launched back in 1993, year after year Raindance has developed a reputation as THE place to discover and be discovered. With our newly determined and defined focus on first and second-time filmmakers, we continue out campaign of championing new voices and the edgy, under-the-radar films we at Raindance love so much. Come and join our midsummer celebration of the very best new indie cinema and see what you discover. All we are saying is give film a chance.
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Martyna Szmytkowska and Malaika Bova, Raindance Film Festival artistic directors, also released a statement saying:
In our second year as Artistic Directors, we continue with the mission that we began last year: to confirm Raindance as the leading UK platform for emerging filmmakers. As part of this effort, we have reshaped the film programme, the awards system, and the industry sessions – altogether tailoring Raindance to the needs of first and second-time filmmakers.
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Here are the list of films that will screen at the 32nd Raindance Film Festival…
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OPENING GALA: CUCKOO
DIRECTED BY: TILMAN SINGER
Following its World premiere at the 74th at the Berlin International Film Festival and festival screenings including SXSW, Tilman Singer’s second feature Cuckoo will be the opening film of the festival, and it will also be the UK premiere. Hunter Schafer stars as a seventeen-year-old who is forced to leave her American home to live with her father and his new family as they move to a resort in the German Alps, and Dan Stevens as the resort’s mysterious boss. The screening will also include a Q&A with director Tilman Singer.
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CLOSING GALA: NATIONAL ANTHEM
DIRECTED BY: LUKE GILFORD
The Raindance Film Festival will close its 32nd edition with the European premiere of Luke Gilford’s directorial feature debut National Anthem. A highlight from Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW, this love story and a western for a new world stars Charlie Plummer asa young construction worker who joins a community of queer rodeo performers in New Mexico, each in search of their own version of the American dream.
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IN COMPETITION: FEATURE STRANDS
DISCOVERY: maverick features by debut directors
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ARNI
DIRECTED BY: DORKA VERMES (HUNGARY)
Debut feature and UK premiere of Hungarian film from Dorka Vermes. A lonely outsider working for a travelling circus, Árni’s days revolve around feeding the animals and doing odd jobs. When the circus gets a new python, the creature piques Árni’s curiosity. This bleak, visually rich feature was one of four selected for the 11th edition of Biennale College Cinema, and was nominated for the Queer Lion.
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CAT CALL
DIRECTED BY: ROZÁLIA SZELENCZKI (HUNGARY)
UK premiere and debut feature from Rozália Szelenczki. Trapped in a world of her own imagination, a woman can never fall in love because she pictures the death of each man she finds attractive. But everything changes when a talking cat starts courting her.
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FALLING INTO PLACE
DIRECTED BY: AYLIN TEZEL (UK/GERMANY)
Debut feature for German-actress-turned-director Aylin Tezel and London premiere of Falling Into Place. Tezel stars opposite Chris Fulton in this arthouse romantic-comedy set in Scotland and London over a brief winter weekend. 606 Distribution will release the film in UK cinemas later this year.
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IT’S BURNING
DIRECTED BY: EROL AFSIN (GERMANY)
Debut feature and UK premiere from Erol Afsin. In this hard-hitting German-set tale of hate crime, an Arab family encounter a man in a playground, where things unfortunately escalate when he attacks the mother due to her headscarf. This leads to a court case, where everything changes.
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NATIONAL ANTHEM
DIRECTED BY: LUKE GILFORD (USA)
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SATU – YEAR OF THE RABBIT
DIRECTED BY: JOSH TRIGG (UK)
World premiere of the debut feature from Josh Trigg. Set in Laos and featuring local actors, this sumptuously shot coming-of-age film follows an orphan child labourer on a journey in search of his long-lost mother.
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SISTERHOOD
DIRECTED BY: NORA EL HOURCH (FRANCE)
UK premiere of Nora el Hourch’s debut feature. Three inseparable teenage girls attract public outcry after they post a video on social media identifying the assailant who attacked one of them. This coming-of-age drama explores issues including class division and feminism.
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SLEEP
DIRECTED BY: JASON YU (SOUTH KOREA)
London premiere and Jason Yu’s debut feature. The final film role for acclaimed Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, starring alongside award-winning actress Jung Yu-mi playing a young expectant wife who must figure out how to stop her husband’s nightmarish sleepwalking habits before he harms himself or his family.
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THE HEIRLOOM
DIRECTED BY: BEN PETRIE (CANADA)
UK premiere of Ben Petrie’s debut feature. Ben Petrie directs his first feature: the simple and quirky tale of a desperate filmmaker, seized by inspiration when he and his girlfriend adopt a traumatised rescue dog. Petrie co-stars alongside his regular collaborator Grace Glowicki.
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THE QUIET MAID
DIRECTED BY: MIGUEL FAUS (SPAIN)
UK premiere of Miguel Faus’ debut feature. In this cathartic Spanish thriller, a young Colombian woman works as a maid for a wealthy, privileged and difficult family. She is quiet and discreet, as she was told, until she sees a way to take revenge.
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INTERNATIONAL: must-see titles selected from around the world
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ANIMAL
DIRECTED BY: SOFIA EXARCHOU (GREECE)
UK Premiere. A multi-award winner at Thessaloniki film festival, Animal portrays a group of performers as they spend an increasingly wild summer working at a busy all-inclusive island resort under the hot Greek sun.
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BODY ODYSSEY
DIRECTED BY: GRAZIA TRICARICO (ITALY/SWITZERLAND)
UK premiere of Grazia Tricarico’s debut feature. Co-starring Julian Sands in his final film, Body Odyssey follows a female bodybuilder who is obsessed by an ideal of perfection and beauty. As she trains for a world championship, her coach monitors every detail of her disciplined daily actions.
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CUCKOO
DIRECTED BY: TILMAN SINGER (GERMANY/USA)
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DON’T HANG UP
DIRECTED BY: MANFREDI LUCIBELLO (ITALY)
International premiere of Manfredi Lucibello’s debut feature. Receiving an unexpected and confusing phone call from an ex-boyfriend whom she hasn’t heard from since their breakup, a woman sets off in her car, hoping to reach him in time – without ever hanging up the phone.
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ENDLESS SUMMER SYNDROME
DIRECTED BY: KAVEH DANESHMAND (CZECH REPUBLIC)
UK premiere of Kaveh Daneshmand’s debut feature. Nominated for Best First Feature at Tallinn Black Nights, in this French-set thriller a mother’s sense of duty takes a macabre turn when she learns that her husband may be having an affair with one of their two adopted kids.
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KATHLEEN IS HERE
DIRECTED BY: EVA BIRTHISTLE (IRELAND)
World premiere of Eva Birthistle’s debut feature. Acclaimed actress Eva Birthistle expands on her award-winning short by directing this tale that depicts the ongoing problems surrounding young adults who age out of care.
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MY KILLER BUDDY
DIRECTED BY: GIANLUCA SANTONI (ITALY)
International premiere of Gianluca Santoni’s debut feature. A boy cultivates the idea of finding a paid killer to save his mother from his father’s violence – so he approaches a local petty criminal in this original and touching tale of domestic violence told from a child’s perspective.
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THE STRANGERS’ CASE
DIRECTED BY: BRANDT ANDERSON (JORDAN)
UK premiere of Brandt Anderson’s debut feature. Tragedy strikes a Syrian family in Aleppo, starting a chain reaction of events involving five different families in four different countries. Winner of the Amnesty International Film Prize at Berlin, it’s a familiar yet sadly topical story told from numerous perspectives by a cast including Omar Sy in roles such as refugee, doctor, people smuggler, and coast guard.
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WHAT YOU SEE OF ME
DIRECTED BY: ISABELLE CAPS-KUHN (GERMANY)
World premiere of Isabelle Caps-Kuhn’s debut feature. A couple stumble into an open relationship. But the light-hearted experiment gradually turns into a flurry of jealousy and unforeseen feelings.
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DOCUMENTARIES: Powerful and relevant narratives
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AVANT-DRAG!
DIRECTED BY: FIL IEROPOULOS (GREECE)
UK premiere. Following its special jury award-winning world premiere at Thessaloniki, this visually vibrant tale follows ten drag performers in Athens, finding solace in each other as they rebel against their oppressive reality.
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ETERNAL YOU
DIRECTED BY: HANS BLOCK & MORITZ RIESEVIEK (GERMANY/USA)
London premiere. Questioning the consequences of commodifying the human desire for immortality, this challenging documentary spotlights tech start-ups that are using AI to create avatars that allow people to talk with their loved ones after death.
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FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS
DIRECTED BY: JAVIER HORCAJADA FONTECHA (SPAIN)
World premiere. A chilling exploration of gun culture in the United States, told from the perspective of the most extreme, wild and crazy advocates for gun ownership via precisely curated selection of YouTube videos.
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MOGWAI: IF THE STARS HAD A SOUND
DIRECTED BY: ANTONY CROOK (UK)
London premiere of Antony Crook’s debut feature. Documenting twenty-five years of this cult Scottish post-rock band, as they stay true to their roots and follow their own path.
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SEARCHING FOR AMANI
DIRECTED BY: DEBRA AROKO & NICOLE GORMLEY (KENYA/USA)
European premiere of Aroko and Gormley’s debut feature. In search of truth and redemption, a thirteen-year-old boy investigates his father’s tragic murder within the boundaries of one of Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancies.
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SMILING GEORGIA
DIRECTED BY: LUKA BERADZE (GEORGIA)
UK premiere of Luka Beradze’s debut feature. This documentary probes Georgia’s 2012 election campaign by the governing party, who promised its country’s poorest citizens new teeth in exchange for their vote.
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STING LIKE A BEE
DIRECTED BY: LEONE (ITALY)
UK premiere of Leone’s debut feature. Evoking the summer days of adolescence, this visually sumptuous coming-of-age tale explores the romantic dynamics of a group of teenagers in a small southern Italian town, who also share a love of the iconic Piaggio Ape. Featuring a soundtrack by jazz pianist Ze in the Clouds.
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THE CLICK TRAP
DIRECTED BY: PETER PORTA (FRANCE/SPAIN)
UK premiere of Peter Porta’s debut feature. Raising ethical concerns about democracy and online capitalism, this documentary spotlights major tech firms who claim to restrict disinformation – yet still profit from harmful content whenever we click.
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THE CONTESTANT
DIRECTED BY: CLAIR TITLEY (UK)
London premiere of Clair Titley’s debut feature. This documentary tells the astonishing story of Tomoaki Hamatsu, who featured in a controversial Japanese reality TV show that saw him left naked and alone in a room for more than a year, tasked with entering magazine sweepstakes to win food an essentials to survive – becoming a famous TV star through the days of sufferance he endured.
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THE MAN WITH 1000 FACES
DIRECTED BY: SONIA KRONLUND (FRANCE/POLAND)
International premiere. A first-person investigation of a man who goes by different names, who calls himself a surgeon or an engineer, Argentinian or Brazilian, and lives with four different women – adapting his story and even his personality traits to each of his different and fraudulent faces.
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IN COMPETITION: ACADEMY AWARD QUALIFYING SHORT FILM PROGRAMMES
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Raindance is an Oscar-qualifying festival. The recipient of Raindance’s Best Live-Action Short, Best Animation Short, and Best Documentary Short are eligible for consideration in the three Short Film categories of the Academy Awards without the standard theatrical run (provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules). Altogether there are nine short film programmes: Animated Display, Body Security and Home, Documented People, German Programme, Next Generation Short Tiger 2024, Gone Astray, Lost Ventures, Nova Express, Relative States, and UK Shorts.
Highlights of short films include:
DANGEROUS ROMANCE by Daisy Jacobs, GOOD BOY by Tom Stuart, DAMMI by Yann Mounir Demange, THE MASTERPIECE by Alex Lora, [S] by Mario Radev, and AREA BOY by Iggy London.
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THE FOUNDERS STRAND: In consideration for the ‘Spirit of Raindance’ award
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DOG WAR
DIRECTED BY: ANDREW ABRAHAMS (USA)
World premiere. In this thought-provoking documentary, a team of animal-loving combat veterans infiltrate the dog meat farms and markets of South Korea to save as many dogs as possible.
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DOUBLE EXPOSURE
DIRECTED BY: HOWARD GOLDBERG (USA)
World premiere. The past and present mysteriously collide as a struggling artist grapples with guilt over what happened to his first true love.
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HUMANE
DIRECTED BY: CAITLIN CRONENBERG (USA)
European premiere. In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father’s plan to enlist in the government’s new euthanasia program goes awry.
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I’M STILL HERE
DIRECTED BY: ELIZABETH HEALEY & FRANC VISSERS (UK)
London premiere. Documenting the COVID pandemic in 2020, when those left abandoned on London’s streets are given a voice, and the actions of emerging community organisation Under One Sky highlights the power of human connection.
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PEAKY BLINDERS
DIRECTED BY: BENOIT-SWAN POUFFER (UK)
Having begun its life on TV, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight reimagined it as a dance theatre show, directed and choreographed by Rambert’s artistic director Benoit-Swan Pouffer – which has now inspired this film iteration.
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SHARI AND LAMB CHOP
DIRECTED BY: LISA D’APOLITO (USA)
International premiere. This heartfelt and entertaining documentary charts the life loves, and career hits and misses of children’s television pioneer Shari Lewis – the ventriloquist behind sock puppets Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and, of course, Lamb Chop.
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SOMETHING’S MORE THAN ONE THING
DIRECTED BY: JAY ALVAREZ (USA)
World premiere. A young couple go down a rabbit hole of conflicting internet advice in order to save their relationship, in this comedy drama with a cast including Alex Sagambati, Soko, and James Scully.
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Also at this years Raindance Film Festival is Raindance Industry Sessions, hosting a collection of workshops, panels, and masterclasses hosted at the House of Raindance (Wonderville, Haymarket). Also at the festival is the Raindance Immersive programme, celebrating all independent XR creators, game designers, virtual world builders and performers. For more information about the festival, just click on the links below:
Irish Cinephile 