The Raindance Film Festival is the largest and most important independent film festival in the UK. Raindance showcases features and shorts by filmmakers from around the world to an audience of film executives and buyers, journalists, film fans and filmmakers. Along with screenings, there are seminars, workshops and parties to allow everyone the chance to share our passion for independent cinema. The focus of our programming changes each year to reflect current trends in world cinema. The new underground, Japanese cinema, European, North American and UK indies feature regularly alongside our other strands from all over the world. Our programme is the boldest in the UK, including both a music documentary focus as well as some of the edgiest films in the world. Each year the Festival screens roughly 100 feature films and 150 shorts.
Raindance Film Festival is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. Selected shorts will qualify for Oscar® and BAFTA nominations.
We currently offer Awards for:
Best Film
Film of the Festival
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Performance
Best UK Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Discovery Award
Best Short of the Festival
Best UK Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Animation Short
Best Music Video
All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2023.
Raindance requires at least a UK premiere for any feature film. There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos,
Works-in-progress are accepted.
Submissions are open filmfreeway only.
Subtitles language: English2
Premiere Requirements
National premiere required.
