Film Feature by Chris Olson As the award season builds to its inevitable crescendo with the Academy Awards next week, filmmakers and film goers will be saturated with phrases like “award-winning” and “notable mention”, and will be looking for something fresh. Here in the UK, we play host to some of the best film festivals in the world, and here is a little snippet of some of the best. Raindance Film Festival 2017 UK Film Review were proud to attend some of last year’s events and screenings at Raindance, which took place across the autumnal urban streets of Central London in October. Fans of indie films, short films, and some incredible workshops with filmmakers can enjoy the fruits of this amazing film festival, here in the UK. One of the great things about this movie event is that it is not hugely crowded, a lot of the filmmakers are there and are happy to chat with audiences afterwards, and the general mix of all genres creates a hugely enjoyable festival experience. London Short Film Festival 2018 One of the earliest events in the cinematic calendar, the LSFF plays host to (you guessed it) the best in short filmmaking. With some amazing categories and events, many indie filmmakers enjoy submitting their films here, as they get in front of an audience that is finely tuned to their niche. Many of the movies on display at the London Short Film Festival become the proving ground for a successful feature length, with directors needing to prove their worth here. BFI London Film Festival 2017 Arguably the biggest, and best, film festival in the world, the BFI play host to the mega-movies, attended by the hottest names in cinema. Last year, UK Film Review attended many screenings, and were able to see many of the films that will be up for Oscars this year, including Nocturnal Animals, Lion, La La Land, and Arrival. During this year, we will be promoting more and more film festivals in the UK, so make sure you check back to read the film reviews and articles our talented writers post. #FilmFestivals #ChrisOlson #FilmFeature #AcademyAwards #RaindanceFilmFestival #LondonShortFilmFestival #BFILondonFilmFestival #Filmmaking

Film Feature by Chris Olson Home to tutting in queues, washing up bowls, and a general sense of never knowing how or what to tip, the UK is a wonderful place. Amongst our eccentricities is a bountiful movie industry, with phenomenally creative artists both in front and behind the camera. With so many amazing films emerging in recent years being made here in Britain, as well as a political need to create more economic growth, there has been a push to get more people involved in filmmaking courses in the UK. Many brilliant establishments already offer these types of tuition, and can aim at would-be students from a range of social and economic backgrounds. Here at UK Film Review we are hoping to spread the word about some of the best filmmaking courses, where you can find them, and what they entail. With that in mind, here is a short list of the best ones we can find right now that have more of an introductory feel to them, covering the basics, and are not too much of a financial investment. Raindance Film School Thinking you just want to dip your toe into the word of film? Then Raindance offer a marvellous filmmaking course titled "99 Minute Film School", which is taking place this August in London. The cost is £25 making it fantastic value for money considering the level of expertise their tutors can bring. It covers some basics for future filmmakers, giving insight into every aspect of your project - from the shoot, to the marketing. Brighton Film School Are you more interested in the writing aspect of filmmaking? Then head down to Brighton Film School, a very well respected provider of filmmaking courses in the UK, who offer a course titled "How to write a Screenplay - introduction short course". This is a wonderful 8-Week adventure into writing a screenplay that offers students essential skills in writing a story for film. As film critics, we see so many movies made by filmmakers in the UK, and the ones with serious screenplay chops are the ones who make the better films. This is a useful course for people holding down 9 to 5's, as it's once a week in the evening and also has several start dates throughout the year. The cost is currently £190. NFTS and BFI Not able to physically attend a course? Perhaps you live the far reaches of rural England or are on an isolated island in Scotland so commuting would be a hardship. Well look no further. The National Film and Theatre School (NFTS) and the British Film Institute (BFI) offer an amazing online filmmaking course taught by award-winning filmmakers. Giving students access to amazing behind-the-scenes information, the course is told using the experiences of the actually film industry figures. Many topics are covered over a 6-Week period. Current this course £FREE. To find out more about these particular courses, simply Google the course name and the institution. Stay tuned for more by visiting our filmmaking courses page. #FilmmakingCourses #FilmFeatures #Filmmaking #BritishFilmmaking #ChrisOlson #RaindanceFilmFestival #FilmmakerFeature

Raindance Film Festival 2017 - The Highlights Film Festival Feature by Chris Olson One of the UK's most celebrated events in the movie calendar, the Raindance Film Festival 2017 promises to live up to its reputation of being a wonderful combination of big hitting movies and indie cinema gems. Last year's event was an awesome spread of filmmaking prowess, and having attended many of the screenings and short film showcases myself, I was eager to take a peak at what was in store for the Raindance Film Festival 2017. Oh Lucy! Opening night gala - 20th September Directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi, starring Josh Hartnett, Shinobu Terajima, and Kaho Minami, Oh Lucy! is a wonderful addition to the Raindance Film Festival 2017 lineup. Based on a short film by the same director. Black Butterfly Thursday, 21st Sept Directed by Brian Godman, starring Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. A sterling cast and intriguing premise about murder and abductions - this is one of the big swingers at the film festival this year. I'm Not Here 21st Sept Directed by Michelle Schumacker, starring J.K Simmons. If you don't love J.K Simmons then you are probably more a TV person. The man is a legend and any movie he deems worthy of starring in, I deem worthy of me turning up to watch in a cinema! Stooge 22nd Sept Directed by Madeleine Farley, starring Iggy Pop - everyone's favourite punk icon who refuses to wear a shirt. I am a massive fan of "The Passenger" so will definitely try and catch this music documentary if I get a chance at the 2017 Raindance Film Festival. You Are Killing Me Susana 22nd Sept Directed by Roberto Sneider, starring Gael Garcia Bernal. With a good pedigree of talent behind and in front of the camera, this could be a real treat for movie fans. Especially with decent source material at the heart. Bees Make Honey 23rd Sept Directed by Jack Eve, starring Alice Eve in a murder mystery of sorts. With touches of comedy and drama this should be an interesting film to check out at this year's event. Hello Again 24th Sept Directed by Tom Gustafson, starring Rumer Willis, Ashanti, based on the book by Michael John LaChiusa which was originally based on a play, this drama musical is a really intriguing addition to the Raindance Film Festival 2017 roster. The Public Image Is Rotten 30th Sept Directed by Tabbert Fiiller, starring Johnny Rotten and Don Letts, the documentary film focuses on the forming of Public Image Ltd - the lesser known band that Rotten was in after the Sex Pistols. Stuck Closing night gala - 1st October Directed by Michael Berry, starring Giancarlo Esposito, Amy Madigan, and Ashanti this movie is based on a stage play by Rile Thomas. The story involves strangers on being "stuck" on a subway. #FilmFestivals2017 #RaindanceFilmFestival #ChrisOlson #FilmFestivals #UKFilmFestivals #FilmEvents

Film Festivals > Press Releases FIRST LOOK: RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL LAUNCHES OFFICIAL TRAILER AND POSTER FOR ITS 26TH EDITION The Raindance Film Festival is quickly approaching and to celebrate, it has launched the Official Trailer & Poster for its 26th edition, which will take place in London’s West End from September 26th – October 7th, 2017. Directed by Hector Valdez, the inspiration behind this year’s trailer are the young ‘buzos’ (scavengers), who make a living by looking for things of value to resell or recycle by scavenging through rubbish landfills in his home country of the Dominican Republic. Valdez won the Film of the Festival Award at last year’s Festival for his feature, Peaches. Valdez says, “When I first started brainstorming ideas for the trailer, all I knew was that I also wanted to make it from the perspective of characters who are very rarely, if not at all, represented in the medium of film and have a strong female lead. We took the festival’s famous tagline of “Discover. Be discovered” and give it a literal spin. The group of children find ‘treasure’ in the form of an old film projector in the distant future and discover the medium of film, or storytelling.” The trio of posters has been designed by Robyn Larkin, Head of Festival Design for Raindance and Creative Director of design agency Bobo, who specialise in creating theatrical campaigns and poster artwork. A champion of independent cinema around the world, the Raindance Film Festival is the largest of its kind in Europe. It showcases feature, documentary and short films, music videos, web series and virtual reality experiences. Fostering an environment of creativity and inspiration for emerging and established filmmakers, the Festival also offers opportunities for industry collaboration through its co-production and industry days forums. Known for providing an international launch platform for independent films, Raindance hosted the UK and world premieres of such cult hits as Pulp Fiction (dir. Quentin Tarantino), Memento (dir. Christopher Nolan) and Down Terrace (dir. Ben Wheatley). Last year’s big Festival winner – The Shepherd (dir. Jonathan Cenzual Burley) was released in UK cinemas earlier this year by Matchbox Films and winner of last year’s award for Best Documentary, Growing Up Coy (dir. Eric Juhola) was released by Netflix in January. The programme for the 26th Raindance Film Festival will be announced on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018. Festival passes can be purchased through the Festival website: https://www.raindance.org/courses/raindance-film-festival-pass/ #RaindanceFilmFestival #RaindanceFilmFestival2018 #FilmFestivals #FilmFestivals2018 #PressReleases #UKFilmFestivals

Film Festivals > Press Releases The Raindance Film Festival in partnership with Lumix today announced its highly-anticipated line-up in full of over 80 feature films, 99 short films, 22 music videos and 33 VR exhibits, including 31 World Premieres, 28 International, 21 European and 81 UK Premieres. Celebrating its 26th year, Raindance Film Festival will take place in London’s West End from Wednesday 26 September until Sunday 7 October, 2018. Elliot Grove, Raindance Founder, “Independent film matters more than ever. Our varied programme of the very best of independent, uncensored cinema has the power to transport from our place of overwhelm – breaking down barriers and allowing us to understand how people with very different circumstances from all over the globe live, work and play. We are proud to give a voice to the outsiders, the rebels, the dreamers and the poets and to celebrate films of dissent, which challenge society.” Elliot Grove was joined by jury member, Judi Shekoni (Maleficent 2, Breaking Dawn – Part 2) as they revealed this year’s competition films in the International and UK Features, Documentaries, Shorts and Web Series categories, as well as the programme for the much anticipated Virtual Reality strand. The UK Premiere of award winning director Marialy’s Rivas’ Princesita will be the Opening Night Film. Produced by Fabula, the Chilean production company created by the Larrain brothers, the film tells the story of twelve-year-old Tamara, who has been raised in a cult. As she becomes a young woman, she receives instructions for her life mission: to carry the successor, fathered by the cult leader, the charismatic Miguel. The festival received a record-breaking number of submissions (8929 total) this year from over 118 countries, the highest it has received to date and will screen almost 250 projects – including features, shorts, webfest, VR and music videos selected by our team of 20 programmers, who watched over 4000 hours of footage. A champion of independent filmmaking, Raindance is the largest independent film festival in Europe and has consistently been a great supporter of the UK film industry. Along with Judi Shekoni, this year’s competition films will be judged by a panel of a number of eminent industry professionals such as writer John Harris Dunning, filmmaker and music producer from Japan Mike Rogers and Alex Hoffman (Global Executive Producer, Head of Music for VICE UK) plus high profile supporters such as Michael Flatley (Blackbird), Ray Winstone (The Departed, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Jonathan Pryce CBE (Game of Thrones, Tomorrow Never Dies, Pirates of the Caribbean), Carmen Ejogo (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Selma), Adrian Lester OBE (Hustle, The Day After Tomorrow), Aisling Loftus (Mr Selfridge, War & Peace), Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Juliet Stevenson CBE (Truly, Madly, Deeply, Bend It Like Beckham), Rufus Sewell (Dark City, A Knight’s Tale), Greta Scacchi (Presumed Innocent, White Mischief), Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil: Retribution, Resident Evil: Apocalypse), Jenny Agutter (Logan’s Run, An American Werewolf in London, The Avengers), Annabelle Wallis (The Mummy, Peaky Blinders), Laura Carmichael (Man in an Orange Shirt, Downton Abbey), Karen Bryson (Shameless), Genevieve O’Reilly (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Tin Star), Madeleine Mantock (Charmed, Into The Badlands) and Rupert Evans (The Man in the High Castle, Hellboy). In recognition of the outstanding achievements of this year’s filmmakers, the jury will watch each of the films nominated in the following categories: Best International Film, Best UK Film, Best Director, Best Performance, Best Script, Best Cinematography, Discovery Award and Best Documentary. Films nominated for Best International Film include the Opening Night film,Princesita (Chile/Argentina/Spain); Israeli director Veronica Kedar’s Family (Israel/Germany); Kosai Sekine’s debut feature-length film Love at Least (Japan), a radical, stupid and very real love story; Sophie Fillières’ When Margaux Meets Margaux (France); Rene Eller’s We (The Netherlands/Belgium); directorial debuts from the Far East include Aya Igashi’s A Crimson Star (Japan) and Fog Forest’s The End of Wind (China); in Sean Hamish’s Saint Judy (USA), executive produced by Alfred Molina and starring Michelle Monaghan, we follow episodes of a fictitious regime change when, for an exceptional moment, power is held by ordinary people; Christopher Greenslate’s Saviours (USA) follows a young woman who embeds herself in a white power group in order to find her adoptive African-American mother; Sara Forestier’s M (France) is an opposites attract love story of Lila and Mo. Films nominated for Best UK Film include George Michael and David Austin’s George Michael: Freedom – Director’s Cut, chosen as the Gay Times Special Screening, and featuring over thirty minutes of never seen before private footage, extraordinary performances and insight from famous friends – George’s self-portrait is one of love, loss, success, defeat and his creative process, revealing how the superstar masters the art of being one of the most influential artists of his generation. Other nominees include Blair Macdonald and Oliver Clark’s debut feature Team Khan is a fly-on-the-wall documentary about professional boxer Amir Khan, filmed between 2014 – 16 as he chases a fight with the unbeaten superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr, whilst outside of the ring Amir must grapple with the significance of family, fame, and religion, as he grows from boxing’s golden child into a man; Louis Myles’ Kaiser! The Greatest Footballer Never to Play Football is the tale of the greatest sporting fraud of all time; We the Kings, directed by Lauren McKenzie, is a contemporary thriller, in which a fostered teenager has a vendetta against the former guardian of his foster brother; Marc Price’s debut film Colin won Best Feature at Raindance, his latest feature, Nightshooters is a contemporary thriller and a love letter to low-budget filmmaking and 80s action films. Additional narrative features are considered in the Discovery Award, which is given to Best Debut Film. Films nominated in this category include Andrea Jaurieta’s Ana By Day (Spain), when Ana’s double appears and takes her place she is totally free and able to explore her new anonymity and freedom; starring Homeland’s Morgan Saylor and directed by Hanna Ladoul and Marco La Via, We The Coyotes (USA) is the story of a couple starting their new life together in Los Angeles; Nikola Mijović and Vlastimir Sudar’s Borders, Raindrops (Republic of Srpska/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro/Serbia/Sweden/UK) is the story of a young city girl, who visits her family high up in the Balkan mountains, recently divided by new borders; Lazar Bodroza’s Ederlezi Rising (Serbia), is a story of an astronaut sent on a long intergalactic mission, accompanied by a female android who he begins to fall in love with; in Piotr Domalewski’s Silent Night (Poland), it is Christmas Eve and Adam, a young economic migrant, returns home unannounced for a traditional supper, though nobody suspects the true reason for his unexpected return. Films vying for the Best Documentary Award include Ballet Now (USA), directed by Steven Cantor, executive producers include Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men, The Handmaid’s Tale), which follows dance sensation Tiler Peck is a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process involved in curating a three-day dance series, seeking to push boundaries; Editor-in-Chief of Kino-Zeit, the largest German-language publication for arthouse cinema, Beatrice Behn and René Gebhardt have collaborated on The Artist & the Pervert (Germany), a ground-breaking film documents the lives of a renowned composer of symphonic music, descended from Nazi ancestors and his wife, an African-American kink educator, who engage in a controversial role-play game between a white master and a black slave; Jeff and Michael Zimbalist’s Nossa Chape (Brazil, Colombia, Spain) tracks the rebuilding of the Chapecoense football club in Brazil after an airplane crash left only three players alive; Denali Tiller’s Tre Maison Dasan (USA) is an intimate portrait of three boys growing up, each with a parent in prison; Rumble: The Indians who Rocked the World (Canada), directed by Catherine Bainbridge, is a feature documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history. Other music documentary highlights in 2018 include several World Premieres:, John Alexander’s This Is Love (USA) in which music legends George Clinton, Mick Fleetwood, Sinbad, and Norman Jay unveil an unsung hero of soul, Rudy Love, who turned down fame to make music with his family, yet whose influence is felt today – the screening will be followed by concert at The 100 Club; RISE: The Story of Augustines (USA) chronicles the inspirational journey of William McCarthy & Eric Sanderson’s rise to critical indie acclaim and the tragic death of McCarthy’s younger brother, James; Jordan Albertsen’s Boom (USA) is the story of one of Rock’n’Roll’s wildest and most influential bands, The Sonics and features interviews with artists including Pearl Jam, The Sex Pistols, Heart, and Mudhoney. Other noteworthy films playing at the festival include Jay Alvarez’s Dizzy Pursuit (USA), exec produced by Anthony and Joe Russo, where a young couple receives unwanted visits from family members while trying to cast their independent feature film; Peter Medak’s The Ghost of Peter Sellers (Cyprus), is a tragicomic documentary about young director desperately tries to complete a film on the open sea, while battling its star actor, who is trying to sabotage the film; directed by his wife, Saskia Boddeke, The Greenaway Alphabet (Netherlands) is a deeply personal and powerful portrait chronicling conversations between the renowned filmmaker and his daughter. The international short film competition slate includes Souls of Totality (dir: Richard Raymond, UK/USA), a love story about the intensity of a looming moment that can change everything; June 21 (dir: Nagisa Morimoto, France) about a young man who helps a clinic patient break out of her room and together, they set off to venture far from the city and enjoy the summer days; Imfura (dir: Ishimwe Samuel, Switzerland/Rwanda) which casts a light on the issues faced by families who were torn apart by the Rwandan genocide; The Last Day of the Empire (dirs: Anna Rubi and Julia Halasz, Hungary) about the last days of a fictitious regime change; and Clean Blood (dir: Jordan Michael Blake, USA) – Christmas movie about family, the apocalypse and an immaculately pregnant man. UK Short Films include Jon Drever’s Thawed in a which a woman has brought back her husband from cryogenic suspension; Charlotte Regan’s Little Monster A man has his first phone call to his daughter after being sent to prison; in Aaron Dunleavy’s Landsharks a young teenage boy is lured into the jaws of an underground loan shark; in Nicholas Eriksson’s Ellston Bay when Keir decides to re-establish contact with his estranged father, he returns to his hometown by the sea, and quickly discovers that all is not as it seems on the surface; Iesh Thapar’s Alien Culture is set in West London, 1979 where racial tensions are running high. Another short of note is Eli Powers’ Holy Moses (USA), starring and exec produced by Amanda Seyfried – a strange mystery involving a missing Irish cow which turns up in an American nowhere twenty-five years later. This year’s Queer Film strand will once again showcase outstanding creations from the LGBTQ+ community. Dykes, Camera, Action! is an outstanding introduction to lesbian cinema and provides a history of queer film from a lesbian perspective that explores both mainstream work and arthouse cinema. Another historical look into the queer community will be provided by Ruminations, an endearing dive into the life of Rumi Missabu, the founder of San Francisco based theatre group The Cockettes. Finally, Kill The Monsters is an artful and sensitive look into a polyamorous relationship tackling both the triviality and the hardships of contemporary romance which is not to be missed. Raindance proudly supports female filmmakers and we are pleased to announce female centred indie films by both up and coming and established female filmmakers as well as documentaries celebrating inspiring women from around the world. A few examples showing the breadth of female centred indie offerings this year include the beautifully shot feature film Princesita directed by Marialy Rivas and the inspiring documentary The Last Fight about Marloes Coenen, a Dutch mixed martial arts fighter approaching retirement and her preparation, doubts and fears surrounding her final fight for the MMA championship. Renowned filmmaker Allison Anders will be attending Raindance with a retrospective of her 90’s indie hit Mi Vida Loca – the film looks beyond the surface of the lives of Hispanic girl gangs and attempts to create a deeper portrait of young women in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles. Allison Anders will also host an unmissable Lumix Masterclass. With a career spanning over 3 decades, Allison has always shared tales of punks, outsiders, and strong feminist statements. Her work has ranged from indie classics like Mi Vida Loca and 4 Rooms, to recent high profile work such as Orange is the New Black. Her personal experience of abandonment, survival and success during her early life echo throughout her films, and instills them with a sense of raw truth that so many strive to capture. RAINDANCE IMMERSIVE STORIES AND INTERACTIVE WORLDS Raindance Film Festival continues to champion creators who are pushing the artistic development of the new mediums of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality. This year’s immersive strand, Raindance Immersive Stories and Interactive Worlds, held between Thursday 4th – Sunday 7th October, will feature the annual showcase, Gallery of Immersive Stories and Interactive Worlds, Summit, and Awards Ceremony that celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and artistry expressed in immersive storytelling over the past year. The selection features 33 Virtual Reality experiences, created by established directors and artists such as Dame Judi Dench (My Oak Tree VR), Elijah Wood (Transference), Eric Darnell (Crow: The Legend); leading VR directors and Raindance alumni such as Eugene YK Chung (Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall), Angel Manuel Soto (Dinner Party), Martin Taylor (Awake: Episode One); first-time VR creators and directors such as Chagall (Ukiyo Cave: Surely), Orly Rodriguez (The Archivist), Maximilian Sacker and Ioulia Isserlis (KOBOLD), Landia Egal and Thomas Pons (Umami), Taylor Myers (King of Infinite Space), Kenneth Henderson and Alyssia Frankland (Opinions), James A. Castillo (Madrid Noir), Kristina Buozyte (Trail of Angels), Bin Gu (The Apple), John Lynch (Crackle Pop), and many more 17 Virtual Reality experiences will receive their world premiere, including 7 Miracles, the world’s first feature-length cinematic VR experience. Produced by Vive Studios, and created by highly acclaimed team of producers and directors, Joel Breton (Pirates of the Caribbean, Unreal, Anno 1602, Terraria), Enzo Sisti (Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Passion Of Christ, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Rodrigo Cerqueira (Jesus VR: The Story of Christ) and Marco Spagnoli (Hollywood Invasion, Hollywood on Tiber, Walt Disney, and Italy – A Love Story), the experience has been nominated for the festival’s Grand Jury Prize: Best Immersive Story, recognising creative achievement in immersive storytelling. The selected 33 VR experiences have been nominated for Raindance Immersive Stories Awards that recognise creative excellence and technical achievement across 10 categories: Best Interactive Narrative Experience Best Animation Experience Best Cinematic Experience Best Documentary Experience Best Social Impact Experience Best Music Experience Best Multi-Person Experience Discovery Award: Best Debut Experience British Award: Best UK Experience Grand Jury Prize: Best Immersive Story Technologies within the spectrum of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality continue to rapidly evolve, enabling artists to experiment and push the boundaries of storytelling in bold and daring ways. Reflecting the latest trends in the industry, the festival introduced a new award, Best Multi-Person Experience, shining the spotlight on social VR experiences, giving audiences a taste of what the future of immersive storytelling will feel like. Additional new awards include British Award: Best UK Experience, and Discovery Award: Best Debut Experience, recognising first-time creators. The ten winners will be selected by an international panel of jury members consisting of industry visionaries such as Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge of ILMxLAB; Curtis Hickman, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at THE VOID; Wesley Allsbrook, the artist behind Dear Angelica, last year’s winner of Best Animation Experience award; Jérôme Blanquet, director of Alteration, last year’s winner of Best Cinematic Experience award; Grace Boyle, founder and director of THE FEELIES, one of last year’s winners of Best Social Impact Experience award, and many more. The artwork for this year’s Raindance Immersive Stories and Interactive Worlds was created in Virtual Reality using Oculus Quill illustration tool by Wesley Allsbrook, the artist behind Dear Angelica, last year’s winner of Best Animation Experience award. The artwork is based on the Festival trailer directed by Hector M. Valdez, director of Peaches, winner of the Film of the Festival award in 2017. INDUSTRY EVENTS Anatomy of a Reel is the Raindance Film Festival’s in-depth study of the process from script to screen in painstaking detail. The series invites the masters of their craft to talk shop with their biggest filmmaking fans. Carlos Gallardo joins us this year to host a detailed scene breakdown of his critically acclaimed low-budget feature: ‘El Mariachi’. Carlos starred in and produced the film, and it was directed by his close friend Robert Rodriguez. Critically acclaimed it was renowned for costing only $7,000 to make. The full trilogy of ‘Mariachi’ films would go on to gross $246 million worldwide, helping launch the careers of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, and is preserved as one of only 25 films in the National Film Registry. Joining us for a Fireside Chat, Tony Kaye is a six time Grammy nominated music-video director, who’s worked with artists such as Johnny Cash and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and an award winning film director. Perhaps known best for his feature film debut American History X in 1998, the final cut of which he famously distanced himself from because of disputes over the quality. Kaye’s films dive into the darkest crevices of society, and shine a light on the aspects of human nature we would perhaps otherwise ignore. We are also excited to welcome New York Times Media Columnist Jim Rutenberg to the festival this year to discuss journalistic integrity and how documentary filmmakers take on the reigns of responsibility in this arena. He has been a long time commentator on the Trump campaign, the rise of Fox News which he helped coin ‘The Fox Effect’, and was part of an infamous expose on the structures of abuse that allowed Harvey Weinstein to operate. CHILE – GUEST COUNTRY 2018 Raindance Film Festival welcomes Chile as guest of honour for our 2018 festival. The Chilean Film industry is experiencing a golden age – in the last few years, Chile has earned various nominations, participating and winning awards at the main Film Festivals worldwide and earning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018 with A Fantastic Woman. Other Chilean features include Damn Kids (Gonzalo Justiniano), set in 1983, portraying the vicious dictatorship of General Pinochet. Directed by Into Carrizo-Ortiz, The Night is the story of an ordinary student who must choose between staying true or giving in to his dark side on the day when the world is immersed in total darkness. The Guest Country Forum will include a panel discussion with experts from the Chilean Film Industry, discussing co-production, collaboration, and distribution throughout the Chilean marketplace. The event will also welcome a Case Study from Chilean VR Creators: Merced Productora. As a special event to all Chile Day guests, Gonzalo Maza, writer of Oscar winnerA Fantastic Woman will present an Anatomy of a Reel on one of the film’s most iconic scenes The Guest Country programme is run in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Chile (DIRAC) and the Embassy of Chile in the UK. Now in its third year, Raindance is proud to host China Day 2018, in partnership with Beijing-based production and distribution company Dreamax Media. Bringing together a curated selection of Chinese and UK experts, panels will include Co-Production, Sales & Acquisition, and International Film Education. The independent Film Trust has teamed up with Raindance to produce the Vertical Lab – a targeted six-month mentoring scheme that helps underrepresented film artists advance their careers in cinema. Building on the success of last year’s 25X25 project, the Vertical Lab brings 15 artists working in development, production and exhibition to Raindance. On Friday September 28th, the Lab Sessions event will showcase an eclectic selection of their work including live script readings, film screenings and performances of film scores. The screenings and discussion will be interpreted by a BSL interpreter. The Vertical Lab asserts that a diverse film industry makes better cinema and empowers those who lack exposure, primarily women, BME and LGBTQ groups, as well as people with disabilities and low income. London TV Pitchbox, the first pitching event organised by Raindance Film Festival and online platform Filmarket Hub, will host a case study of ‘Peaky Blinders’ by Jamie Glazebrook, Executive Producer of the series and Creative Director at Caryn Mandabach Productions. Ahead of the pitching session, attendee creators and executives will have the opportunity to learn about the development and production process which contributed to the success of the crime drama set in 1920s Birmingham. London TV Pitchbox is a brand new pitching event dedicated to British drama series in development, which will take place on 28 September at The Century Club, within Raindance Industry Forum. The call for projects is open until 22 August. Seven projects will be selected to pitch in front of a panel of top TV executives and commissioners. After the pitching session there will be a networking lunch, where projects representatives and companies’ executives will be able to share their feedback. Filmarket Hub is the first online marketplace for films and series in development. It matches international projects with producers, TV broadcasters, OTT platforms, sales agents and distributors. It is an excellent tool to discover excellent scripts or find financing partners, with more than 12.000 users from all over Europe & Latin America. Filmarket Hub also organises pitching events under the brand ‘Pitchbox’, where the best projects of the online marketplace have the opportunity to present in front the greatest companies from the industry. PARTNERS Main partners of the 26th Raindance Film Festival include Lumix by Panasonic, Vice Film School, Vue, The Century Club which will host Industry and Programme Special Events, Virgin Money Lounge on Haymarket which will host the Delegate Centre, Telegraph, Gay Times, Diva, Pebble, DreamMax, Independent Film Trust, Filmmarket Hub and UK Film review. #RaindanceFilmFestival2018 #RaindanceFilmFestival #FilmFestivals #PressReleases #UKFilmFestivals

Film Festivals > Press Releases > Raindance Film Festival The Raindance Film Festival in partnership with Lumix today announced that psychological horror film, The Odds, the debut feature from writer/director, Bob Giordano will be the Closing Night film. The film has received several awards on the festival circuit including Best Horror Feature Film at New York City International Film Festival, Best Actor in a Feature Film at North Hollywood Cinefest, and the Graveyard Shift Audience Choice Award at Nashville Film Festival. Carlos Gallardo, producer and actor, will attend the festival to participate in a screening Q&A of Robert Rodriguez’ 1992 classic, El Mariachi. Gallardo played El Mariachi himself, a part which won him the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature in 1993. Following the film’s great success, Gallardo went on to be co-producer of the Robert Rodriguez-directed Mexico Trilogy sequels, Desparado (1995) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). The festival is also delighted to announce the following additions to its programme: Academy Award nominated director, Connie Field’s The Whistleblower of My Lai is a fusion of opera and documentary, telling a story that captures both the best and worst of humanity through the examination of one incident in one man’s life - army helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson’s discovery and exposure of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. Prophecy, directed by Charlie Paul, in competition for the Best Documentary award, is a rare, intimate exploration of a single oil painting by celebrated artist, Peter Howson, and the first major film to reveal the motive and techniques behind each stroke of paint as the artist creates; Blackbird, festival juror Michael Flatley’s directorial debut of a feature length film, will have a special screening, out of competition, during the festival; Styled as a mockumentary, Michael Boccalini and Che Grant’s Love Possibly follows a rom-com obsessed virgin who finds a fiancee on a Russian bride site; A.T. White’s debut feature Starfish - a unique, intimate and honest portrayal of a girl grieving for her best friend. Celebrating its 26th year, Raindance Film Festival will take place in London’s West End from Wednesday 26 September until Sunday 7 October, 2018. A champion of independent filmmaking, Raindance is the largest independent film festival in Europe and has consistently been a great supporter of the UK film industry. #RaindanceFilmFestival2018 #RaindanceFilmFestival #FilmFestivals #PressReleases #UKFilmFestivals

★★★★★ Directed by: Florence Kosky Starring: Jonathan Forbes, Olivia Coleman, Amber Anderson Raindance Film Festival Review by: Chris Olson Beautifully crafted and harrowingly topical, short film All the World's a Stage is loaded with heavy themes yet the filmmaking feels fluid throughout. Utilising plenty of movement, a sumptuous score, and intimate lighting, director Florence Kosky creates an absorbing atmosphere for audiences at the 2018 Raindance Film Festival. Olivia Coleman narrates the fictional experience of an actor (Jonathan Forbes) whose life and limelight dims when he loses his crown. After struggling to find his place in the cast and finding little in the way of help or support, the actor retracts from the company and leaves a devastating hole in his wake. Intentionally drawing plenty of parallels with the stories of people who commit suicide (helplines appear in the credits and on the film's website), All the World's a Stage takes a theatrical approach to telling a really important tale. By having Coleman's narration and a fairytale style to the storytelling, the audience is submerged into a tragedy without even noticing. As the plot gets darker and we realise there is a lot being said here, we have let our guard down enough to be thoroughly engrossed by the movie. Forbes is a compelling silent star, roaming the numerous elaborate sets in light and shadow with plenty of gusto. Complemented perfectly by the always brilliant Coleman, whose voice plays like a soft breeze that gets increasingly frenetic. The other performers are wonderful at creating the background of a community whose loss is partly their own fault. Their initial hostility to the actor's situation is brutal in reflecting our own culture of self-involvement and our tendency to distance ourselves from the suffering of others. What's wonderful about a short film like this is the powerful use of classic cinematic tropes to jolt the audience into contemplating something incredibly current and sombre. The whole piece feels like an exercise in fables until you dig deeper and let the ulterior motives unearth themselves, which explore the roles we all play, every day. #RaindanceFilmFestival #RaindanceFilmFestival2018 #FilmFestivals #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #Suicide #FlorenceKosky #JonathanForbes #OliviaColeman #AmbeAnderson

Written and Directed by Xavier Guignard Starring Anne Ribière, Jean-Loup Horwitz, Jessica Mescall Short Film Review by Chris Olson With a sense of effortless warmth and grace, Xavier Guignard's short film The Conductor has a formidable filmmaking pedigree. Combining sumptuous visuals with immersive music from Tim Benjamin, and two great central performances, this is enriched cinema. Emma (Anne Ribière) opens the movie by performing a marvellous piano piece. However, her musical talent and this seemingly picturesque moment are not enough to convince others that she is not anxious. It becomes clear that she is about to embark on a new career, one as the assistant to a world-famous conductor (Jean-Loup Horwitz). Upon arrival, there is an immediate and palpable tension between the two of them, one which gets explored using dialogue, body language, and indeed music, in order to ascertain the meaning behind the looks, as well as the brooding secret Emma holds. Another production with Essay Pictures (see our Little Thief film review), Guignard and Ribière team up in another stylistically bold outing, this time less unconventional when it comes to the story. Indeed, it is the plot of The Conductor which is my only grievance. It, regrettably, lacks the heft or daring to match that of Little Thief, and also sadly fails to live up to the incredibly high standards of The Conductor's other aspects. With such a beautiful score, mise en scéne, and atmosphere, it seems a shame that the story did not contain more compelling ideas and build upon the mystery with a more satisfying final third. That notwithstanding, The Conductor is a phenomenal achievement in terms of short filmmaking. The arresting music is more than enough to immobilise an audience, whilst the longing and uncomfortable chemistry between Ribière and Horwitz is equally as entertaining. Guignard shows brilliant restraint when it comes to depicting their journey, allowing numerous musical pieces to partition the events, creating even more mystery surrounding these two characters. During the performance sequences, an affection and almost loving tenderness is paid to the musicians and the result is a tremendously moving collage, inspiring great sensibility in the viewer. The performances, as mentioned, had great chemistry. Ribière traverses a complex journey as her character displays numerous emotions and anxieties that seem to swirl around her with the music. Horwitz is more stoic in his approach, but just as interesting to watch, embodying the revered personality well. Had the story delivered more on its promise of mystery and intrigue, then The Conductor could have been a showstopper of a short film. Instead, it is simply a masterful and opulent piece to be swept away by. Watch the official movie trailer for The Conductor below... #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #MovieTrailers #MusicFilms #XavierGuignard #AnneRibière #JeanLoupHorwitz #JessicaMescall #HighPeakIndiefilmfestival #HighPeakIndie2018

Press Releases > Film Festivals > High Peak Indie “High Peak Independent Film Festival”, a festival celebrating national and international filmmaking talent, returns for its second year this June in New Mills. The High Peak Independent Film Festival taking place at New Mills Art Theatre from Thursday 14th June to Sunday 17th June 2018 The High Peak Independent Film Festival (HPIFF) has just announced its line-up for this years international film festival, taking place at New Mills Art Theatre. The festival takes place from the 14th to 17th June, showcasing 60 films along with several different events. The festival showcases local, national and international talent, including shorts and features films from the United Kingdom, United States, Norway, Iran, and France. The High Peak Independent Film Festival will be holding some British and International film premieres also, including French feature film ‘The Portrait’ and short American film ‘For The Birds’. It will also see the return of films from filmmakers and actors, including young filmmaker Olivia Maiden, Best Documentary winner Debbie Howard, Best Actor winner Farid Zarrinbal and Best Student Film producer Chloe McMahon. This year, the film festival will have events including a 10 Hour Filmmaking Challenge, a panel by Women in Film and TV, a talk by Film Festival Doctor Dr Rebekah Louisa Smith, A Night at the Movies with Tideswell Band, Quizit! Special with a celebrity guest and the prestigious awards ceremony, all open to anyone who wishes to attend. The festival also promises to hold some great networking events and parties across the weekend too. Festival director, Nicole Pott (25) says, “We have been working hard to make sure that the High Peak Independent Film Festival of 2018 keeps our values on supporting new talent and we have worked to make our festival greater than our successful inaugural year.” The festival would like to thank all this years sponsors that have helped make this event possible, including Clayton Chartered Accounts, Rapid Screening Services Ltd, Final Draft, GAS Music, Sonder Pictures and Visit New Mills. They would also like to thank New Mills Festival and Paprika for all their help on the lead up to the festival. To find out about full film festival schedules and how to get tickets, go to www.highpeakindie.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram under @highpeakindie. 90% of all profits go to the restoration of New Mills Art Theatre. #HighPeakIndie2018 #HighPeakIndiefilmfestival #FilmFestivals #UKFilmFestivals #FilmFestivals2018 #PressReleases

Film Festival Interview by Chris Olson Please tell us who you are and what you do at High Peak Indie film festival. I'm Nicole, the festival director of High Peak Independent Film Festival. It's my job to organise and coordinate the entire festival from films to venues to sponsors. What makes the festival special for UK filmmakers? I think the festival is really special because it takes place in a small town in the High Peak with some of the most gorgeous views. It also celebrates talent no matter how long they have been in the film industry. One of, what I think, the best categories definitely has to be our celebration of young filmmakers aged 13-18. The talent coming out at those ages is outstanding! What can attendees expect from the 2018 lineup? We have 56 shorts and 4 features, including holding a few British premieres like Sarah Barker's 'The Subject' and Christophe Leclaire's 'The Portrait'. Our selection is great and we have such a mix of films from comedies to dramas to sci-fi. Are there any obstacles to running a UK film festival? I think there is a lot to 'compete' (I use the word lightly) with the bigger festivals, from the fact that many bigger festivals want the premieres whether that'd be world or British and the sheer sizes of those festivals too. The festival is currently run by me and my programme manager, Nicholas Bimson, so I have had to do jobs that I would love to have other people to do, like brochure design, leafleting (I have had help here!) etc. But, I think there also many benefits of running a smaller festival, it can feel more personable to the filmmakers, so hopefully we won't lose that! Where do you see the event in 5 years time? As the festival is set in the High Peak, I'd like to expand to two separate venues, one in New Mills, where we are, and one in Buxton. I think two separate venues with transport access organised by the festival will be beneficial in reaching a bigger audience and we can also run programmes more than once too, which is always great for the filmmakers. I'm hoping in five years time we'll be known as one of the top small film festivals in the country, but we can only hope! Do you have any advice for new/beginner filmmakers? I think just make films and constantly improve. I'm a film director and producer myself and think my work is far from perfect, so I am always making stuff to improve myself and that's what I think beginners should do too. Where can people find details about the festival? All the information is on our website at www.highpeakindie.com or people can just pop down to the venue during the festival, which is taking place at New Mills Art Theatre, Jodrell St, New Mills, Sk22 3hj. What would you say if you were a dolphin? Click click #Interviews #Interview #ChrisOlson #HighPeakIndiefilmfestival #HighPeakIndie2018 #NicolePott #FilmFestivals #FilmFestivals2018 #UKFilmFestivals

Film Festival Interview by Chris Olson Please tell us who you are and what you do at High Peak Independent film festival. I’m Nick Bimson and I’m the Programme Manager at High Peak Indie Film Festival. I am the person responsible for deciding on the content of all the different shorts programmes and features slots we show at the festival. In real terms, this usually means I have developed a vitamin D deficiency from being locked in a dark room for hours watching all the films we have been submitted. What makes your programme particular special this year? I think we have some really strong films, from the likes of established filmmakers all the way down to young filmmakers who may be making their first film - in fact we have a dedicated programme and award for the latter. What should attendees expect from High Peak Indie in 2018? A really diverse mix of films and a showcase of homegrown and international talent. Are there any obstacles to arranging the programme for a UK film festival? Luckily we have had a fairly smooth run up to the festival this year. But from a programming perspective there are always films you really like that you just can’t find a place for in the programme due to time constraints and the amount of really high quality material submitted. It’s a great feeling to say yes to a film but equally horrible to say no to a really good one. So one obstacle is probably the umming, ahhing and constant back and forth you have navigating the near impossible task of getting everything you like in a programme somewhere. Where do you see the event in 5 years time? Hopefully we can grow the reputation and brand of the festival more and more and make High Peak Indie one of the premier film events in the North West for showcasing emerging talent and quality filmmaking. Do you have any advice for new/beginner filmmakers? Be original in the films you make. There is nothing more refreshing for a programmer than to watch a film that does something different or approaches a subject from a fresh angle - be ambitious rather than playing it safe. In terms of submitting to festivals and getting your film screened, be realistic and choose your festivals well for the level you are at, and don’t ever get discouraged by rejections! What are the skills needed to be a Programme Manager for a festival? I’m still very much in the process of finding this out myself as this is my first festival as a programme manager, being fairly new to programming work in general! It may sound obvious but an understanding of what makes a good film good is essential, and of course this appreciation can be transferred from other areas - I have an English Literature degree which has helped me think and talk about film. Also, one thing I am learning the importance of, is keeping an open mind when viewing films and trying to not get bogged down in your own personal tastes or preferences in film. But, probably most importantly… you need to live and breath film! A list of 100s of films to watch should seem to you an issue of love rather than labour - or at least most of the time! What would you say if you were a dolphin? So long and thanks for all the fish! High Peak Indie film festival begins on June 14th and will run until June 17th 2018. #HighPeakIndie2018 #HighPeakIndiefilmfestival #Interviews #FilmFestivals #UKFilmFestivals #FilmFestivals2018 #ChrisOlson #NickBimson

★★★★ Directed by: #JeniJones Starring: #LeliaSymington, #DaneneMontella, #AlexLynnWard, #JamieMiller, #JacobChattman, #NathanielTimmerman Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson The growth of the #metoo community on social media revealed an abhorrent amount of unspoken sexual harassment worldwide suffered largely by females, as well as men. Brought to the fore by celebrities, a mainstream discourse opened up about the inappropriate behavior by people in power as well as victims of sexual abuse in all walks of life. As with any large movement in popular culture or social tensions, filmmakers will look to represent these stories in a myriad of ways. Director Jeni Jones and writers Jamie Miller and Danene Montella have opted for a vigilante approach whereby gender role reversals form the foundation of their short comedy thriller Club Rat$. Lelia Symington, Danene Montella, Alex Lynn Ward, and Jamie Miller play a gang on the lookout for male prey in nightclubs. They select their targets based on the likelihood of them being potential rapists or sexual abusers, e.g. spotting one putting a substance into a drink. Then they haul them to a remote location, take dirty pics of them which get sent to their employers, steal their money digitally and send it to women's shelters, and generally scare the bejesus out of them. If I were to name their gang, I would call them the Penis Fly Traps…*waits for applause. Biting, tongue-in-cheek and stark, Club Rat$ is a giant two fingers to the male-dominated culture of sexual violence and aggression which is so prevalent in a majority of places in our culture and society. The strong female cast and crew is presented with no apologies and the vibrant array of cinematic trappings that are synonymous with stories and the aesthetics of maleness (heavy rap, gratuitous violence, tasty revenge) are done with a sublime sense of reckless abandon. From a visual sense, the film has an edgy moderness to it. A strobe light effect to the editing which is frenetic at times keeps the pace quickened and the use of slow motion to highlight the graphic violence is a tried and tested method to keep audiences glued to the screen. The sound design comprises largely of heavy tracks that complement the nightclub setting well and reinforce the battling notions of predation and masculinity. Viewers will feel submerged into this unpleasant world where the only real difference to something they would be use to is that the main “antagonists” are women. Artists who explore topical themes are always going to be subject to a more fluid reaction as the debate rages on. What is undeniable, however, is that Jones and her gang have created a relevant and thought-provoking piece that isn't afraid to place the themes front and centre and dare the audience to look away. Whilst there are a few moments of wooden dialogue and unconvincing character behavior (one of the characters seems to be completely nervous about the group's intentions one minute and brandishing a razor to a victim the next) the minor missteps are massively outweighed by the bold and daring storytelling. This is a worthy entry into the ongoing cultural reaction to the huge gender problem suffered by all nations and an entertaining one at that.